Inexpensive and Free CAD Programs A common question from new users is, “What CAD program do you recommend?” As you might guess, the answer is, “It depends”. Here is a list of the best deals in free or inexpensive CAD programs. One quick note, if you’re a Mac user then check out our list of. Free Form 3D Modeling Programs 3D modeling programs are used to make models for animations or video games and those models are never meant to leave the computer. These programs will let you design complicated shapes easily but they can make it more difficult to design mechanical shapes to exact dimensions. (Free) - Blender is a free, open source 3D modeling program.
AppleCAD CAD Software for Mac, Reviews and Advice. Applecad.com Use this site to help select the best CAD program for your Mac. We review, compare and rate CAD software for Mac OS-X to give you informed recommendations for the most effective Computer Aided Design software to meet your needs.
The interface is very non-traditional and will require some adjustment if you’ve got experience in a more traditional 3D design program. Amazon stocks a ton of books about Blender so it should be easy to find some material to help you out. ($99-$159) - Silo3D is a subdivision modeling program that, like Blender, is not primarily targeted at users trying to design models to be machined. It is incredibly powerful and the interface is easier to learn than Blender. This is a great value if you’re looking to model organic shapes.
Free Form CAD Free form CAD programs let you design dimensionally accurate models but don’t impose any structure or workflow on your methods. (Free or $500)- Sketchup is a CAD program that was originally targeted to the architectural market. It is a very simple program to use but it isn’t well-suited for organic shapes. In 2006 is was acquired by Google and a free version was released. The free version will not export an STL file but several people have written plug-ins that allow Sketchup to export an STL without paying for the full version.
The various approaches are discussed. You can also buy a commercial STL exporter from ($99)- Viacad is a simple, powerful 3D CAD program.
It isn’t as popular as some of the others here but it’s inexpensive and you can get up and running quickly. It is available for Mac and PC, making it unique in this list. ($295)- MoI (Moment of Inspiration) is a 3D CAD program that was designed to be usable on tablet or pen computers. Because of this, the user interface is simple and doesn’t require a lot of typing. It was written by a single guy, who was one of the original developers of Rhino, so it’s powerful without being bloated. It is equally well-suited to organic or mechanical shapes.
Without a doubt, this is one to try. ($995)- Rhino is one of the most powerful and flexible CAD programs anywhere. It has every kind of tool you could need and, like MoI, is equally well-suited to organic or mechanical shapes. It isn’t inexpensive but it does almost anything you could need. If you happen to be a student then you can get a significant discount. Version 5 will also be avialable on Mac OS X when it is released.
Parametric CAD Parametric CAD programs keep the entire history of the model as it is being built. If you find the need to change a shape or dimension then you just go back in the history, make the change, and the model will be rebuilt automatically. If you make a big change then you may have to do a little work to get the model rebuilt properly but it’s still going to be faster than a program like Rhino. Parametric CAD programs are incredibly powerful if you are willing to spend the time to get your head around the workflow. (Free - $80/Month)- OnShape is a new cloud-based CAD program from the same team that created Solidworks. It runs completely in the browser so it runs on PC, OS/X or even an iPad. There’s a range of pricing options and for many users, it’s totally free.
($199- $1400)- Alibre is a very powerful parametric CAD program that is available for very little money if you only need to export to STL. They take a lot of pride in the fact that you can do 99% of what the very expensive programs can do at a fraction of the cost.
As a comparison, Solidworks, one of the most popular programs in this category, will cost you a minimum of $3500 to buy it and $1200 a year for updates. The $99 version of Alibre is the most amazing deal on this page.
Although it’s in no way a low-cost program, works very well with MeshCAM and it’s very popular with MeshCAM users. Just in case you’re one of them, we’ve got a page with some instructions to help get you started.
This article will attempt to simplify every designer search by providing the top CAD applications one can make use of on his or her Mac PC. The Top CAD Programs for Mac OS Below is the list of our top 10 CAD software for the Mac and it is important to note that they were arranged in no particular other for we deem all of them as useful to a diverse set of people.
These apps were chosen due to their features, design abilities and capacity to function properly on the. So happy reading. QCAD is an open source 2D drafting software built to run on Windows, Linux and more importantly the Mac operating system. This simplistic drafting software makes the list due to its extensive features and drawing tools which make learning its use quite easy for just about anyone.
Although it is just a 2D drafting program, it integrates state of the art drawing techniques into its user interface. QCAD users can make use of lines, arcs, NURBS, polylines, hatches on an EMACS scripting interface which provides a powerful background for controlling your drawing and design tasks with ease. Pros:. Its installation process works with few hardware requirements. Open-source means users can customize it to fit specific needs. EMACS scripting interface. Vibrant Community to aid learning and support Cons:.
Cad Software For Mac
Its only 2D capabilities can be viewed as a limitation. No cloud support and. No collaborative tools Ares Commander Ares commander is a CAD drafting tool for Mac which takes care of design on Mac as well as on other operating systems.
This intuitive CAD app was developed on the Qt GUI creator thereby providing users with the same look and feel across all operating systems including the Mac OS. This drafting tool stands out due to its integration of QuickModify which allows its user to use a single command to handle more than one design related task. This means that tasks such as move, zoom, rotate etc. Can be executed using the same sequence you frequently use with a single command. The Ares CAD program for Mac also comes equipped with an API that allows you create custom functions and routines on its ActiveX interface. Pros:.
It is predominantly a native Mac app. It comes with considerable API support. Collaboration tools are included Cons:. Its 64bit Mac version is still under construction.
Limited warehousing options ArchiCAD is a slightly popular CAD app in the design community and its developers—Graphisoft—took the bold step of developing a version that works on Mac thereby giving it a spot on this list. ArchiCAD is a highly advanced architecture and building CAD applications which also spots a interface to enable extensive collaboration platform for multiple users. It is one of the few BIM modeling tools currently on the Mac.
The ArchiCAD development engine is also one of the most powerful out there due to its ability to simulate features such as structural part morphing techniques, and element association between different construction phases. Pros:. A native Mac CAD application.
Integrates an MEP collision detection interface. Intuitive background interface supports the user.
Multiple collaboration and sharing tools Cons:. Comes with a steep learning curve. Extensive hardware requirements. It intuitive concepts may challenge traditional design processes Graphite The Ashlar-Vellum—Graphite’s parent company—way places emphasis on creativity and design which makes most of their CAD software highly intuitive and Graphite is no different. This CAD program for Mac is designed to allow the user easily carry out 3D modeling tasks due to the use of an intuitive toolbox and command line. Graphite is slightly on part with ArchiCAD and the more advanced modeling CAD applications—Maya, SolidWorks etc.—due to its extensive toolset, advanced use of APIs and the integration of a collaborative surface which makes it a BIM platform.
It is also worth noting that Graphite is a drafting tool built specially for the Mac operating system which brings it into our list. Pros:. An easy learning curve made possible by its simplistic user interface. Supports experimentation due to its intuitive interface. It is a native CAD application for the Mac.
Background processing mechanism also aids users through design projects Cons:. Works on only Intel processors and it’s not supported by others such as POWERPC/AMD chipsets. Hardware requirements are quite extensive AutoCAD for Mac After much deliberation, finally came up with a version of its most famous brand for the Mac operating system, the AutoCAD drafting tool for Mac. What else is there to say about AutoCAD?
It is a drafting tool with an extensive user interface and advanced tools that can be used to design virtually everything you need to a high level. Its user interface is highly intuitive and although the learning curve associated with AutoCAD is quite steep, learning to use it provides the user with unlimited design abilities. This is due to the fact that most design tools are built as a copy of AutoCAD’s design mechanism.