cadtools

page updated: 2024.12.02

CAD tools for Blender-3D
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• intro • features • manual • roadmap • about • news • license • register • subscribe • contact • release notes •

Intro:
CADtools is a CAD extension for Blender-3D (a free open source 3D-content creation suite, available for all major operating systems).

CADtools can be useful for:

- architects
- engineers
- scientists
- inventors
- designers
-

- professionals
- hobbyists
- students
- teachers
-
-

- precise 2d drawing
- precise 3d modeling
- 3d-reconstruction
- scientific visualization
- physical simulation
- data analysis

on:
- Linux
- Mac OS
- Windows
- Solaris
- FreeBSD

CADtools script is work in progress, though many parts can be used for production already. At the moment it supports only Blender 2.49b.
To run in full-feature-mode CADtools needs Blender-2.49b-CAD-edition.
Some parts of the project are ported to newer Blender versions, for example DWG/DXF-importer and DWG/DXF-exporter, which work up to Blender 4.x.

Features: version 0.68alpha for Blender 2.49b:
		llllllllll stable
		llllllllll wip
		.......... todo
		> more information .
llllllllll		- transparent access to standard User Interface
llllllllll		- full blend file compatibility
l.........		- UNDO function (not stable yet!)
llllllllll		- settings and project preferences are preserved between sessions
llllllllll		- context sensitive help system (use F1)
llllllllll		- editing across multiple objects and object types (Meshes+Curves)
llllllllll		- editing across groups of arbitrary scaled objects
llllllllll		- editing across multiple viewports (ortho and perspective)
llllllllll		- autorepeat for commands and parameters
llllllllll		- CAD asset management (enhanced data-browser)
llllllllll		- Views management
lllllll...		- Selection-Sets management
llllllllll		- UCS management - arbitrary User-Coordinate-Systems
llllllllll		- Cartesian and Polar Coordinates
llllllllll		- workplane-constrains: Lock-X,Y,Z , GRID-mode, ORTHO-mode
llllllllll		- visual feedback for UCS, Markers, ortho/polar-coordinates
llllllllll		- SNAP-functionality (CAD-real-time-snap-engine)
llllllllll		- numeric input and edition of coordinates in active UCS
llllllllll		- support for Metric and Imperial Units
llllllllll	>	- dimensioning-system: on-screen representation
llllllll..		- dimensioning-system: real representation
llllllllll		- 3D-Markers: reference-points in 3D-View
llllllllll		- Geometric-Calculator using 3D-Markers
lllll.....		- true-scale printing: HPGL/PLT, SVG, PNG, JPG
..........		- in-place editing for BLOCKs/dupliGroups
..........		- DXF-LAYER system
..........		- DXF-Entity-properties: LINECOLOR, LINETYPE, LINEWIDTH
llllllll..		- User Interface: customizable layout and texts (developer version)
llllllllll		- extendable via embedding external python scripts
read more here (top)

Roadmap:
CADtools' development will focus on Blender 2.49b a while. Porting to newer Blender version will start as soon as the new python-API offers needed functionality. Unfortunately it is still not the case (2024.07.30).
The long term goal is to rewrite the code to C/C++ and integrate into Blender under GPL-license. I will open the source code as soon as i get refunded my investments. I hope that the subscription model will help to manage this plan in reasonable time.

Timeline:
2009.09.30 - first working prototype
2009.10.24 - first public viewing at Blender Conference 2009
2009.12.13 - first official release: 0.40-alpha
2010.03.22 - 90% release: 0.46-alpha
2010.06.17 - release 0.49-alpha: prepared for Blender 2.49-cad-edition
2010.07.16 - release 0.50-alpha: improved Bezier-curves support
2011.08.15 - release 0.60-alpha: more complete and stable
2011.12.22 - release 0.64-alpha: initial BIM implementation
2012.11.29 - release 0.64-alpha: cumulated bugfixes
2013.02.05 - release 0.65-alpha: BIM-tools improvements
2014.01.07 - release 0.65-alpha: updated DXF support
2015.01.08 - release 0.66-alpha: cumulated bugfixes
2015.04.07 - release 0.67-alpha: improved Bezier-curves intersections
2015.08.20 - release 0.68-alpha: DIM-system improvements
2016.11.30 - release 0.68-alpha: updated DXF support
2017.12.04 - release 0.68-alpha: updated DXF support
2019.03.10 - release 0.68-alpha: updated DXF support
2020.01.10 - release 0.68-alpha: updated DXF support
2021.04.16 - release 0.68-alpha: updated DXF support
2021.06.10 - release 0.68-alpha: updated DXF support
2022.06.15 - release 0.68-alpha: updated DXF support
2023.03.15 - release 0.68-alpha: updated DXF support
2023.11.13 - release 0.68-alpha: updated DXF support
2024.07.30 - release 0.68-alpha: updated DXF support
- upcoming - release 0.69-alpha: CNC-preprocessing
- upcoming - release 0.70-alpha: automatic UV-mapper
- upcoming - release 0.71-alpha: SKETCH-tool

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License (updated 2015.11.12):
CADtools Extension for Blender is freeware / registerware to the following conditions:
1. CADtools can be licensed for individuals under Personal License
and for companies/corporations under Site License.
2. The license is non-transferable.
3. Your copy of the software is personalized and password protected.
4. You can use CADtools for private and commercial purposes.
5. You can support CADtools development through subscription.
6. Subscribers get access to technical support and extensions for 12 months.
7. The software will stop running unless the license is renewed each 12 months.

Registration:
If you agree with above License, please send me
an email "CADtools - registration" with this list:
- company name (if you need a site license):
- first name and last name:
- city and country:
- your email-address:
- your website/homepage:
- a few words about you (please introduce yourself):
- your motivation to use Blender:
- your account at blenderartists.org forum:
- where did you learn about CADtools Project?
- is Blender 2.49b still an option for you?
- do you need DXF-importer script?
- do you need DXF-exporter script?
- subscription rate you would like to pay:
Technical parameters of destination platform:
- your operating system(s) (Win10_22H2?, macOS_13?, Ubuntu_22.04?):
- your Blender/Python version(s) (3.3/py3.10.2?):

I will do my best to keep your data private!

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Downloads:
After receiving your registration data I will send you an evaluation copy of the software by email.

Subscription:
CADtools development is funded by users via subscriptions/donations.
Become a subscriber for:
360 euro a year (company site license)
120 euro a year (professional personal license)
60 euro a year (semi-profi personal license)
30 euro a year (hobby personal license)
and get access to extensions and individual support for one year.
Business subscribers (with VAT-ID!) can get an invoice on basis of CAD consultancy services.
From within EU (European Union) please use bank transfer.
From elsewhere you can pay per credit card or PayPal.

Credits:
Two great community projects make CADtools' development possible: wikipedia.org and blender.org. Please consider to support them on regular basis!

Contact:

Due to spam filters please write "CADtools - " at the start of subject line of your email.

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related links:
blender.org
BlenderArtists Forum
yorik.uncreated.net
blender3darchitect.com
BlenderNation News
cgarchitect.com Forum
older links:
blendermama.com
VR Builder - archViz blog
BlenderArt Magazin
Blender for Architecture - wiki
ArchiProject on BlenderWiki

UI-layout vertical (ver.0.53)

UI-layout horizontal (ver.0.53)

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