Ubuntu Tips n Tricks

Free and Open Source CAD Software for Linux

Posted: 08 Dec 2009 04:07 AM PST

Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computer technology for the design of objects whether 2D or 3D, real or virtual. It is heavily utilized in many applications, including animation, automotive, shipbuilding, aerospace industries, industrial and architectural design, prosthetics, and many others. Because of its enormous economic importance, CAD has been a major driving force for research in computational geometry, computer graphics (both hardware and software), and discrete differential geometry.

AutoCAD is a CAD software application that's popular among professionals. But since it's very expensive and is only available for Windows, Linux users may want to take a close look at some of the free and open source programs that perhaps can equal most of the features offered by AutoCAD.

Here are some of the best free and open source CAD software for Linux that you may want to check out:

BRL-CAD
BRL-CAD (BRL stands for Ballistic Research Laboratory) is a powerful solid modeling system that includes interactive geometry editing, high-performance ray-tracing for rendering and geometric analysis, image and signal-processing tools, a system performance analysis benchmark suite, libraries for robust geometric representation, with more than 20 years of active development and production use by the U.S. military. Although it can be used for a variety of engineering and graphics applications, the package's primary purpose continues to be the support of ballistic and electromagnetic analyses. In keeping with the Unix philosophy of developing independent tools to perform single, specific tasks and then linking the tools together in a package, BRL-CAD is basically a collection of libraries, tools, and utilities that work together to create, raytrace, and interrogate geometry and manipulate files and data.

Open CASCADE
Open CASCADE is a software development suite for 3D surface and solid modeling, visualization, data exchange and rapid application development. It can be best applied in development of numerical simulation software including CAD/CAM/CAE, AEC and GIS, as well as PDM applications.

Some of the main features of Open CASCADE:

* Foundation Classes provide a variety of general-purpose services such as: primitive types, strings and various types of quantities, automated management of heap memory, exception handling, classes for manipulating aggregates of data, math tools etc
* Modelling Data supplies data structures to represent 2D and 3D geometric models.These services are organized in the following libraries: 2D geometry, 3D geometry, geometry Utilities, topology
* The Modelling Algorithms module groups together a range of topological algorithms used in modelling. Along with these tools, it is possible to find the geometric algorithms that they call

QCAD
QCAD specializes in drafting in two dimensions (2d). You can create technical drawings such as plans for buildings, interiors, mechanical parts or schemas and diagrams. QCAD was designed with modularity, extensibility and portability in mind. It has an intuitive user interface that you don't need any CAD experience to get started with QCAD immediately.

Some of the main features of QCAD:

* 35 CAD fonts included
* Over 40 construction tools
* Over 20 modification tools
* Construction and modification of points, lines, arcs, circles, ellipses, splines, polylines, texts, dimensions, hatches, fills, raster images
* Various powerful entity selection tools
* Object snaps
* Measuring tools
* Part library with over 4800 CAD parts
* Scripting interface

FreeCAD
FreeCAD is a general-purpose 3D CAD modeler that is based on OpenCascade, QT and Python. It is aimed directly at mechanical engineering and product design but also fits in a wider range of uses around engineering, such as architecture or other engineering specialties. FreeCAD features tools similar to Catia, SolidWorks or Solid Edge, and therefore also falls into the category of MCAD, PLM, CAx and CAE. It will be a feature based parametric modeler with a modular software architecture that makes it easy to provide additional functionality without modifying the core system.

Varkon
Varkon is a powerful 2D/3D CAD and modeling tool used in engineering, design, architecture, etc. It will let you do anything from traditional 2D drafting to fully parametric interactive modeling in 2D and 3D, sculptured surface modeling, and even animation. Though Varkon can be used as-is right away, it's almost completely customizable, allowing you to design a special purpose application with a user interface specific to that application. Models are described in Varkon's MBS programming language, interactively in a graphical window, and or manually in a text editor. You can also use Varkon to write or change the model's -or other- code on the fly.