page updated: 2020.08.02 CAD tools for Blender-3D



manual • roadmap • about • news • license • register • subscribe • contact • release notes • • intro • features



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.

Parts of the project are ported to newer Blender versions, for example DWG/DXF-importer and DWG/DXF-exporter. They work with Blender 2.65 up to 2.79 and 2.80 (WIP!)



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!) lllllll lll - settings and project preferences are preserved between sessions lllllll lll - 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) lllllllll l - Views management lllllll ... - Selection-Sets management lllllllll l - UCS management - arbitrary User-Coordinate-Systems llllllllll - Cartesian and Polar Coordinates lllllll lll - workplane-constrains: Lock-X,Y,Z , GRID-mode, ORTHO-mode lllllll lll - visual feedback for UCS, Markers, ortho/polar-coordinates llllllll ll - SNAP-functionality (CAD-real-time-snap-engine) llllllllll - numeric input and edition of coordinates in active UCS llllllllll - support for Metric and Imperial Units lllllll lll > - dimensioning-system: on-screen representation llll llll.. - 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 llllll ll.. - User Interface: customizable layout and texts (developer version) llllllll ll - 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 (2018.06.05).

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

- upcoming - release 0.69-alpha: CNC-preprocessing

- upcoming - release 0.70-alpha: automatic UV-mapper

- upcoming - release 0.71-alpha: SKETCH-tool (top) 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. After the one year period ends, the software will no longer function unless the license is renewed.





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 to compile the software for you:

- your operating system(s) (Linux?, 64bit?):

- your Blender/Python version(s) (2.49b/py2.5?, 2.78/py3.5?):



I will do my best to keep your data private! (top) 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:

migius at gmx.net



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



. related links:

blender.org

BlenderArtists Forum

yorik.uncreated.net

blender3darchitect.com

blendermama.com

BlenderNation News

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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