S
Solvespace
SolveSpace is a free, parametric 2D/3D CAD tool designed for a variety of engineering and design tasks.
Our verdict
Who it's for
Parametric 2D/3D CAD for modeling, assembly, and mechanism design.
Who should look elsewhere
May have a steeper learning curve compared to commercial CAD software
Pros
- +Completely free and open-source (GPLv3)
- +Parametric design capabilities for precise control
- +Robust constraint solver for mechanism design
- +Supports a wide range of import and export formats
- +Associative assembly allows changes to propagate automatically
Cons
- −May have a steeper learning curve compared to commercial CAD software
- −User interface might be less polished than paid alternatives
- −Community support might be smaller than for widely adopted commercial tools
Key features
- ✓Sketch sections with lines, rectangles, circles, arcs, Bezier segments, and TrueType text
- ✓Apply constraints and dimensions including distance, angle, tangency, parallel, perpendicular, and equality
- ✓Build solid models using extrude, lathe (solid of revolution), helix, and Boolean operations (union, difference, intersection)
- ✓Parametric and associative assembly with six degrees of freedom, mirroring, and scaling
- ✓Analyze measurements, mechanism paths, sketch area, solid volume, degrees-of-freedom, and interference checks
- ✓Export 2D vector drawings (DXF, EPS, PDF, SVG, HPGL, STEP), toolpaths (G-code), 3D wireframes (DXF, STEP), triangle meshes (STL, OBJ), and NURBS surfaces (STEP)
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Billing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | — | month | modeling 3d parts; modeling 2d parts; 3d-printed parts |