Best Mechanical Engineering Software
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Compare the Top Mechanical Engineering Software as of November 2025
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What is Mechanical Engineering Software?
Mechanical engineering software enables mechanical engineers to design products with detailed accuracy and specifications for the manufacturing and engineering processes. Mechanical engineering software, also known as mechanical CAD (MCAD) or mechanical design automation (MDA), streamlines all aspects of the mechanical engineering and product design process of structures and mechanical parts and products. Compare and read user reviews of the best Mechanical Engineering software currently available using the table below. This list is updated regularly.
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1
CMS IntelliCAD
CAD-MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS INC
CMS IntelliCAD® is the intelligent, powerful and affordable full-featured CAD Software and is fully programmable with hundreds of third party solutions. CMS IntelliCAD also offers a full suite of 2D and 3D AutoCAD® compatible drawing tools! It is the smartest choice for engineers, architects and consultants, or anyone who communicates using CAD drawings. It is designed to give you the best unrivaled compatibility and a true CAD Software alternative to Autodesk® AutoCAD® software and is fully programmable with hundreds of third party solutions. CMS IntelliCAD also offers DWG file extension native support! And now also with Microstation DGN file support.Starting Price: $149.95/one-time/user -
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MATLAB
The MathWorks
MATLAB® combines a desktop environment tuned for iterative analysis and design processes with a programming language that expresses matrix and array mathematics directly. It includes the Live Editor for creating scripts that combine code, output, and formatted text in an executable notebook. MATLAB toolboxes are professionally developed, rigorously tested, and fully documented. MATLAB apps let you see how different algorithms work with your data. Iterate until you’ve got the results you want, then automatically generate a MATLAB program to reproduce or automate your work. Scale your analyses to run on clusters, GPUs, and clouds with only minor code changes. There’s no need to rewrite your code or learn big data programming and out-of-memory techniques. Automatically convert MATLAB algorithms to C/C++, HDL, and CUDA code to run on your embedded processor or FPGA/ASIC. MATLAB works with Simulink to support Model-Based Design. -
3
AutoCAD
Autodesk
CAD software to design anything—with time-saving toolsets, web, and mobile apps. AutoCAD® is computer-aided design (CAD) software that architects, engineers, and construction professionals rely on to create precise 2D and 3D drawings. Draft, annotate, and design 2D geometry and 3D models with solids, surfaces, and mesh objects. Automate tasks such as comparing drawings, adding blocks, creating schedules, and more. Customize with add-on apps and APIs. AutoCAD includes industry-specific features and intelligent objects for architecture, mechanical engineering, electrical design, and more. Automate floor plans, sections, and elevations. Draw piping, ducting, and circuiting quickly with parts libraries. Auto-generate annotations, layers, schedules, lists, and tables. Use a rules-driven workflow to accurately enforce industry standards.Starting Price: $1,268 per user per year -
4
BricsCAD
Bricsys
BricsCAD the first all-in-one CAD design solution in .dwg that answers all your needs; 2D drafting, 3D modeling, mechanical design, and BIM. The BricsCAD® family of products brings a cost-effective, multi-platform CAD solution to Windows, macOS, and Linux. BricsCAD is available as a permanent/perpetual license, for networked or stand-alone computers. You can also add All-In Maintenance for ease of keeping up-to-date. • BricsCAD® is available on a rental (a.k.a. “Subscription”) plan if you wish. • Familiarity for other CAD users and full LISP support can help reduce a new BricsCAD® users’ learning curve to a day or less. • Advanced multi-threading takes advantage of today’s high-performance processor chips • Innovative machine learning tools increase drawing accuracy while saving time • The small install footprint and high performance of BricsCAD® point to our constant focus on quality and modern software design.Starting Price: $330/user/year -
5
Solid Edge
Siemens
Solid Edge is a portfolio of affordable, easy to deploy, maintain, and use software tools that advance all aspects of the product development process – mechanical and electrical design, simulation, manufacturing, technical documentation, data management, and cloud-based collaboration. Developed on Siemens industry leading technologies, Solid Edge provides the most innovative and comprehensive approach to product development for the mainstream market.Starting Price: $75/month/user -
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TurboCAD
IMSI Design
TurboCAD® 2021 Platinum is a professional 2D Drafting and 3D Solid Modeling CAD Solution for engineers, architects, manufacturers and other design professionals. It comes fully equipped with a powerful drafting palette, ACIS® solid modeling, premium photorealistic rendering, advanced architectural and mechanical tool sets, AutoCAD®-like 2D drafting interface options, and extensive file support. TurboCAD® 2021 Platinum delivers a robust collection of professional 2D/3D CAD tools to design, modify, present, and document in an integrated fashion. It includes advanced mechanical design and modification tools, a powerful drafting palette, 2D geometric and dimensional constraints, and an ACIS® solid modeling engine. It includes a customizable Ribbon Interface with 4K monitor support to optimize productivity and readability on higher resolution displays.Starting Price: $69.99 -
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GeoHECRAS
CivilGEO, Inc.
GeoHECRAS is a river modeling software used to compute water surface profiles for steady and unsteady flow models, bridge and culvert roadway crossings, FEMA floodplain encroachments, stream restorations, inline reservoir structures, off-channel storage areas, and much more. GeoHECRAS offers: • Quickly Build 1D & 2D HEC-RAS Models • Automatic Assignment of Land Cover as Manning’s Roughness • Digital Terrain Cross Section Cutting • Automated Bridge & Culvert Sizing and Designing • Automated FEMA Floodplain Encroachments • LiDAR Elevation Terrain Processing • Automated Model Calibration • AutoCAD, MicroStation & ESRI ArcGIS Compatible • 100% Compatible with US Army Corps of Engineers HEC-RAS GeoHECRAS provides an easy-to-use, single graphical platform to rapidly create stunning HEC-RAS models and 3D visualizations from a variety of different data sources like AutoCAD, MicroStation, ArcGIS, Google Maps, and more. -
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Alibre Design
Alibre
Alibre Design is a 3D modeling, analysis, manufacturing documentation, rendering, and publishing platform. It is used in every industry to take products from idea to revision to production. It can help your business to design everything from consumer products to wind turbines. An efficient and customizable user interface that lets you work like you want with helpful hints. A fast and precise sketching environment that captures design intent and makes changes easy. Robust and fully parametric 3D modeling tools and easy workflows speed up part creation. A dedicated sheet metal environment with tools just for sheet good design and easy flat pattern creation. A dedicated sheet metal environment with tools just for sheet good design and easy flat pattern creation. An automatically generated bill of materials that supports design data, physical properties, and dimensions. -
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CATIA
Dassault Systèmes
CATIA is the world's leading solution for product design and experience. It is used by leading organizations in multiple industries to develop the products we see and use in our everyday lives. CATIA delivers the unique ability not only to model any product, but to do so in the context of its real-life behavior: design in the age of experience. Systems architects, engineers, designers, construction professionals and all contributors can define, imagine and shape the connected world. A Social design environment built on a single source of truth and accessed through powerful 3D dashboards that drive business intelligence, real-time concurrent design and collaboration across all stakeholders including mobile workers. An Instinctive 3DEXPERIENCE for both experienced and occasional users with world-class 3D modeling and simulation capabilities that optimize the effectiveness of every user. An Inclusive product development platform that is easily integrated with existing processes & tools. -
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FreeCAD
FreeCAD
FreeCAD is an open-source parametric 3D modeler made primarily to design real-life objects of any size. Parametric modeling allows you to easily modify your design by going back into your model history and changing its parameters. FreeCAD allows you to sketch geometry constrained 2D shapes and use them as a base to build other objects. It contains many components to adjust dimensions or extract design details from 3D models to create high quality production ready drawings. FreeCAD is a multiplatfom (Windows, Mac and Linux), highly customizable and extensible software. It reads and writes to many open file formats such as STEP, IGES, STL, SVG, DXF, OBJ, IFC, DAE and many others, making it possible to seamlessly integrate it into your workflow. FreeCAD is designed to fit a wide range of uses including product design, mechanical engineering and architecture. Whether you are a hobbyist, a programmer, an experienced CAD user, a student or a teacher, you will feel right at home with FreeCAD. -
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Cimatron
Cimatron
Cimatron develops and distributes CAD/CAM software for the manufacturing industry. Cimatron caters to all manufacturing sectors, offering specialized solutions for mold and die makers, as well as solutions for 2.5-5-Axis production milling and turning. Ranked among the top six CAD/CAM suppliers in every global region, Cimatron has subsidiaries in Asia, North America and Europe, and works with certified independent service providers in over 40 countries worldwide. Cimatron service providers offer responsive and effective sales and technical support, helping businesses use Cimatron software to maximize their potential. Cimatron's full solutions use the most advanced technology available to speed up productivity and shorten delivery times. Designed and developed by manufacturers and toolmakers with a wealth of experience on the shop floor, both of Cimatron's product lines are easy to learn and intuitive for the manufacturing professionals who use them. -
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Mastercam
CNC Software
CAD/CAM software is used to translate computer-aided design (CAD) to manufacturing workpieces with computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) on your CNC machine. Mastercam offers CAD/CAM software tools for a variety of CNC programming needs, from basic to complex. Due to our innovative, flexible solutions and top notch network of support, our software is a complete solution from the start of design through to manufacturing. Choose Mastercam to streamline your production process from job setup to job completion. Our CAD CAM software products take parts from design through to the production line. Program your manufactured parts with leading-edge features for precision and efficiency. Creating code to drive your CNC equipment is what Mastercam does best. Build your comprehensive CAD/CAM solution with Mastercam. -
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SOLIDWORKS
SolidWorks
SOLIDWORKS® 3D CAD solutions provide easy-to-learn, yet extremely powerful functionality that shortens product development time, reduces costs, and improves quality. SOLIDWORKS® 3D CAD solutions provide easy-to-learn, yet extremely powerful functionality that shortens product development time, reduces costs, and improves quality. Take advantage of the capabilities of SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD and the benefits of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, a single cloud-based product development environment. Quickly create and collaborate on 3D designs in the cloud and deliver innovative products to market faster. Quickly create and collaborate on organic shapes and complex surfaces in the cloud and deliver innovative products to market faster. Rapidly generate and detail 2D drawings from 3D models, speeding up the design-to-manufacturing process. Harness the power of the world’s most widely used 3D design software in a fully-integrated engineering suite, backed by the community. -
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Autodesk Fusion 360
Autodesk
Fusion 360 unifies design, engineering, electronics, and manufacturing into a single software platform. Get integrated CAD, CAM, CAE & PCB on a single development platform. Also includes EAGLE Premium, HSMWorks, Team Participant, and access to consumptive services, such as generative design, cloud simulation, and cloud rendering. Engineer products with a comprehensive set of modeling tools. Ensure form, fit, and function of your products with various analysis methods. Create and edit sketches with sketch constraints, dimensions, and a powerful suite of sketch tools. Edit or repair imported geometry from non-native file formats. Make design changes without worrying about time-based features. Create and edit complex parametric surfaces for repairing, patching or designing geometry. Create history-based features, including extrude, revolve, loft, sweep, etc., that update with design changes.Starting Price: $495 per year -
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Onshape
Onshape
Onshape is a modern CAD and data management solution with features that include modern CAD, standard content libraries, multi-part modeling, and in-context editing. Onshape allows users to access the solution anywhere and anytime without downloads and installations. Onshape enables users to store and share CAD data in a secure cloud workspace. Onshape allows users to control and monitor access privileges of stored CAD files.Starting Price: $125.00/month/user -
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AutoCAD LT
Autodesk
Precision 2D drafting and documentation software includes AutoCAD web and mobile apps. AutoCAD LT® is computer-aided design (CAD) software that architects, engineers, construction professionals, and designers rely on to produce 2D drawings and documentation. Design, draft, and document with 2D geometry, access a comprehensive set of editing, design, and annotation tools, and work faster in an intuitive user interface. Design and draft in the web browser on any computer; view, edit, annotate, and create CAD drawings in a simplified user interface. Take the power of AutoCAD with you wherever you go—even offline; view, edit, annotate, and create CAD drawings in real time, and work on any mobile device, including smartphone or tablet. Work anywhere with the included AutoCAD web app. Use AutoCAD LT on the go with the included AutoCAD mobile app.Starting Price: $55 per month -
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PTC Mathcad
PTC
Engineering calculations are at the heart of product design. They are essential to every step of the design process. To achieve excellence in engineering, teams need a comprehensive yet intuitive application that performs calculations with accuracy and precision, enables traceability, protects intellectual property, and shows their work. PTC Mathcad has all your engineering notebook’s ease-of-use and familiarity with live mathematical notation and units intelligence. Most importantly, the calculation capabilities produce far more accurate results than a spreadsheet can provide. Using PTC Mathcad’s rich array of mathematical functionality, you can document your most critical engineering calculations as easily as you can write them. Show your work using rich formatting options alongside plots, text, and images in a single, professionally formatted document. Nobody needs specialized skills to create or consume PTC Mathcad data.Starting Price: $230 -
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AutoCAD Mechanical
Autodesk
Design faster with an industry-specific toolset for mechanical engineering, including 700,000+ intelligent parts and features. Isolate and restore layer groups and specify linetypes and lineweights. Update geometry automatically when changes occur. Minimize manual redraws. Produce accurate drawings with standard components. Efficiently analyze designs, including shaft, spring, belt, chain, and cam generators. Detail native Inventor part and assembly models. Use intelligent drafting tools made for mechanical design. Custom content library and publishing. Create and save custom content. Preview fillet, chamfer, and offset commands. Take the power of AutoCAD® wherever you go. Smart mechanical engineering dimensions. Create dimensions using abbreviated dialog boxes. 2D DWG with a view of the standards tab on the open options panel. Support for international drafting standards. Deliver standards-based design documentation.Starting Price: $220 per month -
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Inventor
Autodesk
Professional-grade 3D CAD software for product design and engineering. Inventor® CAD software provides professional-grade 3D mechanical design, documentation, and product simulation tools. Work efficiently with a powerful blend of parametric, direct, freeform, and rules-based design capabilities. Work with anyone, anywhere no matter what CAD software they use. Use cloud-based design reviews to collect feedback from key stakeholders wherever they are. Follow the entire product development lifecycle with one data model. Design efficiently using specialized tools for sheet metal, frame design, and tube and pipe. Enable design, documentation, and process automation powered by iLogic. Access Inventor API to create your own add-ins. Go further by investigating Forge Design Automation API for running your job processes in the cloud.Starting Price: $2,190 per year -
20
ODOP:Spring
SpringDesignSoftware
More than a Spring Calculator. ODOP:Spring is a spring design application of the problem-independent Open Design Optimization Platform (ODOP) software. It finds solutions for demanding spring application requirements in mechanical engineering and machine design. Most coil spring calculators require users to manually input values – such as wire diameter, coil diameter, free length and number of coils – and then repeatedly re-analyze until an acceptable solution is reached. ODOP’s ability to invert formula relationships removes that guesswork. Spring design equations are backsolved to meet constraints placed on the problem variables. Need to identify the lightest-possible material weight? Ensure a long spring life and low risk of failure? Our helical coil spring design software can find the constrained extreme of any variable, whether independent or dependent. -
21
Ansys Motor-CAD
Ansys
Ansys Motor-CAD is a dedicated electric machine design tool for fast multiphysics simulation across the full torque-speed operating range. Motor-CAD enables design engineers to evaluate motor topologies and concepts across the full operating range, to produce designs that are optimized for performance, efficiency and size. Motor-CAD software’s four integrated modules—EMag, Therm, Lab, Mech—enable multiphysics calculations to be performed quickly and iteratively, so users can get from concept to final design in less time. Fast calculations and streamlined data input processes leave time for Motor-CAD users to explore more motor topologies and fully assess the impact of advanced loss effects in the initial stages of an electromechanical design. The release includes powerful new features for design optimization, multi-physics analysis and system modelling for electric motors. Fast multiphysics simulation across a full torque-speed operating range. -
22
SolveSpace
SolveSpace
SOLVESPACE is a free (GPLv3) parametric 3d CAD tool. Modeling 3d parts, drawing with extrudes, revolves, helixes and Boolean (union/difference/intersection) operations. Modeling 2d parts, draw the part as a single section, and export DXF, PDF, SVG; use 3d assembly to verify fit. 3D-printed parts, export the STL or other triangle mesh expected by most 3d printers. Preparing CAM data, export 2d vector art for a waterjet machine or laser cutter; or generate STEP or STL, for import into third-party CAM software for machining. Mechanism design, use the constraint solver to simulate planar or spatial linkages, with pin, ball, or slide joints. Plane and solid geometry, replace hand-solved trigonometry and spreadsheets with a live dimensioned drawing. Sketch sections using lines, rectangles, datum lines and points. Sketch circles, arcs of a circle, datum circles, cubic Bezier segments, C2 interpolating splines, and more. -
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Artura
Artura
Artura is a new, innovative, continuously evolving product that solves a problem that all system integrators, project managers, and system designers know very well. To engineer, design and propose technical systems (AV, IT, Security, Lightning, etc.), different people work with various tools that are often not designed to do what you want to do, resulting in time-consuming and repeating tasks, no central overview, and an inefficient documentation flow. As a result, there is no single source of truth where modifications in design and scope are united while the project is full of operational inefficiencies. Artura solves that. It is a collaborative design, engineering, and proposal-generating tool for AV, IT, and Security system integration companies in commercial, residential, and maritime space. Artura is an online, modern, and easy-to-use web application for system design, engineering, and creating proposals. For your team, your client, and other stakeholders. -
24
Creo
PTC
Imagine, design, create, and innovate your products better with Creo, 3D CAD/CAM/CAE software, and solutions for product design and development. Now, more than ever, product design and manufacturing teams are expected to create products more efficiently and cost effectively, without sacrificing innovation or quality. Fortunately, Creo delivers the most scalable range of 3D CAD product development packages and tools in today’s market. Creo 7.0 has breakthrough innovations in the areas of generative design, real-time simulation, multibody design, additive manufacturing, and others! Take your products from concept to digital prototype efficiently, precisely, and intuitively with Creo—on the cutting edge of CAD for more than 30 years. With Creo 7.0, PTC amply demonstrates its skill at adding compelling new features to an already robust tool-set using smart partnerships to extend its capabilities even further. -
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CADdy++
DataSolid
All the needs of professional designers. A professional 2D/3D-Mechanical Design solution for the highest requirements. All basics for the CAD-beginner or semi-professional user for an unbeatable price. All three performance levels are based on the identical data structure and so the user is certain that there will always be an unbroken link between 3D models and 2D drawings when they are worked on and processed. Even at the lowest performance level CADdy++ Mechanical Design basic the further processing of fully parametric 3D models and 2D drawings completed either with the economy or the professional version, is guaranteed without loss of data or information. Shaded 3D models can be displayed more quickly in CADdy++ Mechanical Design by using a high-performance graphics card with Open GL interface 1280 x 1024 pixels and 32768 colours, for example the PNY graphic boards. -
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Direct modeling allows you to quickly and easily create one-off designs or radically repurpose existing designs—even if you don’t know how they were made. In fact, most companies add 3D modeling to their product design process to help them shorten time to market, meet customer demands for new products, and satisfy increasingly complex customer requirements. With direct modeling, even those who are infrequent CAD users can make changes to geometry quickly and easily, while CAD experts appreciate the direct modeling flexibility to design large assemblies in record time. Creo Elements/Direct Modeling is the most comprehensive direct modeling system on the market, with a full range of extensions to meet your specialized needs. So, bring on your most radical design change or that one-off product: the software is intuitive, robust, and up to the task even with massive assemblies. Moreover, you or anyone on your team can pick up and work on a direct 3D product with minimal ramp-up time.
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nanoCAD Mechanica
nanoCAD
Mechanica is nanoCAD’s 2D drafting and 3D mechanical design module. It is based on an advanced parametric engine and works with a large library of standard parts. It enables users to carry out fast development of high-quality mechanical engineering drawings and project documentation. nanoCAD platform provides you with a full set of basic and advanced design tools for creating and editing 2D/3D objects. It offers multiple drawing and editing methods for most geometric elements. nanoCAD platform is the base on which you build a more powerful CAD system to your specifications. Mechanica extends the nanoCAD platform with an array of mechanical drawing and engineering calculation utilities coupled with a vast library of standard and user-defined parts. The synergy speeds up the parametric drafting process. Advanced tools for designing shafts and pipelines. Drawing projections made with engineering standards.Starting Price: $199 per year -
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KeyCreator
Kubotek USA
KeyCreator is the legendary manufacturing-oriented workhorse 3D/2D CAD software that has seen it all and remains the go-to problem-solving tool for leading suppliers and designers. Discover the most compatible, efficient, and agile drafting solution available. Direct read of native drawings from the most comprehensive list of any drafting software; CATIA V5 & V4, PTC Creo, Siemens NX, SolidWorks, Solid Edge, DWG/DXF & CADKEY. Full control to revise drawing views, revision blocks, and add dimensions without the original CAD software. Automated drawing views and custom borders created as layouts in the main file. Comprehensive options to adjust view contents and look. Quickly add section, detail, and shaded isometric views. Easy-to-learn, professional-grade detailing. All style settings in dialogs. No complex set of variables and settings to remember. Import solids from any major CAD program and rotate, slice, and measure. -
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Inventor Nastran
Autodesk
CAD-embedded finite element analysis software. Use a wider variety of study types and materials in your analysis. Inventor® Nastran® delivers finite element analysis (FEA) tools for engineers and analysts. Simulation covers multiple analysis types, such as linear and nonlinear stress, dynamics, and heat transfer. Inventor Nastran is available only in the Product Design & Manufacturing Collection. The Product Design & Manufacturing Collection delivers tools that work right inside Inventor—including advanced simulation, 5-axis CAM, and nesting, plus AutoCAD and Fusion 360. -
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BeckerCAD
SoftMaker
Professional CAD software for architecture, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and much more. Detailed drawing, designing and modeling in 2D and 3D. Powerful, precise and 100% compatible with AutoCAD. May be installed on 3 PCs. Whether you are engaged in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering or architecture, BeckerCAD12 3D Pro enables you to design and model detailed 2D and 3D models. The wide range of drawing, editing and labeling tools helps you to accurately create objects ranging from 2D production drawings that are true to size up to rendered 3D visualizations. Complex 3D graphics can be easily imported in order to create impressive presentations. BeckerCAD12 3D Pro has a programming interface with Python and is fully compatible with AutoCAD and CADdy++ Mechanical Design. Realistic scene preview through improved light sources with advanced settings options. Adoption of object colors, material properties, etc., from graphics and saving bills of materials.Starting Price: $12