Free 3D MCAD Software

By DE Editors

You can download X-CAD, a fully functional, parametric, solid-modeling3D MCAD application, for free on August 1, 2005. But only if 100,000people register for it by that date, so you've got to sign up for it.

X-CAD's  publishers stress that the free X-CAD download is not ademo or a trial package. It's the real enchilada. The publishersdescribe the application as enabling users to create precise 3Dmechanical designs that are equal to well-known mid-rangesolid-modeling applications.

X-CAD provides a Windows interface, integrated Help menus, andtutorials. It also said to accommodate easy migration of 2D users to anadvanced 3D modeling for mechanical design and manufacturingapplications.

According to its publisher, X-CAD offers fully functional, intelligent,parametric sketching with such features as on-the-fly automaticconstraint capture; auto-dimensioning; various sketch tools, likelines, circles, arcs, polygons, splines, and so forth; and a completeset of constraints, such as vertical/horizontal, perpendicular,parallel, tangent and more. Rather than creating "dumb" geometry liketraditional MCAD systems, X-CAD enables users to capture design intentwith feature-based modeling that includes such engineering tools asbosses, cuts, holes, fillets, chamfers, lofts, sweeps, shells, andhelical features.

As of mid-afternoon Monday June 27 in the eastern US, more than 47,135 designershave registered for a shot at a free copy of X-CAD. To registeryourself, you will be required to provide your e-mail address. Clickhere to register.