List of CAx companies

This is a list of computer-aided technologies (CAx) companies and their software products. Software using computer-aided technologies (CAx) has been produced since the 1970s for a variety of computer platforms. This software may include applications for computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided engineering (CAE), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) and product data management (PDM).

The list is far from complete or representative as the CAD business landscape is very dynamic: almost every month new companies appear, old companies go out of business, and companies split and merge. Sometimes some names disappear and reappear again.

Past CAD Brands
Acquired, orphaned, failed or rebranded.


 * Alias:Acquired by Autodesk
 * Applicon:Acquired by UGS Corporation
 * CADAM:Acquired by Dassault Systèmes
 * CADCentre:Rebranded as Aveva
 * Baystate Technologies:Acquired by Kubotek Corporation
 * BARCO NV:Now called Ucamco for printed circuit board applications
 * Camsco:Acquired by Gerber
 * CIS (Cambridge Interactive Systems):Acquired by Computervision
 * CADKEY:Acquired by Baystate Technologies
 * Calma:Acquired by Computervision
 * Claris:Published "ClarisCAD", abandoned in transition of company to FileMaker
 * Computervision:Acquired by Parametric Technology Corporation
 * Diehl Graphsoft:Acquired by Nemetschek
 * Investronica:Acquired by Lectra
 * Matra DataVision:Acquired by Dassault Systèmes
 * Microdynamics: Acquired by Gerber
 * Micro Engineering Solutions:Published "Solution 3000" and "ADX", acquired by Autodesk
 * NC Graphics:Acquired by Parametric Technology Corporation
 * Revit Technology Corporation:Acquired by Autodesk
 * Shape Data:Acquired by Siemens
 * Spatial Corp.:Acquired by Dassault Systèmes
 * SDRC:Acquired by UGS Corporation
 * SRAC: (Structural Research and Analysis Corporation) acquired by SolidWorks Corporation
 * SolidWorks Corporation:Acquired by Dassault Systèmes
 * SDRC-IDEAS: Acquired by Unigraphics Solutions
 * Unigraphics Solutions a.k.a. UGS Corporation:Acquired by Siemens

In-house CAD software
Developed by companies for their own use. Some are no longer used as the organizations are now using commercial systems.

2D

 * SagCAD – Open source 2D CAD program. Maintained on SourceForge.
 * PythonCAD – Open source 2D CAD in Python on SourceForge.
 * JCAD – Open source 2D CAD in Java. Maintained on SourceForge.
 * RibbonSoft QCAD
 * Archimedes – Architectural CAD program.
 * LibreCAD Open source 2D CAD Program.

3D

 * avoCADo – Open source 3D CAD program in Java. Maintained on SourceForge. Last updated on 2013-04-26.
 * BRL-CAD
 * FreeCAD – a general purpose 3D CAD modeler, implementing Open CASCADE.
 * OpenSCAD
 * Wildcat CAD – Open source 3D solid modeler and CAD application. Not to be confused with Wildcat! BBS. Last updated in 2008.
 * IRIT – A solid modeling environment that allows one to model basic, primitive based models using Boolean operations as well as freeform surface's based models.
 * GuIrit – A graphical user interface for IRIT
 * SvLis – The Set-theoretic Kernel Geometric Modeller. A CSG modeller written in the C++ language and accessed through a call interface.

Open CASCADE and related projects

 * Open CASCADE – an SDK for 3D CAD, CAM, and CAE.
 * HeeksCAD – a CAD application written by Dan Heeks. The solid modelling is provided by Open_CASCADE. Maintained on Google Code.
 * HeeksCNC – an add-on for HeeksCAD. Maintained on Google Code.
 * lignumCAD – a tool for designing furniture, based on Open CASCADE and Qt. Maintained on SourceForge.
 * NaroCAD – a parametric modeling CAD application.
 * PythonOCC – Python wrappers for Open CASCADE.
 * FreeCAD – an open source CAD/CAE, based on Open CASCADE, Qt and Python.
 * SolidModeller – a parametric solid modeller. Includes a constraint based parametric sketcher. Maintained on SourceForge.
 * CADMAI – a commercial CAD framework, based on Open CASCADE, which can either be used as a standalone CAD application or as an integration module for 3rd party applications or SOA environments.
 * Blender is a professional, free and open-source 3D computer graphics software toolset used for creating animated films, visual effects, art, 3D printed models, interactive 3D applications and video games.

PLM

 * OpenPLM – PLM framework based on Python (programming language) / Django (web framework), Open CASCADE, Xapian, Graphviz.