What is CAD?
Computer-aided design (CAD) is a way to digitally create 2D drawings and 3D models of real-world products before they’re ever manufactured. With 3D CAD, you can share, review, simulate, and modify designs easily, opening doors to innovative and differentiated products that get to market fast.
In 1985, Dr. Samuel Geisberg formed Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC) and defined a radically new approach for CAD software. This innovation produced the first parametric and feature-based solid modeling CAD software in the market, which today is known as Creo, the industry standard for product design and development software.
More than 30 years later, the product development industry is beginning to adopt the next wave of technology-driven innovation, as so many other industries already have.
How to choose CAD software
The mechanical 3D CAD buyer's guide helps you score and select the software that's the best fit for your organization. Using a 7-step process, you'll go through a worksheet of must-have fundamentals like sketching and parts and assembly modeling along with weighing more recent innovations like augmented reality and model-based definition.
Artificial intelligence in CAD
Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the CAD industry by enhancing design efficiency, accuracy, and innovation. AI-driven tools leverage machine learning algorithms to automate repetitive tasks, generate optimized designs, and predict potential issues before they arise. This not only accelerates the design process but also improves the quality and functionality of the final product. AI-powered generative design and simulations enable engineers to test multiple scenarios quickly, enabling greater design exploration, reducing the need for physical prototypes, and minimizing costs.
PTC’s CAD Products
Creo—Deliver your best designs in less time
Creo delivers the most scalable range of 3D CAD product development packages and tools in today’s market. Its variety of specific features, capabilities, and tools help engineers imagine, design, and create their products better. Creo includes breakthrough capabilities in additive manufacturing, generative design, IoT (Internet of Things), model-based definition (MBD), and augmented reality (AR).
Empower your engineering teams with our robust design system to:
- Perform structural, thermal, modal, fatigue, motion, and mold analysis, toggling between steady-state and transient simulation
- Create multibody modeling and exclude construction bodies from BOM information and mass property calculations
- Run generative studies based on both engineering requirements, as well as manufacturing methods
Onshape—Modernize your product design process
The industry’s first pure Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product development platform unites robust computer-aided design (CAD) with powerful data management, collaboration tools, and real-time analytics. The cloud-native solution is a perfect fit for companies requiring the flexibility of remote design teams, enabling engineers to work together from anywhere, any time, and on any device.
Quickly deploy Onshape on any computer or mobile device to enable your teams with:
- Real-time design views and collaborative workflows for interactive design reviews and concurrent design edits
- Built-in version control and data management to eliminate the need for separate PDM (Product Data Management) systems
- In-sync bill of materials (BOM) tables with editing assemblies
- A robust REST API for improved integrations across your systems
- Increased security from role-based access, AES-256 encryption, and more
Put the power of the cloud to work for you with Creo+
Creo+ combines the power and proven functionality of Creo, delivered via SaaS, with new cloud-based tools to enhance collaboration, improve accessibility for engineers, and simplify license management for CAD administrators. Creo+ is compatible with on-premises versions of Creo for better interaction with engineering colleagues and suppliers.
Design and innovate better with Creo
PTC’s 3D CAD software solution Creo streamlines workflows and makes product design a seamless, creative experience. Our customers experience an overall increase in operational efficiency while seeing a decrease in design time, prototype costs, and time to market.
Up to a
INCREASE IN OPERATION EFFICIENCY
Up to a
REDUCTION IN DESIGN TIME
Up to a
REDUCTION IN PROTOTYPE COSTS
Up to a
REDUCTION IN TIME TO MARKET
Explore Creo's advanced toolset to see how we enable users to expand deeper functionality. From generative design and additive manufacturing to simulation and analysis, learn more about Creo's capabilities in 3D part and assembly design, analysis, manufacturing, and more.
Explore simulation and analysis solutions
Validate the performance of virtual 3D prototypes to understand how your design performs in real-world conditions that allows you to test the stresses and loads.
Explore generative design
Creo Generative Topology Optimization extension creates optimized product designs based on constraints and requirements. Test designs against real-world conditions and stresses.
Explore additive manufacturing and CAM
With additive manufacturing, you can develop innovative designs, optimize, and print to a variety of printers with ease—all within Creo. See how you can improve quality while reducing costs.
Explore model-based definition (MBD)
Dimension and annotate your 3D models with Creo using model-based definition.
Composites design and manufacturing
Use Creo to design with composite materials to ensure a strong but lightweight product. Design plies and cores, including laminate sections and resulting solid geometry properties. Simulate draping and composite structures for analysis. Easily generate ply book and digital work instructions.
Design for electrification
Define, model, and validate cable, piping, and harness projects from the conceptual design phase to manufacturing. Creo has a dedicated cabling tree to help you create and manage harness assemblies. The Split/Merge Harness Tool enables collaboration on and reuse of subharness assemblies. ECAD capabilities have been extended, including import of paste masks and better handling of ECAD hole parameters.
How is CAD software used?
Computer-aided design (CAD) software is widely used across various industries to create precise drawings and technical illustrations, empowering engineers and designers to transform concepts into 2D and 3D models. See how top companies harness CAD software to enable the creation of complex designs with innovation and efficiency.