Free for any use until 15 November 2026

DX-CAD: 3D CAD for sheet metal, fabrication and 3D printing

Draw it. Script it in Python. Or ask AI to build it.

One window for 2D drafting, 3D parts, assemblies, sheet metal and production drawings, for engineers, fabricators and makers. Use the AI your company approves, or none at all: IT decides. Unfold sheet metal for the laser and press brake, check parts before you 3D print them, and exchange STEP, DXF, STL and 3MF with any other CAD.

Download for Windows macOS, Linux and Python

Version 0.1.0, 16 October 2026. Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit), signed by Designmatix; builds for macOS (Apple silicon) and Linux too. Fabrication and Drafting Pro add-ons free during the launch offer.

A welded rack frame on castors, modelled in DX-CAD

What DX-CAD does

From a first sketch to the laser, the press brake or the 3D printer, with the files your customers and colleagues already use.

Sheet metal

Base flanges, flanges with returns and hems, corner treatments and relief. Flat patterns by K-factor, checked against hand calculations in DX-CAD's own test suite, and exported as DXF with one line per bend, ready for your CAM.Gauge tables per material, and shop export profiles for your own layer names.

3D printing

Check a part before you print it: overhangs, the thinnest wall and its mass in your chosen material. Export STL and 3MF, colours included.

Assemblies

Parts placed by mates (coincident, concentric, distance, angle), with mate suggestions you confirm; parts used from their own files; sub-assemblies. Identical parts are counted together in the bill of materials.

Drawings

Drawing documents that follow their model, on ISO and ANSI sheets from A4 to A0 with your title block. Views at their own scale, parts lists with part numbers and revisions, grouped hole callouts, and export to PDF and DXF.

Works beside SOLIDWORKS

STEP import and export that keeps assembly structure, names, colours and custom properties, and a SOLIDWORKS-style controls option for mouse and keys, so mixed teams can share work.SOLIDWORKS is a trademark of Dassault Systèmes. DX-CAD is not affiliated with or endorsed by Dassault Systèmes.

Models you can read

Every model is also a short Python script. Change a number and rebuild, keep variants under version control, and automate repetitive parts. The SDK for add-ons is open source.

Your choice of AI

Ask the built-in assistant to build or change a model and watch each step appear; one Undo takes it back. Use your own key with Anthropic's Claude, OpenAI, Google Gemini or Azure OpenAI, or your own model on your own servers through any OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Agents such as Claude Desktop can drive DX-CAD through MCP.Claude is a trademark of Anthropic, PBC. OpenAI, Gemini and Azure are trademarks of their owners.

IT in control of AI

One policy setting, by Group Policy or a policy file, switches every AI feature off for the whole company, and DX-CAD then makes no connection to any AI service. Or allow only the providers and endpoints you have approved, such as your own Azure tenant, and decide whether model scripts, screenshots or photos may be sent. Users cannot override it, and the installer takes /NOAI for a rollout with no AI at all.

Fabrication add-on

Cones and reducers, square-to-rounds, hoppers, Y-pieces, lobster elbows and branches, dished heads, press-brake parts such as trays, boxes, brackets and corner posts, and weldments with cut lists. Each with its flat pattern and a marking table for setting out by hand.

Drafting Pro add-on

Dimensions, balloons, hole tables, tolerances and GD&T, surface texture and weld symbols, revision tables and notes, automatic dimensioning and ballooning, and section, detail, auxiliary, shaded and exploded views.

Made with DX-CAD

Examples that ship with DX-CAD and its add-ons. Open any of them from the start page and change it.

A sheet-metal tray with relieved corners, modelled in DX-CAD — Sheet-metal tray with relief

A sheet-metal channel with return lips — Channel with returns

An enclosure base and lid placed by mates — Enclosure placed by mates

A cone and reducer with their flat patterns, made with the Fabrication add-on — Cone and reducer with flat patterns (Fabrication)

A square-to-round transition and its flat pattern, made with the Fabrication add-on — Square-to-round (Fabrication)

A finished assembly drawing with sections, a detail view, dimensions, balloons and a parts list, made with Drafting Pro — Finished drawing (Drafting Pro)

Editions and add-ons

The launch edition is free for any use until 15 November 2026, with the Fabrication and Drafting Pro add-ons unlocked. Every install gets at least 30 days: if your 30-day trial ends later, you keep it until then. After that, a DX-CAD licence keeps every feature of the core, and each add-on has its own licence.

What the launch edition, the DX-CAD licence and the add-ons include
Feature	Launch editionFree until 15 November 2026	DX-CAD licence£249 per user per year	Add-onIts own licence after the offer
Design
2D sketches, 3D parts and assemblies in one window	Included	Included	Not applicable
Mates, part files, sub-assemblies and smart mate suggestions	Included	Included	Not applicable
Models as Python scripts, and the open-source SDK	Included	Included	Not applicable
SOLIDWORKS-style mouse and keys, command search and a feature tree	Included	Included	Not applicable
Sheet metal and fabrication
Flanges, returns, hems, corner treatments and flat patterns to DXF	Included	Included	Not applicable
Gauge tables and shop export profiles	Included	Included	Not applicable
Cones, transitions, hoppers, Y-pieces, elbows and branches, with flat patterns and marking tables	IncludedFabrication add-on, unlocked	Not included	IncludedFabrication
Press-brake parts, dished heads, weldments and cut lists	IncludedFabrication add-on, unlocked	Not included	IncludedFabrication
Drawings
Drawing documents, title blocks and parts lists, to PDF and DXF	Included	Included	Not applicable
Dimensions, balloons, hole tables, tolerances and GD&T, section, detail and exploded views	IncludedDrafting Pro add-on, unlocked	Not included	IncludedDrafting Pro
3D printing and exchange
Print checks, STL and 3MF export	Included	Included	Not applicable
STEP import and export with structure, names, colours and properties	Included	Included	Not applicable
Open SOLIDWORKS files directly	Not included	Not included	IncludedExchange, planned
AI
Built-in assistant with your own key: Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, Azure OpenAI or your own model	Included	Included	Not applicable
Claude Desktop and other agents, through MCP	Included	Included	Not applicable
AI policy for IT: off company-wide, or only approved providers, by Group Policy	Included	Included	Not applicable
Assistant with no key needed, through a DX-CAD account	Not included	Not included	IncludedHosted assistant, planned

Pricing

Free during the launch offer, then a licence per user. Your files stay yours: without a licence you can always open, view and export them.

Launch offer	Every feature of the launch edition, with the Fabrication and Drafting Pro add-ons, for any use, including commercial work, until 23:59 UK time on 15 November 2026.	Free
Free trial	Every install gets 30 days from the first time DX-CAD starts; they count during the launch offer too, so you are free until 15 November or until your 30 days end, whichever is later. No card needed.	Free
DX-CAD licence	Per user, renewed yearly. Company licences cover a set number of seats, moved between computers as people change. A full refund within 14 days of any payment, no reason needed: see the refund policy.	£249per user per year, plus VAT where it applies
Add-ons	Fabrication and Drafting Pro: unlocked with no key during the launch offer and your trial; after that, each needs a licence of its own.	Free nowpriced separately after the offer

VAT or sales tax is added at checkout where it applies. Our order process is conducted by our online reseller Paddle.com, the Merchant of Record for all our orders.

Download DX-CAD

By downloading or using DX-CAD you accept the licence agreement. Version 0.1.0, released 16 October 2026: see what it does and its known limitations.

Windows

Installer for Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit, signed by Designmatix Ltd; or a portable zip that needs no installing. After installing, start DX-CAD from the Start menu (in the zip, run DX-CAD.exe; dxcad.exe beside it is the command line).

Download installer Portable zip

Add-ons for Windows

Fabrication and Drafting Pro, free during the launch offer. Download the file, then in DX-CAD choose Help > Add-ons..., press Install from File..., pick it, and restart DX-CAD. Questions: support@designmatix.co.uk.

Fabrication Drafting Pro

macOS and Linux

An app for Apple silicon Macs and an AppImage for 64-bit Linux. The macOS app is not yet signed by Apple: the first time, right-click DX-CAD and choose Open. On Linux, mark the AppImage executable (chmod +x).

macOS Linux

With Python

For Python 3.12 users and developers:

pip install dxcad

Build your own add-ons and tools with the open-source SDK (pip install dxcad-sdk).

Read the documentation