anvilcad
Free open-source parametric 3D CAD in Rust with its own B-rep kernels and a SOLIDWORKS-style workflow, with an MCP interface so AI agents can model parts.
What it does and how it connects
AnvilCAD is free and open-source parametric 3D CAD, written in Rust, with its own geometry kernels. The workflow will feel familiar to SOLIDWORKS users: a feature tree, sketches on planes or faces, fully defined sketches, extrudes and revolves, equations, custom properties and templates. It is an independent project, not affiliated with Dassault Systemes, and it works without SOLIDWORKS installed.
Status is early (0.1): the core modelling loop works end to end, and large parts of a full CAD system are still ahead, per the roadmap. Sketching covers lines, rectangles, circles, arcs, snapping, relations and a constraint solver with degree-of-freedom reporting. Features include extruded and revolved boss and cut, swept boss and cut, linear and circular patterns, mirror, draft, dome and rib, and lofts. The goal is a complete, free engineering stack: CAD now, then CAM, PDM and PLM.
Install needs no Rust toolchain: download the package from the latest release (macOS DMG, Windows MSI or zip, Linux AppImage or tarball), or use Homebrew (swperb/tap/anvilcad) on macOS. The Windows winget package is in review at microsoft/winget-pkgs pull 456878, so the MSI is the route until it is accepted. The installer puts anvilcad-agent, anvil-bulk and anvil-migrate on PATH, and the MCP interface lets AI agents model parts.
Alternatives
Compare side by side- OCCT
The Open CASCADE Technology geometry kernel library, rather than a parametric CAD application with its own B-rep kernels.
- CADence
Parametric 3D CAD for makers built with OpenCascade compiled to WebAssembly, rather than a Rust CAD application with its own kernels.
- SketchForge-3D
A local-first browser 3D design editor for building and cutting shapes, rather than parametric CAD with a feature tree and constraint solver.
- geospec
A geometry specification engine built on OCCT that grades models against stated claims, rather than a parametric CAD application.
Sources
Not verified
- Pricing: none stated on the repo; the application is free and open source.
- No independent user voice found: recent repo issues are owner-filed feature requests.
- No matching Error Index entry verified for this CAD application, so related errors are empty.
- Thin source: 2 stars and no user issues; the entry rests on the README and the repo record.
Last verified November 6, 2026. Listings are informational. The evidence score measures public, verifiable evidence and is not an endorsement or a compatibility claim.