Ark
Open-source parametric CAD for humans and AI agents on Windows and Linux.
What it does and how it connects
Ark is an open-source parametric CAD kernel for humans and AI agents, written in C++ on Open CASCADE. Windows includes the graphical Studio; Linux currently provides a headless CLI, an MCP server, and a native geometry worker. The Windows preview is version 0.9.43 (042D) and the Linux headless preview is 0.9.33 (032D).
The README's iteration notes describe agent-facing improvements: ratings travel inside team reports, query_batch chains reads, a fingerprinted revision digest returns only changes, live MCP waits for long Studio results and reports progress, and provider API keys can be saved in Studio. Earlier iterations added persistent local agent memory with semantic and literal recall, episodes, feedback, and consolidation.
The README states no real-model cost or quality comparison is claimed, and points readers to iteration evidence for measured scope and remaining quality limits. Downloads are a Windows installer and portable ZIP, plus a Linux headless tarball, each with release notes and checksums.
All published releases are prereleases, so the stable latest-release endpoint returns no release; the README names Windows preview 0.9.43 and Linux headless preview 0.9.33.
Alternatives
Compare side by side- Text2CAD (MLYengineering)
A contract-gated agent pipeline that executes FreeCAD scripts headlessly, rather than a CAD kernel and Studio app of its own.
- constraint-kit
A plain-English to STEP kit built on deterministic solvers, rather than a parametric CAD kernel with a Studio app.
- printwright
Turns a description into a printed part on a Klipper printer, rather than a general parametric CAD kernel for humans and agents.
- Zoo
A C# SDK for the Zoo text-to-CAD API, rather than a locally run open-source CAD kernel.
- illusion-forge
An agent workbench that drives the user's installed SolidWorks, rather than a CAD kernel with its own Studio.
Sources
Not verified
- Pricing: none stated on the repo.
- Real user voices: the repo has 0 open issues, and no independent user post was found.
- Related Error Index entries: no software tag, so no matching entry was verified.
- A named individual builder beyond the CenturyMesh organization
- A standalone website: the repo homepage points to its own releases page.
Last verified November 6, 2026. Listings are informational. The evidence score measures public, verifiable evidence and is not an endorsement or a compatibility claim.