Develop a CAD project for engineering or another kind of planning by creating a dedicated file in the environment providing multiple tools for writing and editing text-based code, adjusting layers and layouts, using vector paint options, copying, editing, scaling and rotating objects, etc.
SimpleCAD is a 2D CAD application intended for general purposes. Just like most other CAD apps, its interface has the typical layout composed of a canvas in the center and toolbars on the top or the sides. In this case, you can find the tools on the left while the upper bar lets you customize them, for example, setting colors, line sizes and text fonts. However, despite its name, this app is not so simple to use. In fact, depending on your previous experiences, it may have a steep learning curve, which its poor help documentation does not make much flatter.
Fortunately, there are drawing tools that allow creating practically any object, line or text. These include freehand lines, straight lines, curves, parallels, rectangles, polygons, etc. Moreover, you can add text boxes and pictures from external files. Additionally, the objects can be modified in any possible way, like rotating, resizing, moving and copying. Likewise, creating templates from an object or a group of objects allows you to reuse them later, thus saving effort and time.
One of the best things about the app is that it supports working with layers. In this respect, you can benefit from the possibility of hiding specific layers when you are working on complex projects.
Luckily, it is possible to customize the project to meet your specific needs. In this respect, you can use a given background color or even set it to transparent. In addition, you can use the unit system (Metric or Imperial) required.
Once you have finished your work, you can share it in multiple ways. For instance, you can simply select anything and then copy and paste it on another application. It is also possible to save your project in ADD format, which is unfortunately unsupported by other similar tools. However, this incompatibility issue can be somehow avoided by exporting to some other common formats, such as PNG, JPEG, TIFF and PDF.
All in all, SimpleCAD can become a powerful tool in the hands of experienced users. Luckily, it is appropriate for any kind of technical drawing. The product is also much more affordable than other tools of its type, but it has the inconvenience of being unable to generate 3D views. Finally, if you are interested, this app can be downloaded from the Mac Store.
v2.3 [Apr 19, 2023]
- Support macOS 13 Ventura
- Support Apple silicon
- Improve UI
- Fix bugs
Previous update:
- Support multi-languages: English, Deutsch, Français, 日本語, 한국어, Español, Português, Čeština, Dansk, Suomi, Italiano, Nederlands, Norsk, Polski, Русский, Svenska, ไทย, Türkçe, Tiếng Việt, 中文（中国）, 中文（台灣）
- Improve print dialog (add Detail controls to print dialog)
- Allow users to copy/paste selected layer
- Add Decimal Precision setting
- Support import/export SVG, SVGZ format
- Improve unit setting
- Add more default shapes (circle, triangle, polygon, star...)
- Add more arrow types (Dot, Architectural tick, Oblique, Origin indicator....)
- Add dialog to edit detail path of a shape easily
- Add command: merge polylines into one shape
- Add command: break a shape into polylines
- add Thumbnail view
- New: Modify Flip
- New: Modify Align X, Y, Horizontal center, Vertical center, distribute
- Modify Copy, Move, Flip, Rotate, Scale will apply to all items when no item selected
- Undo/Redo supported after remove or add new layer
- Support to input Feet, inches with Fraction (e.g.: 2’ 3 1/2” )
- More print setting (margin, pagination setting, print with grid line,…)
- support to show unit in Feet-inches format
- manual drag and move by: hold ALT then drag mouse
- manual drag and move by: right mouse click then drag mouse
- manual drag and copy by: hold ALT-CONTROL key then drag mouse
- improve User Interface
- support to show Ruler
- add Zoom in, Zoom out short cut key
- add Point mark object
- add “Copy to another layer”, “Move to another layer” menu
- allow user to edit measure object’s text content
- allow user to direct edit coordinate information of selected object by new text boxes on the left toolbar
