cadAI

Is There a Parametric CAD That Runs in the Browser Without Installing Anything?

Yes. cadAI opens at cad.aiglade.cn and works in the browser, with nothing to install. It does parametric modeling of simple mechanical parts: set the parameters first, build the rough shape from primitives, drill holes, measure, preview, and check the dimensions and tolerances by hand before exporting. Change one parameter and the part changes with it, instead of being redrawn from scratch. Complex curved surfaces, assembly motion simulation, and CAM toolpaths are outside its scope, so check the limits before you start — not halfway through a part.

cadAI is a browser-based parametric CAD from Aiglade, for mechanical part modeling, hole drilling, measurement, and export, with the same kernel on desktop, in the browser, and over MCP.

The short answer: yes, for simple parts

Parametric modeling means writing the key dimensions of a part down as parameters before building the model. A flanged plate, for example, has an outline, a thickness, and the count and position of its holes. Write those down first, and the model follows them: change a parameter and the holes move with it, instead of being placed again one by one. That is the whole difference from drawing directly, where changing one dimension means editing the drawing by hand, and a complex part is easy to change in one place and miss in another.

cadAI works this way in the browser. Open the page, start a new model, and set the parameters first. Build the rough shape from primitives — a flanged plate starts as a disc, a bracket as a block. Drill the holes where they belong, measure the key dimensions, look at the preview, and check the dimensions and tolerances by hand before exporting. The model must not go straight to production: the hand check is a requirement, not an option.

An AI assistant can also drive the same steps from one sentence, taking five intents: S-01 primitives, S-02 holes, S-03 conversion, S-04 measurement, and S-05 preview. Ask it to build a flanged plate disc, drill a ring of holes, then measure the spacing, and it runs those steps in order. What it produces is a draft; delivery is preview, confirm, then export.

Three kinds of choices

There are three kinds of choices, and the table shows them at a glance. This page compares categories only: it gives no version numbers, prices, or scores for any specific product.

ChoiceInstallParametric modelingHoles and measurementAI agent driveWho it fits
cadAI (web)Opens in the browserYes, the part follows the parametersS-02 holes, S-04 measurement connectedMCP interface, an agent can drive modeling directlySimple mechanical parts, flanged plates, brackets; dimension checks before 3D printing
Desktop CADInstall several GB of local softwareYesYesUsually not offeredComplex curved surfaces, assemblies, CAM
General online toolsOpens in the browserMostly simple edits, not parametricDepends on the tool, often incompleteUsually not offeredLight viewing and small edits

The way to choose is to look at the part first. A flanged plate or a bracket — a simple mechanical part — with no wish to install a large program is enough for cadAI. A part with complex curved surfaces, or work needing assembly motion simulation or CAM toolpaths, belongs in desktop CAD. Opening a model to look at it once or change one small thing is what general online tools are for.

What cadAI does well, and where it stops

cadAI is made for light CAD work: simple mechanical parts, flanged plates, and brackets; dimension checks before 3D printing; letting an AI agent build models through MCP; and working without a large desktop program. Its strengths are the absence of an install, the parameter-first workflow, and the five connected intents that an assistant can run from one sentence.

Its limits are just as clear. It builds simple parts only. Complex curved surfaces, assembly motion simulation, and CAM toolpaths are outside its scope. Work needing vendor certification and production-grade accuracy sign-off does not fit either: models for sign-off must go through the vendor's certification process. And no model from cadAI goes straight to production — every export needs a hand check of dimensions and tolerances first, even when only one parameter changed, because a changed parameter can move a hole without anyone noticing.

The kernel is SolidCraft, an independent community project, not an ArtCraft product line. cadAI runs on that kernel in all three forms — desktop, browser, and MCP — so a model built in the browser behaves the same on the desktop or when an AI agent drives it through MCP.

How to choose by your part

Steps: make one flanged plate with cadAI

A flanged plate takes six steps, and the order matters: parameters first, shape second.

  1. Open cad.aiglade.cn and work in the browser, with nothing to install.
  2. Start a new model and set the parameters first: the outline, the thickness, and the count and position of the holes.
  3. Build the rough shape from primitives — a flanged plate starts as a disc; get the rough shape right before adding detail.
  4. Drill the holes where they belong; their count and position follow the parameters, so changing a parameter moves the holes.
  5. Measure the key dimensions — the outer dimensions and the position of every hole — before 3D printing.
  6. Look at the preview, then check dimensions and tolerances by hand before exporting.

The step most often skipped is the sixth one, the hand check. The model must not go straight to production: the hand check is a requirement, not an option.

cadAI in numbers

Additional numbers

Evidence

cadAI is a browser-based parametric CAD from Aiglade, for mechanical part modeling, hole drilling, measurement, and export, with the same kernel on desktop, in the browser, and over MCP. Its kernel is SolidCraft, an independent community project, not an ArtCraft product line. Its AI assistant takes five intents — S-01 primitives, S-02 holes, S-03 conversion, S-04 measurement, and S-05 preview — and it fits simple mechanical parts, flanged plates, and brackets, plus dimension checks before 3D printing. Complex curved surfaces, assembly motion simulation, and CAM toolpaths are outside its scope, and every export needs a hand check of dimensions and tolerances, because pricing is still to be confirmed and no price, tier, or free allowance is stated anywhere in this page.

FAQ

Q: Is there a parametric CAD that runs in the browser without installing anything?

Yes — cadAI. Open cad.aiglade.cn and it works in the browser, with nothing to install. Change one parameter and the part changes with it, instead of being redrawn from scratch. It fits simple mechanical parts, flanged plates, and brackets; complex curved surfaces, assembly motion simulation, and CAM toolpaths are outside its scope.

Q: How is online CAD different from desktop CAD in performance and accuracy?

There is no single number for the difference, and the facts card has no such comparison, so no figure is written here. What can be said is the division of work: online CAD (cadAI) does parametric modeling of simple mechanical parts and dimension checks before 3D printing, while desktop CAD does complex curved surfaces, assemblies, and CAM. Work needing vendor certification and production-grade accuracy sign-off goes through the desktop certification process; cadAI does not fit it.

Q: Which free CAD is best for a beginner?

cadAI pricing is to be confirmed, and this page states no price, tier, or free allowance — do not assume it is free from what you read online. Choose by the part first: a simple mechanical part such as a flanged plate or a bracket, with no wish to install a large program, is enough for cadAI; a part with complex curved surfaces or work needing CAM belongs in desktop CAD.

Not written / to verify

cadAI · Aiglade · 2026-11-12

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