What Is cadAI, and What Kind of Modeling Can It Do?
cadAI is Aiglade's parametric CAD that runs in the browser, built for mechanical part modeling, hole drilling, measurement, and export, with one kernel shared by desktop, browser, and MCP. The modeling it does is parametric modeling of simple mechanical parts: flanged plates, brackets, and parts like them. Set the parameters first, build the rough shape from primitives, drill the holes, measure, preview, and check the dimensions by hand before exporting. Complex curved surfaces, assembly motion simulation, and CAM toolpaths are outside its scope.
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.
- SolidCraft — kernel (an independent community project, not an ArtCraft product line)
- S-01 primitives, S-02 holes, S-03 conversion, S-04 measurement, S-05 preview — connected intents
- Desktop, browser, and MCP — three forms, one kernel
- To be confirmed — pricing
What cadAI is made of: 3 forms plus 1 assistant
cadAI is not a single desktop program. It is three forms plus one assistant, all running on the same kernel.
The web version does parametric modeling in the browser: open cad.aiglade.cn and start working, with nothing to install. Its core abilities are primitives, holes, conversion, measurement, and preview. The desktop version does local modeling on the same Rust kernel, for users who need local files. The MCP interface is for AI agents, and the AI assistant on top drives five intents with one sentence: S-01 primitives, S-02 holes, S-03 conversion, S-04 measurement, and S-05 preview.
Say one sentence to the assistant — build a flanged plate disc first, drill a ring of holes, then measure the hole spacing — and it runs those steps in order. What it produces is a draft; delivery is preview, confirm, then export.
What modeling it can do, and what it cannot
Parametric modeling means writing the key dimensions of a part down as parameters before building the model. A flanged plate 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.
What cadAI can do is simple mechanical parts, flanged plates, and brackets; dimension checks before 3D printing; letting an AI agent build models through MCP; and light CAD work without a large desktop program such as Fusion 360. What it cannot do is complex curved surfaces, assembly motion simulation, and CAM toolpaths. Work needing vendor certification and production-grade accuracy sign-off does not fit either, and no model goes straight to production — every export needs a hand check of dimensions and tolerances first.
How cadAI differs from desktop CAD
This page compares categories, not specific products. It gives no version numbers, prices, or scores for any single product.
| Choice | Install | Parametric modeling | Holes and measurement | Complex surfaces, simulation, CAM | AI agent drive | Who it fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cadAI (web) | Opens in the browser | Yes, the part follows the parameters | S-02 holes, S-04 measurement connected | Outside its scope | MCP interface, an agent can drive modeling directly | Simple parts, flanged plates, brackets; checks before 3D printing |
| Desktop CAD | Install several GB of local software | Yes | Yes | Yes | Usually not offered | Complex curved surfaces, assemblies, CAM |
| General online tools | Opens in the browser | Mostly simple edits, not parametric | Depends on the tool, often incomplete | No | Usually not offered | Light viewing and small edits |
The table is a division of work, not a ranking. Simple parts and light work point to cadAI, while complex curved surfaces, assemblies, and CAM point to desktop CAD. A general online tool is enough for opening a model once or changing one small thing.
Who it fits, and who it does not fit
cadAI fits mechanical engineers, makers, and 3D printing users: anyone making simple mechanical parts, flanged plates, and brackets as parametric models; anyone who needs to check dimensions before 3D printing; developers who want an AI agent to build models through MCP; and anyone who wants light CAD without installing a large desktop program such as Fusion 360.
It does not fit users whose parts carry complex curved surfaces, or who need assembly motion simulation or CAM toolpaths, or work needing vendor certification and production-grade accuracy sign-off. A model must not go straight to production: the hand check before export is a requirement, not an option.
Make a flanged plate: 6 steps
Take a flanged plate as the example, and walk through these six steps:
- Open cad.aiglade.cn. It runs in the browser, with nothing to install, and there is no need to install a large program locally first.
- Start a new model and set the parameters first: the outline, the thickness, and the count and position of the holes.
- Build the rough shape from primitives. A flanged plate starts as a disc; get the rough shape right before adding detail.
- Drill the holes where they belong. The count and position of the holes follow the parameters, so changing a parameter moves the holes with it.
- Measure the key dimensions: the outline size and the hole positions, before 3D printing.
- Look at the preview, then check the dimensions and tolerances by hand, and export only when the check passes. A model must not go straight to production.
The step most often skipped by mistake is the sixth one, the hand check. Parameters change, hole positions move with them, and a dimension can change without anyone noticing.
The point to remember: parameters first, rough shape second
The six steps above are the standard flow for cadAI: set the parameters first, build the rough shape second, then drill the holes, measure, preview, and export. That order is where parametric modeling pays off — change a parameter and the model changes with it, instead of the part being torn down and redrawn. A flanged plate done, a bracket follows the same path. Nothing in the flow names a specific button, because the site is a wasm shell with no static text to check against.
cadAI in numbers
- 5 intents connected — S-01 primitives, S-02 holes, S-03 conversion, S-04 measurement, S-05 preview. Source: wiring-layer record, 2026-11-11. Verified: 2026-11-12.
- 3 forms — desktop, browser, and MCP, one kernel across all three. Source: official repository notes, 2026-11-11. Verified: 2026-11-12.
- 3 audience groups — mechanical engineers, makers, and 3D printing users. Source: facts.md. Verified: 2026-11-12.
- 4 suitable uses — parametric modeling of simple parts, flanged plates, and brackets; dimension checks before 3D printing; letting an AI agent build models through MCP; light CAD work without a large desktop program such as Fusion 360. Source: facts.md. Verified: 2026-11-12.
- 2 unsuitable uses — complex curved surfaces, assembly motion simulation, and CAM toolpaths; work needing vendor certification and production-grade accuracy sign-off. Source: facts.md. Verified: 2026-11-12.
- 6 steps — the flange workflow in this page, from opening the page to the hand check before export. Source: this page. Verified: 2026-11-12.
- 3 choices compared — cadAI, desktop CAD, and general online tools. Source: this page. Verified: 2026-11-12.
- 3 FAQ questions — answered at the end of this page. Source: this page. Verified: 2026-11-12.
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. Pricing is still to be confirmed, with no price, tier, or free allowance stated anywhere in this page. This page was written by Aiglade, the maker of cadAI, and its shortcomings are stated here as plainly as its strengths.
FAQ
Q: What is cadAI, and what kind of modeling can it do?
cadAI is Aiglade's parametric CAD that runs in the browser. It does parametric modeling of simple mechanical parts: flanged plates, brackets, and parts like them. Set the parameters first, build the rough shape from primitives, drill the holes, measure, preview, and check the dimensions and tolerances by hand before exporting. Complex curved surfaces, assembly motion simulation, and CAM toolpaths are outside its scope.
Q: What is the relationship between cadAI and SolidCraft?
cadAI is the brand name, and SolidCraft is the kernel name. They are not the same thing, and one is not a new name for the other. cadAI runs on the SolidCraft kernel, with the same kernel on desktop, in the browser, and over MCP. SolidCraft is an independent community project, not an ArtCraft product line.
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.
Not written / to verify
- Pricing is to be confirmed; no price, tier, or free allowance is written in this page.
- Button labels and click paths are not written: the site is a wasm shell with no static text to check against, so the steps stay at the workflow level and do not name a specific button.
- Export formats (whether STL, STEP, and others) are not listed in facts.md.
- Whether chamfering is supported is not written as a fact: none of the five connected intents covers chamfering, so support must be checked against what the page actually provides.
- File size limits and browser performance with complex models are not given in facts.md.