Multimedia & graphics Windows
BRL-CAD
Build and analyze 3D solid models with BRL-CAD, a free open-source CAD system with geometry editing, Boolean operations and ray-tracing tools.
- Operating system
- Windows; minimum OS version not specified by the download catalog
- Architecture
- 64-bit (x64)
- Download package
- EXE installer
Official catalog also offers an MSI for 7.42.2. No installation or Windows-version compatibility test was performed.
Link checked · Download guidance
What is BRL-CAD?
BRL-CAD is a solid modeling system for creating 3D geometry and examining how its parts fit together. In the MGED editor, you construct models from geometric primitives and combine them using union, subtraction and intersection. Ray-tracing tools support rendering and geometric analysis, while NIRT and GQA provide ways to inspect ray paths, check overlaps and calculate geometric properties.
The package also supports scripted geometry tasks and supplies C/C++ libraries for developers building their own geometry tools. Its emphasis on solid construction and analysis comes with a learning cost: the publisher describes a steep learning curve.
The linked Windows download is the official 7.42.2 x64 EXE installer. The newer 7.46.0 entry in the publisher catalog is source code that must be built, not the Windows installer offered here. The catalog does not specify a minimum Windows version. The screenshot shows a legacy Windows interface and should not be read as a preview of the selected build.
What it offers
- Construct and edit 3D geometry in the interactive MGED editor.
- Combine geometric primitives with Boolean union, subtraction and intersection.
- Use ray-tracing for rendering and geometric analysis.
- Inspect ray paths, check model overlaps and calculate geometric properties with NIRT and GQA.
- Automate geometry tasks with scripts or use C/C++ geometry libraries in other applications.
Good to know
- The publisher describes a steep learning curve.
- This selected installer is Windows x64; the official catalog does not state a minimum Windows version.
- The 7.46.0 catalog entry is source-only and requires building; the offered Windows binary is 7.42.2.
Product images
Sources
References used for this listing. Retrieval dates do not indicate hands-on testing.
- BRL-CAD: Open Source Solid Modeling ↗Retrieved
- About | BRL-CAD ↗Retrieved
- Downloads | BRL-CAD: Open Source Solid Modeling ↗Retrieved
- BRL-CAD - Download ↗Retrieved
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