PartCAD is a package manager and next-generation CAD system for documenting and managing manufacturable physical products, targeting individual creators and engineering teams. It aims to streamline product development workflows from ideation to manufacturing by providing a unified, modular approach to product information, enhanced by AI.

How It Works

PartCAD treats product information as modular, versionable "packages" that can include requirements, design files (mechanical, PCB, software), manufacturing instructions, and metadata. This approach allows for reusability of designs and manufacturing processes. It integrates with various third-party tools, including AI models (Gemini, ChatGPT, Ollama) and traditional CAD software, to automate tasks like design updates, validation, and documentation generation.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Install via pip: pip install -U partcad-cli
• Recommended: Install conda/Miniforge3.
• OS-specific dependencies: libcairo2-dev python3-dev on Ubuntu, Xcode/command line tools on macOS.
• VS Code extension available.
• Documentation: https://partcad.org/

Highlighted Details

• Supports multiple OS (Windows, Linux, macOS).
• Caches rendered models for workflow acceleration.
• Integrates Git for CAD design versioning.
• Generates Markdown documentation and parametric BOMs.
• Supports various 3D model formats (STEP, BREP, STL, OBJ) and EDA (KiCad).
• AI integration for design, validation, and documentation.

Maintenance & Community

• Active development with ongoing feature additions.
• Community support via Discord.
• Presence on LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Twitter/X.

Licensing & Compatibility

• License not explicitly stated in the README. Compatibility for commercial use or closed-source linking is not detailed.

Limitations & Caveats

Cloud caching and online publishing features are marked as "in progress." Software collaboration and visual assembly instruction generation are also listed as future work. The README does not specify the project's license.