What is text-to-cad?
text-to-cad gives a coding agent a local CAD workflow. The agent writes each part or assembly as a Python script using build123d, which runs on the Open CASCADE geometry kernel; running the script with the project's cadgen engine builds an .xbf document (parts, names, colours, materials and joints) and the STEP, GLB, STL or 3MF files the script declares. Only what an edit changed is rebuilt, and a viewer in the agent app or the browser follows every rebuild.
Twelve skills cover the rest of the job: engineering drawings as PDF, 2D DXF, off-the-shelf STEP parts, a DfAM check for printability, a DFM review for sheet metal, CNC machining and injection moulding, G-code slicing with OrcaSlicer, upload checks for SendCutSend, sending prints to Bambu Lab printers, and URDF, SRDF and SDF files for robots and simulators.
It installs as a plugin for Claude Code (`claude plugin marketplace add earthtojake/text-to-cad#latest`), Codex, Cursor, Grok Build and Gemini, as an MCP server for Claude Desktop, or as standalone skills through `npx skills add`.
Is text-to-cad worth it?
text-to-cad is a convincing open-source path from a prompt to a part you can manufacture, because it treats CAD as code rather than asking a model to emit a mesh. The agent writes build123d scripts, so every model is a readable, versionable Python file that produces STEP for engineering tools as well as STL and 3MF for printers. The repository has about 23,800 GitHub stars, is MIT-licensed, and shipped v0.8.1 on 27 October 2026, with cadgen 0.8.1 on PyPI.
The manufacturing skills are what separate it from a modelling demo. The DFM skill reviews sheet metal, CNC and injection-moulded parts and cites the rule behind each finding; DfAM Check measures wall thickness, overhangs, support volume and build orientation; and the engineering-drawing skill produces dimensioned PDFs with hole callouts and a title block. The hand-off is concrete but narrow: G-code goes through OrcaSlicer with your own presets, prints go to Bambu Lab printers, and SendCutSend is the only fabrication service named. Robotics users get URDF, SRDF for MoveIt and SDF for simulators.
Two defaults deserve attention before installing. Usage statistics and crash reports go to PostHog under a random install ID; the README says file names, paths, contents and prompts are never sent, and one command turns it off and deletes what was sent. cadgen also checks for updates at most once a day. On Windows 11, Smart App Control, which is on by default on fresh installs, blocks the unsigned OpenCascade module and every cadgen command fails; the fix is to turn Smart App Control off, which cannot be undone without reinstalling Windows, or to run under WSL.
The pace is the other cost. The project has published 89 releases since v0.1.16 on 30 May 2026, the 0.7 to 0.8 move needs a migration guide, and open issues track geometry-kernel bugs such as an unstable loft Boolean and sweep distortion, plus an inline viewer that fails in Claude Desktop (#680). For an engineer who reads Python it is a fast way to get a first draft of a bracket or enclosure; a designer who lives in Fusion or SolidWorks will still need to check every dimension the agent chose.
Where it earns its place
A hardware startup engineer prototyping enclosures on a Bambu Lab printer
Go from a description of a bracket or case to a print without opening a CAD package
Ask Claude Code for the part, review the build123d script, run DfAM Check for walls and overhangs, then slice with OrcaSlicer and send it through the Bambu Lab skill. Costs model tokens and filament; check dimensions against the drawing PDF before printing.
A small product company ordering laser-cut sheet-metal parts
Catch manufacturing problems before paying for a SendCutSend order
Have the agent export STEP or DXF, run the DFM skill for sheet metal and the SendCutSend check before upload. The plugin is free; the saving is fewer rejected or re-cut orders, though SendCutSend's own prices are not part of this project.
A robotics researcher building a new arm in ROS
Produce matching CAD, URDF and MoveIt configuration for a simulation
Model links as build123d parts, then use the URDF, SRDF and SDF skills to write joints, limits, inertials and planning groups for MoveIt and the simulator. Everything runs locally through uv; turn telemetry off on lab machines if policy requires it.
Before you commit
- Setup
- Needs uv; the runtime supports Python 3.11+ and the launch commands use uv-managed Python 3.13. In Claude Code run `claude plugin marketplace add earthtojake/text-to-cad#latest` and `claude plugin install text-to-cad@earthtojake`; the first start downloads the CAD runtime, so it needs a network connection. Install either the plugin or the skills in an app, not both.
- Integrations
- Plugins for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Grok Build and Gemini; an MCP server (`cadgen mcp`) for Claude Desktop; skills for other agents through npx skills. Exports STEP, GLB, STL, 3MF, DXF and PDF drawings; hands off to OrcaSlicer, Bambu Connect or Bambu Studio, and SendCutSend.
- Data and privacy
- Models and files stay local. Usage counts and crash reports go to PostHog by default, tagged with a random ID and never including file names, paths, contents or prompts; `cadgen telemetry off`, DO_NOT_TRACK=1 or CADGEN_TELEMETRY=0 stops it. A daily update check hits api.texttocad.dev unless CADGEN_UPDATE_CHECK=0. MIT licence.
- Cost at scale
- Free to run for any team. The costs are model tokens for each modelling session and whatever printers, materials or fabrication services you use; no paid edition is published.
- Limits
- Windows 11 Smart App Control blocks the OCP module unless turned off or bypassed with WSL. Releases arrive several times a week and 0.7 projects need porting to 0.8. Open issues track geometry-kernel instabilities and the inline viewer failing in Claude Desktop.
What's good
- Models are parametric build123d code, easy to review and version
- Exports STEP, STL, 3MF and GLB, plus PDF drawings and DXF
- Measured DFM and printability checks with cited rules
- Hands off to OrcaSlicer, Bambu Lab printers and SendCutSend
What's not
- Usage telemetry is on by default
- Windows 11 Smart App Control blocks the CAD kernel
- 89 releases in five months, with a breaking 0.8 migration
- Only two fabrication services are integrated
Best for
Engineers and makers who can read Python and want an agent to draft printable or machinable parts.
text-to-cad alternatives
text-to-cad: common questions
- Is text-to-cad worth it?
- text-to-cad turns a coding agent into a capable junior CAD engineer by making it write real parametric code, but it changes fast and reports usage by default. We rate it 4.0 out of 5.
- How much does text-to-cad cost?
- Free and open source (MIT). You pay for your agent's model usage and any fabrication service you send parts to.
- What are the downsides of text-to-cad?
- Usage telemetry is on by default; windows 11 Smart App Control blocks the CAD kernel; 89 releases in five months, with a breaking 0.8 migration; only two fabrication services are integrated.
- Who is text-to-cad best for?
- Engineers and makers who can read Python and want an agent to draft printable or machinable parts.
- How much does text-to-cad cost for a team or in production?
- Free to run for any team. The costs are model tokens for each modelling session and whatever printers, materials or fabrication services you use; no paid edition is published.
- Is text-to-cad safe for company data?
- Models and files stay local. Usage counts and crash reports go to PostHog by default, tagged with a random ID and never including file names, paths, contents or prompts; `cadgen telemetry off`, DO_NOT_TRACK=1 or CADGEN_TELEMETRY=0 stops it. A daily update check hits api.texttocad.dev unless CADGEN_UPDATE_CHECK=0. MIT licence.
- What are the best text-to-cad alternatives?
- The closest alternatives we have reviewed are CLI-Anything and Anthropic Skills.
Answers checked Oct 28, 2026.
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