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# SolidCraft: Open-Source Parametric 3D CAD in Rust
- URL: https://www.stirup.si/solidcraft-open-source-parametric-3d-cad-in-rust-233e30c6/
- Published: 2026-10-13T07:44:50.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-13T07:44:50.000Z
- Description: SolidCraft is an open-source parametric 3D CAD application built in Rust, offering unit-aware expressions, ordered rules, and support for multiple file formats like STEP, IGES, 3MF, STL, and OBJ.
- Author: Satish Das
- Tags: Community, News, Stirup Research

## Software Overview and Key Features

SolidCraft is an open-source parametric 3D CAD application built in pure Rust, offering developers and designers a modern alternative to traditional CAD tools. A key feature of SolidCraft is its support for unit-aware expressions, allowing users to define parameters and configurations with mathematical precision, such as `2 * width + 5 mm` or `angle / 2`. The software also includes ordered rules, feature suppression, and per-row body materials/appearances, enabling more complex and customizable design workflows. File management in SolidCraft is flexible, with design containers (.solidcraft) that store lossless binary mesh payloads, while plain JSON remains supported for opening, exporting, and saving as alternative formats. These capabilities make SolidCraft a promising tool for both hobbyists and professionals seeking open-source, parametric design solutions.

## File Formats and Export Capabilities

SolidCraft supports a wide range of file formats for export, including STEP (AP242 with body names, colours, and components as assemblies), IGES 5.3 (manifold solid B-reps with names and colours), 3MF, STL (binary/ASCII), and OBJ . Import capabilities include 3MF, STL, and OBJ as mesh bodies, which can be rendered, measured, moved, and exported, though solid features require B-rep bodies . STEP and IGES imports support solids, assemblies, units, names, and colours, and can be used as a base feature for further design modifications . Users can open STEP or IGES files directly within the application or via command-line tools . The software also provides command-line interfaces for running examples, exporting designs, and evaluating imported files .

## User Interface and Development Tools

SolidCraft's user interface is built using **egui** and **wgpu**, offering a desktop application with a comprehensive set of tools. The interface includes a toolbar with workspace tabs, a browser, a timeline, a 3D viewport with axis view and navigation bar, sketch tools, feature dialogs, and a command palette. A JSON-lines control channel enables agents and tests to interact with the application. For development, users can build and run the application using **cargo** commands, such as `cargo run --release -p solidcraft -- --sample` for a desktop app with a sample part or `cargo xtask ci` for formatting, testing, and asset processing. Windows builds are supported with `cargo xwin build`. The application is also available in the browser via `trunk build`, supporting WebGPU or WebGL2 with optional parameters.

## 3D Mouse and Hardware Integration

SolidCraft supports integration with 3Dconnexion SpaceNavigator and SpaceMouse devices on Windows and Linux through their multi-axis HID interface, as noted in the project's documentation. On Linux, a udev rule such as `/etc/udev/rules.d/70-3d-mouse.rules` can be configured to grant access to these devices by adding the `uaccess` tag for devices with the 3Dconnexion vendor ID `256f`. For older SpaceNavigator models using Logitech's vendor ID `046d`, users are advised to match specific product IDs rather than all Logitech devices. However, due to sandboxing restrictions, the Flatpak version of SolidCraft does not expose `hidraw` devices, meaning 3D mouse support is currently limited to native builds.

## AI Integration and Automation

SolidCraft integrates AI through its Model Context Protocol (MCP) support, enabling automation and remote control of design sessions. The `solidcraft-cli mcp` command launches a Model Context Protocol server on stdio, allowing AI agents to interact with the software. When run headless, it operates its own design session, while the `--connect` flag enables remote control of an application instance started with `solidcraft --control PORT`. This setup allows users to observe AI agents modeling in real time. SolidCraft maintains familiar parametric CAD workflows, including constrained sketches, solid features, an editable timeline, parameters, and assemblies, ensuring compatibility with established design practices.

## Sources and reporting notes

- [Hacker News](https://github.com/bherbruck/solidcraft?ref=stirup.si)

Based on published source material. No independent hands-on testing is claimed.