VectorForge is a full parametric 3D CAD program that you buy once. $49.99, no subscription, no account, no cloud, free updates for life. Windows 10/11 and Linux on x86-64 and ARM64 (it runs on a Raspberry Pi).
Sketch and constrain. Lines, rectangles, polygons, arcs, circles, involute gears. A 15-constraint solver you can drag: horizontal, vertical, length, angle, parallel, perpendicular, distance, radius, on-line, tangent, on-circle, equal, fix, collinear, anchor. Horizontal and vertical are inferred as you draw; conflicting constraints turn red so you know which one to change.
Model with real solids. Pad, pocket, revolve, groove, sweep, loft (straight or along a guide), shell, chamfer, fillet, mirror, linear and rotational patterns, patterns of patterns, boolean fuse / cut / intersect, on a manifold kernel. Threads are true helical geometry: ISO metric tapped holes and bosses, and NPT pipe threads to ASME B1.20.1 with the 1:16 taper. Type M8x1.25 12 or 1/2 NPT and it is there.
Build assemblies. Eight joint types inferred from the geometry you click: revolute, slider, cylindrical, ball, planar, screw, fixed and gear. Drive and limit joints, then grab any part and the inverse-kinematics solver moves the whole chain in real time, on the GPU for large assemblies.
Simulate as you design. Finite-element analysis inside the modeler: fix faces, apply forces in N, g or lb, add gravity, pick PLA, nylon, ABS, PC or aluminum, and see displacement and von Mises stress on the part, flagged against yield, re-solved on every edit.
Import and export. STEP and STL come in as editable solids you can pad, thread and boolean. STL out per part or whole model. Projects are small human-readable files on your drive.
Fast on what you own. GPU viewport and picking, every solver on every CPU core, a feature cache that rebuilds only what changed. A full gear train turns at 60 FPS on eight-year-old hardware.
The license. One person, every machine they own, forever. Everything you design is yours. 14-day money-back guarantee. Download link and key by email in minutes.