BricsCAD is a versatile, DWG‑based CAD platform that scales from 2D drafting to 3D modeling, BIM and mechanical design.
New users can handle diverse projects – from house plans to machine parts to site surveys – without switching software. By starting with one module and upgrading as needed, beginners stay in a familiar interface and carry forward their work. For example, BricsCAD Ultimate bundles “powerful and seamless workflows, from BIM to Mechanical design”, so you won’t outgrow the tool as projects grow in complexity.
Many beginners in architecture choose BricsCAD BIM for home design. They can quickly sketch a building by dragging out rooms and walls: the BIM QuickDraw tool lets you “quickly create and edit rectangular and L‑shaped rooms and buildings” with an intuitive drag interface.
Once the massing model is in place, the BIMIFY command automatically classifies walls, slabs and other elements and generates stories, floor plans and sections with one click. This means a novice can go from a simple box to annotated building drawings almost instantly. All work stays in DWG format, ensuring smooth collaboration and documentation. For example, a small home concept can go from conceptual mass to detailed documentation without moving to another program.
QuickDraw Floorplan Tool: Sketch building footprints by dragging out room shapes (drag from corners, add floors/roofs).
BIMIFY Automation: BricsCAD BIM analyses your 3D model, auto-classifies structural elements, and creates stories and views in one click.
Auto Documentation: Once classified, BricsCAD BIM automatically generates BIM tags and drawings, so schedules and sections are ready with minimal effort.
For more on the BIM edition, see BricsCAD BIM.
In mechanical projects, BricsCAD Mechanical provides powerful 3D and sheet‑metal tools. A beginner can model a machine part from scratch or import a solid model, then use Mechanical’s intuitive tools to finalize the design. Critically, BricsCAD Mechanical can “create sheet metal components from scratch and … automatically convert solid parts to sheet metal with just one click”.
This instantly creates flanges, bends and reliefs on your 3D model. The software also automatically unfolds the part into a flat pattern: “Create 2D and 3D unfolded representations” of your sheet‑metal part so it can drive CAM cutting or fabrication. Complex assemblies are supported too – you can build multi‑part machines, insert standard fasteners and generate exploded views or bills-of-materials for detailed drawings.
3D Parametric Modelling: Create or import solids, then refine geometry freely with direct-edit tools (move faces, add holes, etc.).
One‑Click Sheet Metal: Convert any solid into a sheet‑metal part automatically – the model gets proper flanges and bends instantly.
Automatic Flat Patterns: BricsCAD generates the unfolded 2D layout linked to the 3D model, so edits update both representations.
Assembly & BOM Tools: Build multi‑part assemblies, add balloons and parts lists, and produce exploded views for assembly instructions.
Learn more on our BricsCAD Mechanical page.
Surveyors and civil engineers can use BricsCAD to turn scan data into maps. In BricsCAD Pro (or BIM) you can attach 3D point clouds (from LiDAR or drones) directly to your DWG. BricsCAD pre-processes the data in the background for smooth viewing. You can then pan through massive scans, crop to areas of interest, and snap to any point in the cloud to draw lines and surfaces. Using these tools, a beginner can generate a topographic model by filtering out noise and creating a TIN surface.
For example, the “Scan to TIN” workflow lets you import large point clouds and create a workable triangulated surface. BricsCAD BIM even offers Scan to BIM features: it can detect planes, extract walls/floors and auto-generate 2D plans from building scans. In practice, a surveyor can go from raw scan data to contour maps or floor plans with minimal manual drafting.
Point Cloud Import: Attach large scans (E57, PTX, etc.) into BricsCAD and navigate them in real time.
Snap & Crop: Trim the cloud view to zones you need and enable snapping to cloud points for drawing accuracy.
Scan-to-TIN: Use BricsCAD Pro’s tools (or add-ons like KeyTERRA) to filter ground points and create a 3D mesh surface for topographic mapping.
Scan-to-Plan/BIM: Quickly generate 2D floor plans or basic BIM geometry from scans using built-in tools.
Check the BricsCAD Pro page for survey and point-cloud capabilities.
Even beginners doing pure drafting can start with BricsCAD. BricsCAD Lite provides “high-performing, compatible and concise 2D drafting and detailing” tools. It’s a full DWG drafting package, so you can produce floor plans or mechanical sketches right away. When you need 3D, upgrading to BricsCAD Pro adds the 3D modelling toolset (solids, surfaces, etc.). Importantly, all levels share the same interface and DWG files. You could start a 2D project in Lite, then open it in Pro or BIM later with no conversion hassle.
Ultimately, BricsCAD Ultimate bundles every module (Lite+Pro+BIM+Mechanical) so you have all tools ready. This “all-in-one” approach means a beginner won’t quickly outgrow the software – you can transition between drafting, BIM, and mechanical tasks without switching CAD programs.
BricsCAD Lite: Lightweight 2D CAD for quick drawing and drafting.
BricsCAD Pro: Adds full 3D modeling and assembly tools to the core 2D features.
BricsCAD Mechanical/BIM: Specialised toolsets for sheet-metal and building design (discussed above).
BricsCAD Ultimate: One license for all BricsCAD features – ideal for mixed projects.
In summary, new users in any field can start in BricsCAD and grow as their needs evolve. Whether sketching a house, designing a machine, or mapping a site, BricsCAD’s intuitive tools and consistent DWG workflow keep the learning curve gentle.
You won’t need to switch software as projects become more complex, because BricsCAD Ultimate provides “seamless workflows” across disciplines.
