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The use of Computer Aided Design, CAD for short, is an integral part of the workflow of many industries. Although the concept was primarily to help the architecture, engineering, and construction industries produce better technical drawings, other modern niches such as the gaming, product design, and manufacturing industries use CAD software.

1. 1: Graphtec Cutting Master 3 is a powerful MAC-compatible plug-in for Illustrator Graphtec Studio is a basic vector design application that includes file management tools, standard editing tools, quick- edit toolbars, style tools, fill and stroke editing, shapes, gradient.
2. Java Vector Cut and Paste Library. This is the home page for the Java Library JVectCutAndPaste. This library provides: writing support for a number of Vector formats (WMF, EMF, MacPict, EPS), which can be used with Graphics2D. A simple class for copying vector images on the clipboard. Those images can be pasted in most word processors.

Vectornator is a professional graphic design software for Mac, iPad and iPhone. Download The Vector Converter for macOS 10.10 or later and enjoy it on your Mac. ‎Convert your files to nearly any major vector or image format! The Vector Converter can convert nearly any image, photo or vector to: SVG, EPS, ICO, PNG, PDF, PS, JPG, EMF, WMF, BMP, TIFF, WEBP, or DXF!

Although PC’s are still the standard for most CAD users, it is undeniable that a big chunk of offices and homes use MacOS. So it’s understandable how some might find it intimidating to start using CAD software when there are plenty of these types of programs that are straight up incompatible with MacOS. The industry is changing and developing, however, and we see more and more support for MacOS CAD programs. If you’re a Mac user and are thinking about venturing into the world of Computer Aided Design, we’ve compiled all the information about the topic to help you figure out the best way to move forward.

The capabilities of the Mac

Apple’s plethora of options Source

Let’s take a look at some of the technical specifications of the Apple machines that are out there.

MacBook Pro

Arguably the best laptop that Apple offers is the 16-inch MacBook Pro released in 2019. Its compact and light-weight design hides some pretty formidable features with:

iMac Pro

For those of us with deeper pockets, the iMac Pro is a technological behemoth that boasts the rawest power of all of Apple’s machines. In terms of specs, we’re looking at:

MacBook Air

If you’re on a budget, the latest MacBook Air released this year is also still a solid pick, with specs that aren’t the best, but are pretty good considering the price compared to other Apple machines:

Looking at the three general types of Mac – mid-range, high-end, and budget buy – the hardware is pretty capable of running CAD applications as long as the user stays in their lane. That is, don’t expect a Macbook Air to run detailed, photo-realistic renders at lightning speed. But on paper, the Intel Core CPUs, Radeon Pro Graphics, and the sizable amount of RAM are all well-suited for CAD.

The biggest con that Apple’s computers have is their upgradability. Apple prides itself on its great design, but almost doesn’t trust its consumers to have the know-how to tailor-fit their personal machines to their own needs. Upgrades and modifications made after the sale are almost needlessly difficult for most MacOS computers. So be sure to do your research and figure out what technical specifications best suit your CAD needs before you buy a Mac, because you’re more or less stuck with your choices until you purchase a new machine.

Also, seeing as most software developers consider the PC to be the default machine for CAD users, there are a few programs out there that just straight up don’t have a Mac port. Autodesk’s Inventor, for example, can only run on Windows. A simple workaround would be to use Boot Camp and partition your hard drive to also run Windows. But if you’re not tech-savvy or adventurous enough to try and do that, there are always alternative programs that you can try.

That said, let’s take a look at some CAD software that you can run on you Mac.

CAD software for Mac

Autodesk product collection

Autodesk isn’t a single piece of software; it actually has a whole suite of different design programs for CAD users with different needs and drafting requirements. It’s first on the list since it’s one of the most widely-used set of CAD products in the market.

They have AutoCAD, which is a clear-cut CAD program that can handle most standard vector file formats and is primarily used for 2D technical drawings but can also handle 3D information. For those in the building and construction industry, Autodesk’s Revit is a solid BIM program that can fit most if not all design and drafting needs. Do note that Autodesk is primarily PC-based, so there are also a bunch of programs that you won’t be able to use on your Mac by default.

SketchUp

SketchUp is a modeling program catered to be an intuitive 3D solution for most design, manufacturing, and product-making necessities. It makes it to this list because it’s one of the most intuitive pieces of software out there and is great for beginners just getting into CAD and 3D modeling. SketchUp has three plans available: SketchUp Free, SketchUp Shop, SketchUp Pro. SketchUp Free and SketchUp Shop are both web-based, with Free being unpaid and Shop having unlimited cloud storage and access to all uploaded models on SketchUp Warehouse. SketchUp Pro is usable as a stand-alone desktop app and has all the features available for the software.

ArchiCAD

ArchiCAD is an architectural design suite that was actually originally designed for the Apple Macintosh back in 1982 by Hungarian company Graphisoft. It’s supposedly the first example of Building Information Modeling or BIM. It was also one of the first CAD programs that were readily available and usable at a commercial level, being usable on personal computers.

ArchiCAD offers a bunch of different packages that offer both 2D drafting and 3D modeling capabilities as well as all functionality that comes with BIM technology. With its variety of tools and technical settings, it may not have the easiest learning curve. But any ArchiCAD veteran will tell you just how useful the programs are and make it worth the time spent mastering it.

Vectorworks

Vectorworks is a flexible and versatile desktop app that offers 2D drafting, 3D modeling, BIM capabilities, and photo-realistic visual rendering in a neat, intuitive package. We talk about Vectorworks a lot in our blogs and as it is also available for the Mac, it’s only right we include it on this list. Mainly used in European markets and now owned by German company Nemetschek, Vectorworks was originally developed back in 1985, just three after the launch of AutoCAD. It has three main software packages: Vectorworks Architect, Vectorworks Landmark, Vectorworks Spotlight, and Vectorworks Fundamentals.

Free Software

If you find the prospect of paid CAD software a bit too daunting as a beginner, you’ll be glad to find that there are plenty of free-to-use CAD programs out there for the Mac.

LibreCAD is an open-source option that offers high-end features such as snap-to-grid functionality, layers, text, dimensioning, and many more.

FreeCAD is another interesting pick since it’s a fully-realized 3D parametric modeling program for mechanical engineers and product designers.

Blender is also an amazingly intuitive open-source 3D modeling program that focuses on the detailed and artistic side of 3D rendering and modeling.

There are a bunch more free programs out there including limited or trial versions of the paid programs we’ve listed here.

Scan2CAD

For more advanced CAD users who have set up a workflow of translating sketches or scanned copies of drawings or plans into workable vector CAD files, Scan2CAD is the perfect conversion solution. The program is primarily used to convert both raster and vector files into CAD-standard vector formats that CAD and modeling programs will be able to recognize and edit.

Some CAD software will have their own raster-to-vector conversion functionality, but none have as much control and precision over the conversion settings than Scan2CAD does. Its main purpose is to cut down the time needed to translate source materials into workable, draftable vector lines and it does its job extremely well.

In Conclusion

Asking if MacOS computers are good for CAD programs is a bit vague. Like most other technical queries, it all boils down to two things – what specific technical specifications do you already have or are planning to get, and what are your needs as a CAD-user? In the end, as long as you do your research, be wise about what your machine can and can’t do, and try to be ingenious about finding workarounds for certain roadblocks, any MacOS machine can handle what you need.

This is the home page for the Java Library JVectCutAndPaste. This library provides :

• writing support for a number of Vector formats (WMF, EMF, MacPict, EPS), which can be used with Graphics2D.
• a simple class for copying vector images on the clipboard. Those images can be pasted in most word processors.

The java cut and paste library probably suffers from the 'good enough for me' syndrom.That is, I did not try to support all graphic features (in particular as far as colour transparencyand filling are concerned), but only those I needed. If you want more, feel free to contribute code.So limitations are:

• no transparency nor gradient fill. Just plain colour fill, which isreasonable for diagrams (or in my case for hieroglyphs).
• actual rendering depends on the target graphic format. EMF produces better results than MAC PICT or WMF, for instance (it can handle complex shapes with holes in them). As a rule, I prefer losing some features than getting a bitmap (the solution chosen by java for printing).
• no support for bitmap pictures yet. This is probably not too difficult to add, and would be a good candidate for an external contribution.

Getting the source : the current distribution of the library is part of JSesh. Get the whole sources for JSesh:

The sources for this particular library are in the folder jvectClipboard.

Note that there are other libraries for vector graphics. If you need more complete capabilities, you might have a look at freeHep. When I started the JSesh project, it didn't provide all functionnalities I needed, hence the creation of this library. Now, I haven't tried it yet, but the current version of FreeHep also provides clipboard capabilities (but it probably only works on Windows).

Trying it

(deprecated. I must provide a maven-compatible system).

Get the source distribution, and type 'ant run'.

You will see a small window with a 'copy' button. Click. Then open your favourite text editor (Word, OpenOffice, Mellel...).

Vector For Free

Type 'paste', and lo, a nice red rectangle was pasted!

License and the like

This library is distributed under the LGPL (the GNU lesser public license), because I want it to be usable, including in commercial softwares.PDF copy/paste is done using an old version of IText, because of licenses issues (version 2.1.5 was still under the LGPL).

Using the library for creating vector graphics

The various Graphics2D object provided (for WMF, EMF, MACPICT, EPS, SVG...) are relatively easy to use. Please notice that I made them for a specific software, JSesh, which might mean they lack some features you need. In particular, I didn't bother to emulate transparency and the like.

Currently, text is rendered as drawing outlines which means that :

1. it will render reasonably well
2. but the graphical file will be large, as the text is rendered as a drawing.

Pasting vector graphics

Introduction

Vector graphics are often difficult to copy on the clipboard.In fact, on Windows, it used to be impossible without using native code,as one had to send the address of the vector graphics.

This is why this system uses a trick (I'm not really sure how I decided to use it.I think a blog about Freemind gave me the idea. However, I haven't seen any free Java software whichperformed vector cut and paste (and on all platforms).

The trick is that the vector graphic is embedded in RTF. And Java can copy RTF on the clipboard without any problem. That's the good news.

Vector Cut Files

Now, for the bad news:

• RTF only support three formats: MACPICT, EMF and WMF. None of them support transparency, or CMYK colors.
• RTF can be pasted without problem in a word processor. It works great with Word or Openoffice Writer. However, it doesn't work in PowerPoint, for instance.
• At least on the Mac, the latest versions of Word do not paste RTF containing graphics any more (...) but you can use PDF in this case.

With recent versions of Java, things have improved, and some formats can be cut and pasted natively. For instance, PDF on Mac OS X, and EMF on Windows.

Simple case

You can have a look at JVectClipboardTest for a simple example.

Basically, using the library is as simple as :

And that's all.

You might want to choose the format used for the embedded vector pictures. This is done by calling setPictureFormat before you call getGraphics. The default format used is MACPICT.

How should you choose the format? Well:

• MACPICT: renders well on all platforms. The format is somehow limited (basically, it doesn't use curves, nor transparency, and coordinates are 16bits).
• WMF: renders well on windows, and more or less correctly on Mac OS X. The format is somehow limited (basically, it doesn't use curves, nor transparency, and coordinates are 16bits).
• EMF: gives great results with OpenOffice/Neooffice writer on all platforms. Renders well on M/S Windows with most word processors softwares. Doesn't render correctly on Mac OS X (except with OpenOffice/Neooffice). The format is more or less equivalent to PS or PDF. It doesn't handle transparency.
• DIRECT_EMF: on Windows only. Has the advantage over embedded EMF that it is a real graphic format, not a trick using rich text. So it should work with most softwares, including those that don't understand RTF well enough (read : anything but word processors). So, DIRECT_EMF should work with powerpoint for instance.
• PDF: gives the best possible rendering, but only work with Mac OS X (and then, with the Mac OS X application which accept PDF copy/paste, for instance: mellel, Word 2008 (not Word 2004), and Apple softwares in general.

Of course, if you use curves in your drawing, you will get a reasonable approximation with MACPICT and WMF. But the EMF picture will be better.

More complex cases

In more complex cases, you want to propose a number of different formats on the clipboard.

Then, the solution is usually to create your own Transferable class. This class will contain the original data which generates the picture, and propose it in various 'flavors'.

Your code will be something like :

Of course, this is simply a technical example. I suggest to isolate the drawing code in another class.

Not using the library

If your target is a Mac, you might consider pasting PDF on the clipboard. PDF works great with most 'real' Mac softwares, like Mellel. Word 2008 also support PDF (which is a good move). Now, of course, embedded PDF will be somehow problematic if you want to share your file with someone running windows. You can use IText to produce PDF.

To do this, you need to create a Transferable object which handle the PDF flavour. The DataFlavor to use is:

I might write a longer explanation later, with a short example. If you are interested, you may look at the JSesh code.

A useful utility

If you need to experiment and try to see what java can copy or paste, I have writen for my own tests a small class calledTransfertTest

Free Vector Software Mac

It's stand-alone. Just get and compile. It allows you to inspect the clipboard, and try to copy or paste stuff.