Software Review||| DESIGN
DigitalEngineering247.com /// August 2019 DE| Technology for Optimal Engineering Design (^41)
Although BricsCAD development remains based in Ghent,
Belgium, the acquisition gives Hexagon an end-to-end platform
from conceptual design to building information modeling (BIM)
to construction execution and reality capture. But BricsCAD is
also a great tool for general CAD and mechanical design.
Bricsys was founded in 2002. Early versions of BricsCAD
were essentially rebranded releases of IntelliCAD, an early
AutoCAD workalike. But after acquiring intellectual property
from the Russian software company LEDAS, Bricsys went on to
rewrite BricsCAD using its own code. As a founding member of
the Open Drawing Alliance (ODA), much of the Bricsys code is
now also available for use by other ODA member companies.
BricsCAD uses DWG as its native file format for 2D draft-
ing and 3D modeling. Although BricsCAD duplicates most Au-
toCAD features, it then goes well beyond AutoCAD by serving
as a platform for BIM and mechanical product design.
The program is available for Windows, MacOS and Linux
and features near-complete compatibility with AutoCAD,
including scripts, menus, LISP routines and customizations.
There is also an active developer network with hundreds of add-
on programs available.
Chameleon-Like Interface
Although BricsCAD is an AutoCAD workalike, it isn’t a look-
alike. When you first start the program (in its Drafting work-
space), the interface consists of a Menu bar across the top of
the screen, with an Access toolbar (similar to AutoCAD’s Quick
Access toolbar) and a ribbon docked below.
Like AutoCAD, each open drawing has its own document
tab across the top of the drawing area, which you can use to eas-
ily switch between drawings. Tabs at the bottom of each draw-
ing let you switch between Model space and various layouts. A
Properties panel is docked to the right of the drawing window.
There is also a docked command window, just like AutoCAD,
and a Status bar across the bottom of the screen.
But the interface is chameleon-like. When you switch to the
Modeling workspace, the ribbon is replaced by pull-down menus
and toolbars, reminiscent of AutoCAD 2008. Switch to the Me-
BricsCAD Turns on the POWER
BricsCAD V19 extends beyond AutoCAD’s capabilities.
BY DAVID COHN
B
ricsCAD HAS STOOD OUT for many years as a low-cost alternative to AutoCAD, coming from a small privately held
company able to devote its attention to a single product. That stature changed last year when Bricsys, its Belgian-based
developer, was acquired by Hexagon AB, a publicly traded Swedish company with more than 19,000 employees and revenue
of more than $4 billion (compared to Autodesk’s 9,000 employees and $2.57 billion revenue for fiscal 2019).
chanical workspace, and you’re back to using a ribbon. Switch to
the BIM workspace and the interface includes pull-down menus
and a non-changing ribbon-like band of frequently used tools.
Within the drawing window, a user coordinate system (UCS)
icon is typically located in the lower left and a Look From wid-
get (similar in function to AutoCAD’s ViewCube) appears in the
upper right. Most commands are the same as AutoCAD. For ex-
ample, you can start the Line command from the ribbon, from a
menu or by typing the command name or a shortcut (the same
as aliases in AutoCAD), although instead of accessing command
options in the command line or by right-clicking, you must type
or choose the option from a prompt menu that initially pops up
in the upper-right corner of the drawing.
Another user interface feature unique to BricsCAD is the
Quad cursor menu, a panel that provides a grip-editing alterna-
tive. When you hover over an object, the Quad cursor reports in-
formation about it and, when appropriate, displays commands to
modify the object. If no command is active, when you right-click
in a blank spot, the Quad cursor presents commands that you
would most likely use. Like most aspects of BricsCAD, the Quad
cursor can be customized to change its behavior and appearance.
The BricsCAD interface varies depending on the
current workspace. The new nearest distance tool lets
you view and modify distances between two selected
entities. Images courtesy of David Cohn.
DE_0819_Review_BricsCAD_Cohn.indd 41 7/11/19 11:23 AM