DigitalEngineering247.com /// August 2019 DE | Technology for Optimal Engineering Design (^43)
sheet metal parts and generate their unfolded representations,
complete with manufacturing information. With the addition of
Communicator for BricsCAD ($715), a separate import/export
module, you can work with geometry and product and manufac-
turing information data from most major CAD programs.
Low-Cost Licensing Options
Unlike AutoCAD, BricsCAD does not require a subscription.
You can buy it once and it’s yours to use forever, although for a
yearly fee you gain access to priority support and free upgrades.
Bricsys also offers annual subscriptions as well as volume pricing
and network licenses.
The company sells three editions of BricsCAD. BricsCAD
Classic ($826) provides basic 2D and 3D CAD capabilities and
includes the full power of LISP customization. BricsCAD Pro
($1,105) includes all the Classic features and adds full customiza-
tion support (including VBA, ARX and .NET support, opening
up access to hundreds of third-party applications) and 3D direct
modeling, as well as rendering, materials and lighting. BricsCAD
Platinum ($1,560) includes all the Pro features and adds freeform
3D modeling, 2D and 3D constraints and assembly modeling.
Bricsys also sells BricsCAD Mechanical ($2,275), which adds
bills of materials (BOMs), assembly mass properties, exploded
views and sheet metal design; BricsCAD BIM ($2,405), which
provides building information modeling tools including HVAC
and structural modeling, and quantity takeoffs; or BricsCAD
Ultimate ($2,646), which includes all of the Platinum features
plus BricsCAD BIM and BricsCAD Mechanical.
You can download a free trial of BricsCAD to try the Ul-
timate edition for 31 days. A trial of Communicator is also
available as a separate download. During the trial, you can set
your copy of BricsCAD to run as any of the available products
(Classic, Pro, Platinum, Mechanical, BIM or Communicator) so
you can see which feature set is best for you. Bricsys also offers
Bricsys 24/7, an online project collaboration tool (with annual
prices based on the amount of cloud-based storage needed), and
BricsCAD Shape, a free conceptual modeling tool.
BricsCAD help and tutorials are available online, although
most tutorials are simply videos showing a particular function
without the benefit of sample files or step-by-step instructions,
which can make learning the program’s more advanced features
a bit challenging. There is also an extensive eBook, “BricsCAD
for AutoCAD Users,” that covers most of the program’s capa-
bilities, explaining them from the perspective of someone who
already knows how to use AutoCAD.
BricsCAD provides a lot of power at a fraction of the cost of
AutoCAD. It then goes beyond AutoCAD’s native capabilities.
Whether you’re looking for an affordable DWG-based alterna-
tive to AutoCAD or a full-blown BIM or mechanical modeling
program, BricsCAD deserves serious consideration. DE
David Cohn is the senior content manager at 4D Technologies. He also
does consulting and technical writing from his home in Bellingham, WA.
He is a Contributing Editor to DE and has authored more than a dozen
books. Contact him via email at [email protected] or visit dscohn.com.
BricsCAD Mechanical includes sophisticated sheet
metal capabilities. The Quad cursor, unique to
BricsCAD, provides an alternative to grip-editing.
Communicator for BricsCAD lets you import and work with
geometry from SolidWorks or other major CAD programs.
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INFO (^) ➜Bricsys: Bricsys.com
PRICING
PERPETUAL LICENSE INCLUDES 1YEAR MAINTENANCE
- BricsCAD Classic: $826 perpetual license
or $330 1-year rental subscription - BricsCAD Pro: $1,105 perpetual license
or $442 1-year rental subscription - BricsCAD Platinum: $1,560 perpetual license
or $624 1-year rental subscription - BricsCAD Mechanical: $2,275 perpetual license
or $910 1-year rental subscription - BricsCAD BIM: $2,405 perpetual license
or $962 1-year rental subscription - BricsCAD Ultimate: $2,646 perpetual license
or $1,058 1-year rental subscription - Communicator for BricsCAD: $715 perpetual license
or $286 1-year rental subscription
MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS- OS: Windows 10, Windows 8/8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista
SP2, Windows Server 2008 R2, Mac OSX 10.0 or higher, Linux
(Ubuntu 14.04 or higher, openSUSE, Fedora) - Processor: 1GHz processor or faster
- RAM: Windows: 256MB plus RAM required by OS, Mac: 1GB
- HD: 250MB for install plus 1GB or more free space
- Display: 1024x768 with TrueColor
- GPU: Any graphics board from AMD, Intel, or NVIDIA capable
of XGA resolution
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