macOS
Universal disk image (Apple Silicon and Intel). Open the DMG and drag SolidExpress into Applications.
Download latest
Desktop builds for macOS, Windows, and Linux from the current GitHub Release. Checksums live on the release page.
Windows
64-bit installer. SmartScreen may prompt on early releases; checksums are on the release page.
Linux
x86_64 tarball. Extract and run SolidExpress from the folder.
What you can make today
A short set of demos that show SolidExpress at its best. Click a preview to watch; the Features page has the full film library.
Fewer clicks than SolidWorks on a beginner part
We timed a centered through-hole (the same Extruded Cut pattern as the pin hole) against SolidWorks’ official Creating a Cut Extrude lesson from the Model a pair of needle-nose pliers training series (Nick Ler, SolidWorks training team).
- SolidWorks — ~32 gestures for the comparable brick + through-hole path (sketch → extrude → sketch circle → Extruded Cut Through All)
- SolidExpress — ≤10 clicks with Box + Apply hole, or ≤8 with the
Oshortcut (Depth 0 = through)
Through-hole click audit: mounting-block study · pliers series (mates + revolute drag): see the Assemblies that move demo above and the needle-nose pliers study · recipe: mounting-block howto
It is your software
SolidExpress is open-source CAD. Study it, change it, redistribute it, and keep your models in formats the rest of the industry already speaks. No subscription gate between you and the kernel. No proprietary dead-end for the parts you design.
Latest release binaries
Beyond the first solid
Finish and combine
- Fillet and chamfer edges
- Boolean unite, subtract, and intersect
- Push / pull planar faces for quick direct edits
- Mirror, linear and circular patterns, offset
Work like a modeler
- Orbit, pan, and zoom with mouse, trackpad, or touch
- Section views and shaded / edged / wireframe display
- Variables and equations that drive dimensions
- Feature history with undo and redo
Import & export
Bring geometry in, send geometry out. Drag and drop onto the viewport, or use the File menu. Your work stays movable across the tools you already use.
Bring in
- STEP (.step / .stp) — industry B-rep exchange
- STL — mesh import for reference or further work
- SVG — drop 2D artwork onto a face as sketch geometry
- Native documents — open and save parametric models with full history
Send out
- STEP — hand off precise solids to CAM, simulation, or other CAD
- STL — mesh for 3D printing and visualization
- SVG drawings — lightweight 2D views of your model
- AI context — markdown export of the document so assistants can reason about your design
Roadmap
What is coming next, and what it unlocks for you — not a laundry list of internals.
Ready-to-run builds
DMG, Setup.exe, and a Linux tarball so you can open SolidExpress without compiling from source.
Available now in the download row above. Share a known-good desktop release with a shop or classroom.
Assemblies & mates
Multi-body products with mate connectors, joints, explode views, and interference checks.
Enables: mechanisms and product structures — not just single parts — with motion you can drag and clearances you can verify before you cut metal.
Production drawings
Associative drawing sheets with dimensions, GD&T, BOM balloons, and PDF / DXF export.
Enables: shop-floor prints and supplier packages that update when the model changes, without redrawing every revision by hand.
Richer interchange
Fuller STEP AP242 exchange (colors, names, assembly structure), plus 3MF / glTF meshes and DXF into sketches.
Enables: cleaner handoffs to CAM, visualization, and other CAD — and sketching from existing 2D data instead of retracing it.
Sheet metal, frames & surfacing
Flanges and flat patterns, structural frames with cut lists, cosmetic welds, and surface modeling tools.
Enables: enclosures, weldments, and freeform shapes that leave the desk ready for laser, brake, and fabrication — not only prismatic solids.
Model-based definition (MBD)
3D product manufacturing information on the model itself, exportable with semantic STEP PMI.
Enables: inspection and manufacturing to read tolerances from the solid — fewer ambiguous 2D callouts, one source of truth on the part.
Presentation & motion
Still renders, turntable / explode video, and kinematic motion studies.
Enables: reviews, marketing stills, and mechanism proof-outs you can share without opening the CAD session.
Automation & extensions
Scripted document control, batch CLI export, and a plugin surface for custom commands.
Enables: regenerate families of parts overnight, wire SolidExpress into your pipeline, and grow the tool without waiting on the core team.
Open by design
SolidExpress is not a black box with a logo on it. The modeling software, the interchange paths, and the document story are meant to stay under your control — whether you are a solo maker, a shop floor, or a team that refuses to rent its toolchain forever.
Fork it. Audit it. Teach with it. Ship products with it. It remains your software.