| English | 简体中文 | Español | Deutsch |
Design with understanding.
Easy-to-use parametric CAD that is free and open source, and always will be. Design mechanical parts, assemblies and drawings on your own machine, by hand or with your AI agent, and keep every sketch and feature editable.
Pre-alpha · Bevy rc.2 preview · Application version 0.2.2 · Preview notes, source and checks · Installation help
| Platform | Download |
|---|---|
| Windows 11 | x64 ZIP |
| Linux | Ubuntu 26.04 x64 DEB |
These rebuilt packages use clean source 9b082687, including System appearance,
the Windows window icon and finished-sketch history across memory eviction.
Windows ARM64, macOS and AppImage remain withheld pending qualification. The Bevy
browser UI is still under development. Published filenames retain the former
product name. See transition status.
Windows packages are unsigned. SmartScreen may warn on first launch; choose More info → Run anyway. Keep backups of important pre-alpha projects.
- Free and open source, for good. No paid tier, no feature gates. The code is LGPL 2.1 or later, so it stays open.
- Easy to use. Ease of use is one of the project's three priorities, next to reliability and performance. The first-part lesson takes a few minutes.
- Local and yours. No account, subscription or cloud service. A whole
project (parts, assemblies and drawings) lives in one
.limofile. - Real parametric history. Constrained sketches drive solid features; change a dimension and everything downstream rebuilds.
- Agent-ready. A built-in MCP server lets any MCP-compatible agent build and edit models, and what it makes is the same editable history you would make by hand.
- Open formats. STEP, STL and 3MF export; drawings to DXF and print-to-PDF.
Each design was built from a blank document through MCP, and its sketches, features and assembly relationships remain editable. Watch plays the build recording; Build loop is a short accelerated excerpt.
 Garden bench Change one picket dimension and the whole back updates. Frame, arms and joints stay editable. |
 Vise Turn the screw and the jaw follows. 100 mm jaws, 90 mm travel, six printed parts plus hardware. |
 Vertical-axis turbine Two Savonius stages on a bearing-supported shaft, driving a generator through a 4:1 drive. |
|
Watch
· Open recipe Source · .nbcad · Build loop · MP4 |
Watch
· Open recipe Source · .nbcad · Build loop · MP4 |
Watch
· Open recipe Source · .nbcad · Build loop · MP4 |
Recipe links load source into Scripts for review before running. To inspect
a completed design immediately, download its .limo and use File → Open.
These are development examples; physical fit and load qualification remain open.
Designs, drawings and validation · All recipes
After installing CAD, open Scripts, choose Sketch, extrude, ease the edges, and select Run in new design. The lesson builds a 60 × 30 × 12 mm block with rounded top edges.
When it finishes, double-click the extrusion in the feature history and change
its Distance from 12 to 18 mm. Save the result as first-part.limo,
then reopen it to continue editing. Step-by-step instructions
Constrained sketches and reference geometry drive editable solid features.
Reuse parts in assemblies, define joints and check their motion and interference.
Keep the parts, assemblies and drawings together in one .limo project.
Assign per-body materials and colors, then export 3MF for your slicer. Material labels and color metadata assist the handoff; choose the actual print profile in the slicer. STEP carries exact geometry and STL supplies mesh export. Drawing sheets export to DXF and print/PDF. Assemblies · Drawings and export coverage
Local stdio MCP is always available in the installed application. Bring your preferred MCP-compatible agent and model to build a part, edit an existing feature, inspect an assembly or replay a demonstration. CAD keeps the same editable project whether you use the tools yourself or ask an agent to use them.
Connect your agent, then try:
Use Limo CAD to run the fillet-basics lesson in a new design in the open CAD window. Preserve my existing documents. After the final checks pass, change the stock extrusion from 12 to 18 mm, inspect the result and keep it open.
An agent is optional. Scripts can build a bundled example, explain its chapters and show the construction with captions, camera moves and playback controls. You can inspect and edit the recipe before running it. MCP interface · Recipes and playback · Engineering knowledge
Contributions are welcome. Our priorities are reliability, performance and ease of use, in that order. Bring a part, a reproducible bug or a focused improvement. Contributing · Developer setup · Documentation
Security policy · Release SBOMs · CISA/NIST practices
Questions, ideas, or something you made? Start a thread in Discussions. If Limo CAD is useful to you, a star helps other people find it.
We are working toward guided design lessons and conversational wizards, and developing an early 3-axis CAM foundation with toolpath generation, stock simulation and machine-aware posts. It is not production-safe CAM; review the CAM guides and safety limits. Strength analysis remains a future capability. Project direction
- Open CASCADE Technology — geometry and CAD interchange.
- Bevy and wgpu — native desktop interface and rendering.
- Rust — modeling, assemblies and recipe execution.
Thanks also to FreeCAD and the wider open-source CAD community.
GNU LGPL 2.1 or later. Free to use, inspect and improve.
Third-party notices and 3D mouse support
Dependency licenses and attribution live in Third-party notices. Icon sources are recorded in Icon provenance. Peer CAD projects have their own licenses; see contribution guidance.
The Bevy desktop supports 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse devices through native HID input. Limo CAD is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or certified by 3Dconnexion. 3Dconnexion and SpaceMouse are trademarks or registered trademarks of 3Dconnexion. 3D input device development tools and related technology are provided under license from 3Dconnexion. © 3Dconnexion 1992–2020. All rights reserved.