Workflows
SolidCraft provides tools for mechanical modeling, 3D printing preparation, sheet metal design, and automated CAD scripting.
Parametric Modeling Workflow
Section titled “Parametric Modeling Workflow”- Global Parameters: Open Change Parameters to define project-wide variables before sketching (such as
thickness = 2.5mm,clearance = 0.2mm). - Stable references: Always constrain new sketches to principal reference planes or stable datum features rather than generated fillet/chamfer edges to avoid downstream timeline breaks.
- Timeline Scrubbing: Drag the rollback bar along the timeline to insert new features or sketches at earlier stages in design history.
- Patterning: Use rectangular or circular patterns for repeated geometry like bolt patterns, vents, and cooling fins.
3D Printing & Fabrication
Section titled “3D Printing & Fabrication”- Exporting for slicing: Select a body and choose File › Export STL… or File › Export 3MF… (also Save As Mesh on the Insert tab’s Files panel and in the body’s right-click menu). To send bodies straight to a slicer, use File › Send to Slicer.
- Tolerance Checking: Use the Section Analysis tool to inspect internal clearances and wall thicknesses before printing.
Send to a slicer
Section titled “Send to a slicer”File › Send to Slicer saves the selected bodies as a 3MF in millimeters and opens it in a slicer. It asks which slicer, and remembers your last choice. Choose Custom… to add a program that isn’t in the list. Sending again replaces the file the slicer has open, so use the slicer’s reload command to pick up the new copy.
To tell the slicer which face goes on the bed, select a flat face and press Ctrl+B. This sets the body’s print face. Press Ctrl+B again to clear it. The design itself doesn’t move.
File formats
Section titled “File formats”Open and save designs from the File menu. SolidCraft saves its own designs as .sc. It also opens plain .json designs, and .solidcraft files from earlier releases.
| Format | In | Out |
|---|---|---|
| STEP (AP203, AP214, AP242) | Solids and assemblies | Solids, with names, colors and the component tree |
| IGES | Solids | Solids |
FreeCAD .FCStd, Rhino .3dm |
Solids | |
| STL, 3MF, OBJ | Mesh bodies | Yes |
glTF (.glb, .gltf) |
Mesh bodies | |
| DXF, SVG | Into a sketch | Sketches and flat patterns, as DXF |
| PNG, JPEG | As canvases and decals | |
| URDF | An assembly as a robot description |
Opening a STEP, IGES, FreeCAD or Rhino file starts a design with the file’s bodies. Insert adds a file to the open design. Every imported file arrives as a new component named after the file. Mesh bodies can be moved, measured and exported, but solid features such as fillets need solid (B-rep) bodies.
SolidCraft opens files up to 512 MB, and designs up to 256 MB. To raise the limits, change Largest file to open in Preferences › General, or start SolidCraft with --max-file-size, for example solidcraft --max-file-size 2GB big-assembly.step.
Each save keeps the version it replaced next to the file, as <file>.bak.
Keyboard shortcuts
Section titled “Keyboard shortcuts”On a Mac, use Cmd in place of Ctrl. To change a shortcut, choose File › Keyboard Shortcuts. Help › Keyboard Shortcuts lists the current ones.
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| L, R, C | Line, rectangle, circle |
| D | Sketch dimension |
| X, O, T, P | Construction, offset, trim, project |
| E, Q | Extrude, press pull |
| F, H | Fillet, hole |
| M, J | Move/copy, joint |
| I, A | Measure, appearance |
| S | Search for a command |
| V | Show or hide the selected items |
| F2 | Rename the selected item in the browser or timeline |
| F6 | Fit the view to the model |
| Ctrl+1 to Ctrl+7 | Front, back, left, right, top, bottom and isometric views |
| Ctrl+8 | Look straight at the selected face, plane or sketch |
| Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+Y | Undo, redo |
| Esc | Cancel the running command, or clear the selection |
Outside a sketch, a sketch tool’s key opens Create Sketch and starts the tool. Drag with the middle button to pan, and double-click it to go back to the home view. On a laptop trackpad, the Touchpad navigation preset lets you pan with Shift and orbit with Alt (Option on a Mac) without pressing a button.
Multi-Body and Assemblies
Section titled “Multi-Body and Assemblies”- Convert discrete bodies into components when modeling parts that move relative to each other.
- Add joints (Rigid, Revolute, Slider, Cylindrical, Ball) between component coordinate systems to simulate mechanical mechanisms.
More feature areas
Section titled “More feature areas”The SolidCraft guide has a page for most of these.
- Sheet metal. The SHEET METAL tab builds parts of constant thickness from a rule you set in Sheet Metal Rules. It has Flange, Hem, Fold, Unfold and Refold. Convert to Sheet Metal is in MODEL › MODIFY. See Sheet metal.
- Plastic parts. MODEL › CREATE has Boss, Lip / Groove, Snap Fit and Rest. Plastic Rules in MANAGE › RULES sets wall thickness, draft and clearance. See Plastic parts.
- Equation curves. In a sketch, SKETCH › CREATE › Equation Curve draws a curve from a rule you type, such as a wave, a parabola or a gear tooth. See Equation curves.
- Components and joints. New Component adds a component, and Create Components from Bodies turns bodies into components. See Components and joints.
- 3D mouse. SolidCraft detects a 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse or SpaceNavigator on Windows, macOS and Linux. Its settings are in Preferences › Navigation. The Flatpak build can’t reach the device.
Automation and AI Agents (MCP)
Section titled “Automation and AI Agents (MCP)”Every action in SolidCraft is a command, so scripts and AI assistants can run them too.
- From the command line:
solidcraft-cli run bracket.json --out bracket.stepbuilds a JSON design and exports it without the app. - From an AI assistant:
solidcraft-cli mcpstarts a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server with tools for creating CAD models and changing parameters.
There are two ways to connect:
- Headless:
solidcraft-cli mcpworks on its own design with no window. Add--in part.scto start from a design file. - To watch it work: with SolidCraft running,
solidcraft-cli mcpfinds the app and connects to it, so you see the changes as they happen. To name the app yourself, use--connect 127.0.0.1:<port>.
The app listens on 127.0.0.1 only, usually on port 27878, and each connection needs a token that SolidCraft makes new at every start. To turn this off, clear Let AI agents connect in Preferences › Assistant, then restart SolidCraft.
SolidCraft also has its own Agent chat panel. To use a model that runs on your computer, such as one served by Ollama or LM Studio, open Preferences › AI and choose Add agent…. The model has to support tool calling.