Now that it has conquered the task of quick and easy tablet modeling, Shapr3D is taking the next step, a 2D Drawings feature necessary for the actual production of designs. With the ability to export models as STL files, this makes Shapr3D one of the most advanced tablet tools for 3D printing. This can all be performed on existing SOLIDWORKS files, as well. The app works by allowing users to draw a shape with the Apple Pencil and then extrude it to create a 3D model, offering a full modeling toolchain. Having achieved an Apple Design award, the company has also signed up 24,000 paying customers in just a few years. The software is notably fast when it comes to modeling on the iPad, but the speed with which Shapr3D is developing the software is also surprising. This is no small feat, as advanced CAD requires advanced computing power, making mobile modeling a typically slow and painful task. Founded by CEO István Csanády in Budapest in 2015, Shapr3D has created a remarkably advanced, yet easy-to-use CAD modeler for iPads that relies on the Apple Pencil to draw out geometries using the same Siemens Parasolid engine as SOLIDWORKS and Siemens NX. Whereas, up until now, the app made it possible to quickly and intuitively draw complex geometries, the company behind it has now introduced new features that set those models up for actual manufacturing.

One of the most prominent examples is that of Shapr3D, a tablet-based software for 3D modeling. Just as low-cost desktop 3D printers are beginning to democratize manufacturing, new CAD tools are emerging to make 3D design less of an esoteric skill. However, the existing computer design paradigm is on the precipice of a major change. To work with SOLIDWORKS, the most prolific of the CAD programs, usually requires at least a college degree in mechanical engineering. One of the biggest obstacles to widespread adoption of 3D printing, particularly for consumers, is the steep learning curve associated with CAD software. Shapr3D: the First Production-Ready 3D Modeling App

Shapr 3d cad modeling