VariCAD is a professional CAD application that provides a wide range of features designed to help you create 3D or 2D drawings useful in the field of mechanical engineering.
The user interface may seem a bit overwhelming at a first glance, but this is only because the program comes packed with many dedicated parameters.
In order to create a new project, you need to select the mode (3D or 2D), choose the measurement unit (millimeters or inches), and pick the drawing format and scale.
VariCAD gives users the possibility to insert objects from files (DWB, STP), copy, paste, or delete the selected components, drag and drop them into the working environment, undo or redo the last action, and change the colors of 2D or 3D objects.
When it comes to drawing 2D designs, you can determine the rotation angle of the inserted objects, embed text lines by using special characters (e.g. diameter, degree, and plus/minus signs, Greek letters), and use the built-in calculator for solving mathematical operations.
Plus, objects can be combined into blocks, and you can draw lines, splines, arcs, points, arrows, circles, curves, and many other items. It is possible to work with multiple layers, change the color, line type and visibility of 2D objects, delete items, as well as edit them by changing the objects geometry (e.g. trim sections, remove segments, extend lines or arcs).
Other important functions worth mentioning let you use hatching options for filling a closed area, select between various preset mechanical parts (e.g. screws, nuts, washers, rings, threads), print all visible objects in 2D area or the current drawing format, convert 3D models to 2D drawings, as well as use a bill of materials for editing solids attributes.
The 3D designs can be build with the use of different dedicated parameters designed to help you create shaded and wireframe views, rotate or zoom, rebuild 3D objects in case of internal data errors, create and edit solids, combine two solids in one object, define an objects dimension or position within the corresponding solid, and apply geometric constrains.
The generated projections can be exported to DWB, STP, IGS, STL, DXF, or DWG. Plus, the application is able to convert the items to one of the aforementioned file formats, while offering support for batch processing.
All things considered, VariCAD proves to be a fully-featured application suitable for advanced users who need to create professional 3D or 2D mechanical engineering drawings.
