Browser-based 3D CAD environment for creating and editing geometry.
FreeCAD CAD is a browser-based 3D modeling environment integrated directly into SimPilot. It lets you create, view, and edit CAD geometry without installing any software locally. Files saved in FreeCAD are automatically synced to your simulation case directory — no manual export needed.
When to use FreeCAD
FreeCAD is useful when you need to:
Create geometry from scratch — design a wing, duct, or bracket directly in 3D before running a simulation
Modify existing geometry — import a STEP or STL file and make adjustments before meshing
Inspect uploaded CAD — visually verify that geometry is correct before proceeding to mesh generation
Iterate on design — adjust geometry between simulation runs without leaving SimPilot
FreeCAD vs. CadQuery scripting
Use FreeCAD when you need interactive, visual geometry editing. Use CadQuery scripting (via the geometry phase of the engineering pipeline) when geometry can be defined programmatically from dimensions and parameters.
How it works
Launch a session
Ask the agent to open FreeCAD, or it will suggest FreeCAD when geometry work is needed. The launchFreecad tool provisions a session on cloud infrastructure (typically 30–60 seconds to start).
Edit geometry
The CAD tab opens in your browser with the full FreeCAD environment. Create or import geometry using FreeCAD's standard tools — Part Design, sketches, boolean operations, and more.
Automatic sync
Files you save in FreeCAD are automatically synced to the simulation case directory at regular intervals. No manual export step is needed.
Continue to meshing
Once geometry is ready, ask the agent to generate a mesh. The exported geometry files are already available in the case directory for the meshing pipeline.
Supported file formats
Format
Extension
Notes
STEP
.step, .stp
Preferred for simulation workflows
IGES
.iges, .igs
Legacy CAD exchange format
STL
.stl
Triangulated surface mesh
FreeCAD native
.FCStd
Full parametric model with history
Session lifecycle
FreeCAD sessions run on managed cloud infrastructure (AWS ECS). Key details:
Startup time: 30–60 seconds for initial session launch
Session duration: Sessions remain active for up to 2 hours
Workspace isolation: Each chat gets its own FreeCAD workspace scoped to the simulation case directory
Persistence: Session state is tracked via Redis with automatic cleanup on expiry
Availability
FreeCAD requires remote compute configuration and is available on all plans with cloud execution access. The feature is not available in local-only development environments.