Text to CAD

Describe a part or assembly in words and get a 3D solid you can turn, change by typing, and download as a STEP file with a dimensioned drawing.

Purpose

Get a 3D model of a part from a typed description, when there is no drawing yet.

Who this is for

  • Engineers and fabricators who need a first model of a bracket, plate, flange, enclosure, frame, or simple assembly.
  • Anyone who wants a STEP file without opening a CAD program.

Prerequisites

  • A free Aginera account.
  • A description that says what the part is and gives its main sizes, in millimetres or inches.

Steps

  1. Open Free Tools → Text to CAD.

  2. Type the description in Describe your part or assembly, or pick one of the samples to see what a good description looks like.

    The Text to CAD page — a description on the left, the model built from it on the right

  3. Select Create my 3D model — free. If you are not signed in, sign in or create a free account; your description is carried through.

  4. Wait for the build. A single part takes about 20 seconds; an assembly of several parts can take about a minute.

  5. The model opens in the viewer. The line under its name lists what Aginera chose for anything you did not specify.

    A hydraulic cylinder built from a description: five parts, with its design parameters

  6. Change the model by typing in Change this model, or edit a value under Design parameters. See Change a model and compare.

    The same cylinder after "Make the stroke 400 mm and the rod 36 mm in diameter"

  7. Select STEP + drawing PDF to buy the model's files, or Download STEP once the model is yours.

Writing a good description

  • Say what the part is first: "a pipe flange", "an L-shaped shelf bracket", "an enclosure with a lid".
  • Give the sizes you care about. Anything you leave out is chosen for you and listed so you can change it.
  • Name the separate parts of an assembly: "barrel, front and rear end caps, piston and rod as separate parts".
  • Use millimetres or inches. Inches are converted.

What it is not for

Free-form shapes such as figurines and organic surfaces, and buildings or floor plans. For a floor plan, use the 3D tools under Interior Design & 3D.

Expected result

  • A 3D solid in the viewer. An assembly keeps each part as its own named body.
  • A Design parameters list with every size and count that drives the model.
  • Your model is saved to your account. Select New model to return to the start, where Your models lists them.

Troubleshooting

  • A message says the text does not describe an object: the description read as a question or as something that cannot be built from solids. Describe a physical part and its sizes.
  • "We could not build that model": describe it with its main sizes, or in simpler terms, and try again.
  • "You have used today's free 3D builds": free accounts have a daily number of AI builds and changes. Editing a design parameter value is always free, and buying a model lifts the limit for that model.

Related