BricsCAD v26 is here. The update introduces a range of interface improvements, new modelling tools, better automation and greater consistency across commands. This update aims to reduce friction in everyday drafting and modelling work, whether you create 2D drawings, manage survey data, develop BIM models, or produce mechanical designs.
Take a look at some of the highlights:
Below is a clear overview of the key improvements across each BricsCAD edition.
BricsCAD Lite
Lite users gain the largest set of updates. The emphasis is on improved visibility, cleaner input, faster block workflows and stronger 2D editing tools.
User Experience and Interface
- Look From Widget – Navigation tool to easily select the desired position on the cube and dynamically reposition a preset view.
- Notification message dialogue box – Consistent notifications, offering a simple, clear pop-up for in-product warnings and updates.
- Log in process for analytics authentication – Uniform login for simplified browser authentication and consistency across tools.
- Display scaling now supports fractional scaling for clearer text and panels on varied monitors.
- Customisations for Settings dialogue box – Intuitive, easy process to configure and personalise BricsCAD through the Settings dialogue box.
- Adjusted colour contrast in UI – Interface text and graphics in BricsCAD now offer better visibility.
- Streamlined workspace selection – A new launcher to easily find the workspace you need and get started quickly.
Data, Blocks and Productivity Tools
- Dynamic Block Creation – Create Dynamic Blocks within BricsCAD (available only for users outside the United States).
- Drawing Explorer block search – Quickly find and manage blocks in large drawings, making it easy to identify which blocks are being used and reused.
- Insert menu standardised for block types – Unified user interface for insertion of all block types in BricsCAD, simplifying the user experience.
- Blockify in the Create Block Definition dialogue box – Run Blockify within the Create Block Definition dialogue box. Create new block definitions and check for existing blocks available for reuse.
- Modifications to Attributes – Attribute positions, orientations, and property changes are automatically synchronised when related parameters are modified.
- Faster geometry selection with Quick Select – Added functionality to QSELECT command. Select multiple entities when defining the filter.
Point Clouds and Measurement
- Central point cloud management with thumbnails and search for faster file handling.
- Polyline tracing on point clouds makes linework quicker to produce.
- A new Outline filter sharpens point cloud render modes.
- MeasureGeom now reports 2D and 3D values in both the prompt and tooltip.
Command Line Enhancements
- Drawing units, Flatshot, Section to Block, and Geographic Location commands now run through the command line, including unattended scripts.
- Dynamic input on the x-axis brings consistency across keyboard-led drafting.
BricsCAD Pro
BricsCAD Pro includes everything in BricsCAD Lite, plus some extra updates to the 3D modelling and Survey toolsets.
3D Modelling and Geometry
- 3D solid manipulation control grips – Adjust the size and form of primitive solids and polysolids with 3D manipulation grips for fast freeform editing.
- Fillet and chamfer for all component edges – Fillet or chamfer can be applied to all edges of a selected 3D solid in a single click when the solid option is selected.
- Preview for rotation and scaling of solids – Added user feedback when scaling or rotating solid bodies, making the commands predictable in the graphics window.
- Geometric properties of 3D solids – Quickly edit geometric properties of 3D solids through the properties panel with dynamic feedback.
- Interference detection – Intuitive UI to apply filters, query data, and manage results. Inspect and delete interferences by isolating them in model space.
- Section plane accuracy and control – Increased precision when sectioning models with adjustable grips. Change the section type and depth from the properties panel.
- Slice section view – View a sliced section of a 3D model within a specified boundary with editable thickness and offset position.
- Section view plane visibility – Ability to toggle on and off the display section planes within 3D model view based on section type.
- Reverse vertices of selected geometry – Reverse the direction of lines, polylines, splines, and helixes, making it easier to read text where directionality matters.
- Patches to fix open model faces – Repair open surface boundaries with continuity control to create solids from mesh data (SURFPATCH).
Survey Toolset
- GIS import and export for GML files – Import and export geospatial data with support for industry standard Geographic Markup Language (GML), enabling consistent collaboration.
- Civil Points creation – Generate Civil Points on objects, grids, or by converting CAD points and blocks for accurate, efficient site modelling, easily and simply.
- TIN cut and fill volume reports – Easily generate and incorporate accurate volume reports for cut and fill analysis.
- Auto Mapping Sets for point style assignment and management – Automatically assign point styles and layers based on point codes for faster drafting.
- Civil Label Support for GIS data – Add and customise civil labels, now including automated GIS data attributes, for smarter, easier, faster annotation.
- User-defined ranges for elevation and slope analysis – Slope and elevation analysis with custom ranges, colours, and legends for clear surface visualisation.
- Civil Section creation – Easily create Civil Sections and Section Views along any Alignment or String for detailed design insights, in bulk and at scale.
BricsCAD BIM
BIM users gain better model alignment, stronger IFC support and new tools for working with point cloud-derived geometry.
- Everything in Lite and Pro plus…
- Location control during model federation – Match georeferenced locations across assets for absolute precision during model federation.
- Reference geometry using IFC – Import IFC models as reference geometry, separated from the model’s native geometry.
IFC4x3 support for classification and export – Classify entities according to the IFC4x3 classification structure (BIMCLASSIFY). Export models to IFC4x3, for better alignment with plant and infrastructure projects. - Project collaboration with shared data – Work efficiently across users and teams with better access to shared project data, like spatial locations and compositions.
- Industry-based project classification and alignment – Classify project data to be more closely aligned with industry standard classification schemas.
- BIM blocks for building components – Create detailed geometry and embed needed component information with BIM blocks, or easily convert existing blocks.
- Auto-line detection and ortho image generation – Generate orthographic images and auto-detect lines from point clouds using a section plane for precise results.
BricsCAD Mechanical
Mechanical users gain refinements that support sheet metal, dimensioning and analysis tasks.
- Everything in Lite and Pro plus…
- Optimised sheet metal recognition – Advanced classification of edge features in sheet metal, with adjustable extrusion depth for better recognition.
- Faster and reusable 2D FEA – Edit 2D FEA objects with fewer clicks. View reaction forces, reuse setups, and zoom-highlight for faster analysis.
- Streamlined dimensioning control – Smarter commands and advanced UI make power dimensioning faster and more accurate.
- Smart auto-chamfer dimensioning – Save time with automated chamfer dimensions. Select the chamfer and edges to instantly create two clear linear measurements.
- Comprehensive Weld Symbol dialogue box – Quickly apply advanced weld symbols with full property control from a unified panel.
- Effortless parts navigation – Quickly cycle through and locate parts in drawings, combining zoom and highlight into a single efficient command.
Summary
This release focuses on clarity, consistency and reduction of repetitive steps. Across every edition, BricsCAD now makes common actions faster to perform and easier to see. Users who work with complex geometry, large drawings, or detailed block-and-section workflows will see the greatest benefit day to day.