Sign up — install nothing
HelioCad runs entirely in your browser. There is nothing to download, no license dongle, and no operating-system lock-in — if you have a modern browser on macOS, Windows, Linux, or ChromeOS, you can design.
Create an account with an email address and you land straight in a workspace. Every new account starts with a free trial, so you can build, simulate, and export real parts before deciding on a plan.
- Works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari — Chromium browsers are recommended for the fastest viewport.
- No admin rights or IT ticket required — nothing is installed on the machine.
- Your work syncs to the cloud automatically, so you can pick up on any computer.
Tip: Using a laptop with a discrete GPU? Keep it plugged in — the viewport and path-traced renderer will run noticeably faster on the high-performance graphics profile.
Workspace tour
The workspace is organized around a central 3D viewport with the AI chat panel on one side and your feature timeline on the other. The top toolbar switches between the core workspaces — Model, Assembly, Simulate, Manufacture, Drawing, and Laser — while the left rail holds sketch and modeling tools.
You never lose the AI. The chat panel is available in every workspace, so you can describe a change in plain language whether you are sketching, meshing an FEA study, or setting up a toolpath.
- Viewport — orbit with the right mouse button, pan with the middle button, and zoom with the scroll wheel.
- Timeline — every feature you create is a step you can reorder, edit, suppress, or roll back to.
- Chat panel — type or speak a request; HelioCad generates the CAD code, runs it, and updates the model.
Your first model
The fastest way to make something is to ask for it. Open the chat panel and describe the part — for example, a 60 mm cube with a 20 mm through-hole on the top face. HelioCad writes the parametric model, executes it, and renders a fully editable solid you can keep refining by chat or by hand.
Prefer to drive it yourself? Start a sketch on a plane, draw a profile with the constraint solver, and extrude it into a solid. Every operation you run — by chat or by tool — lands in the feature timeline as an editable step.
Tip: You do not have to choose between AI and manual modeling. A common workflow is to let the AI rough in the geometry, then fine-tune dimensions and add fillets by hand.
Saving and autosave
HelioCad autosaves continuously. There is no Save button to forget — your project is persisted to the cloud as you work, and you can close the tab and return later to exactly where you left off.
Projects are versioned, so experimenting is safe. Roll the timeline back to an earlier feature to inspect or branch from a previous state without losing your current work.
- Autosave runs in the background — no manual saving required.
- Open a project on any device; your account carries your work with you.
- Export a local copy anytime in STEP, STL, or another open format — your designs are always yours.
Ready to try it yourself?
Everything in this guide works in your browser — no install required. Start a free trial and build your first part.