Apple engineers have always focused on one person when they build software — the person who will use it. Working with them, you'll see why every Apple product and service feels intuitive and simple, and why every aspect of this group's work is built around a respect for the customer's needs.
- Simple Cad For Mac
- Mac Software For Engineering Software
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- Best Engineering Software
Why programmers think Mac OS X is the best OS to use. Dmitri Zagidulin, a distributed systems engineer, sums up the change: 'Go to a tech conference or developer event. We also support these products via Boot Camp, part of Mac OS X that lets you install and run Windows (and Windows-based applications) on a Mac. Inventor for Mac Professional-grade product design and engineering tools for 3D mechanical design, simulation, visualization, and documentation.
- Ex-Google tech lead Patrick Shyu reviews Mac versus PC for programmers and software developers. For the tech field, is there a clear choice on which laptop/c.
- This is the biggest reason software engineers prefer Mac. Linux is the most comfortable environment to program on. Cygwin is horrible. Emacs and Vim are Emacs and Vim. Mac retains a significant enough similarity to most Linux distributions that it makes using its file system more enjoyable, efficient, and effortless than windows'.
- Find and compare Engineering CAD Software for Mac. Free, interactive tool to quickly narrow your choices and contact multiple vendors.
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Apps and Frameworks
Our Apps and Frameworks people create every Apple application, including built-in apps such as Calendar and Maps, productivity apps such as Keynote and Pages, and media apps like Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro. And because we want every app to work smoothly, this team also creates frameworks, such as UIKit and Metal, with third-party developers in mind. Join the effort and you'll be responsible for people's experience morning, noon, and night. Areas of work include Application Development, API Design, User Interface Design, Networking, Application Protocols, Framework Development, and Performance Engineering.
Cloud and Infrastructure
Be prepared to jump right in when you join the team that designs, develops, and deploys high-performance systems that handle billions of queries every day. You'll be part of the invisible but indispensable thinking behind the next generation of iOS and macOS applications and services, such as Siri, iCloud, Maps, the iTunes Store, and Apple Music. The work is complex, the scale is enormous, and it's incredibly rewarding because it's such an essential part of people's Apple experience. Areas of work include Big Data, Server-Side Software Engineering, Database, and Data Engineering.
Core Operating Systems
The operating system is what makes an Apple product an Apple product. When you're on the team that forms the core of that personality, you help ensure it's inseparable from the device's identity as a whole. You can do that here because Apple has always had a fully integrated operating system, combining hardware, software, and applications. As part of this group, you'll develop technologies like iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS and work with other teams to build the world's most collaborative products. Areas of work include Kernel, Networking, File Systems, Sensors, and Transports.
DevOps and Site Reliability
When you help manage Apple's online services, such as the App Store, Apple Music, iTunes, Siri, Maps, and iCloud, you'll be supporting hundreds of millions of users. By designing and building a continuous integration and delivery system, you'll ensure the high availability, scalability, and security of a huge infrastructure every day. Areas of work include Site Reliability Engineering, Systems Engineering, Telemetry Engineering, Performance Engineering, Systems Administration, and Hadoop Administration.
Engineering Project Management
Every team at Apple is collaborative, but as part of this group, you're the hub of cross-functional partnering. Take ownership of projects by overseeing every aspect, from start to finish. You'll guide the work as it's refined by colleagues in engineering, marketing, and other teams. Together, you'll deliver system software, apps, and services such as iCloud, iWork, Siri, and iTunes. Areas of work include Technical Project Management, Evangelism, Metrics, Analytics, and Program Management.
Information Systems and Technology
How do over 130,000 employees stay connected to each other, to suppliers, and to over a billion customers around the world? They depend on Apple's nerve center — Information Systems and Technology (IS&T). They could depend on you, as you help design and manage the massive systems that run Apple services such as Apple Pay and the Apple website, as well as manufacturing, logistics, retail operations, and all our corporate facilities. IS&T also develops and manages our data centers all over the globe. Areas of work include Web Application Engineering, Back-End Engineering, Mobile Software Engineering, Data Science and Applied Machine Learning, Software Quality Engineering, Security Engineering, Network Engineering, Content Delivery, Data Center Operations, and Package Support for SAP and Oracle.
Machine Learning and AI
Machine learning and AI continue to grow in importance for virtually every Apple product and service, so your contributions in these fields can make an impact on many groups here. You'll help develop algorithms that learn from data to create the most insightful options for the best outcomes. And you'll do it with the help of privacy experts to ensure users' privacy is respected. Come shape what these predictive technologies will do as part of Maps, Siri, News, and many other applications, including those yet to come. Areas of work include Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision, Data Science, and Deep Learning.
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While on vacation in Australia, David saw an older couple making silly faces at an iPhone. It didn't take long for him to realize they were having a FaceTime conversation with their grandchildren. David sat back in his chair and smiled. As a CommApps quality assurance engineer based in Cupertino, David works on the Phone, FaceTime, and Messages apps. He spends his days identifying software issues through test planning and execution. He then coordinates efforts across departments to make sure these apps always work.
Seeing those grandparents in Australia proved it was all worth it. 'I remember thinking about all the innovation and hard work that went into making this one human moment happen. I've never felt pride like that before.'
At Apple, the challenge is more than building an app or feature — it's creating something people feel a real connection to.
Security and Privacy
Safeguard our customers' data, as well as our own, by developing secure foundations that prevent and detect threats to our products, services, and infrastructure. In this group, you'll engineer new security innovations for teams such as Apple Pay and iTunes while supporting another Apple reputation — ease of use. Areas of work include Differential Privacy Engineering, Privacy Standards Engineering, Senior Security Architecture, Security Services Engineering, and Global Security Project Management.
Software Quality, Automation, and Tools
Make simple look easy. In this group, you'll ensure our operating systems, apps, and services, including Maps, the iTunes Store, and iWork, run as smoothly as each was designed to. To get there, team members test and qualify all OS releases and applications across all Apple platforms, and develop the infrastructure, platform, and tools to do it. Areas of work include Quality Assurance Engineering, Integration Engineering, Software Developer in Test Engineering, Applications Engineering, Software Compatibility Engineering, Automation Engineering, and Tools Development.
Wireless Software
We've come to take wireless connectivity for granted, but this team's work pushing the potential of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS is something like magic. Join them and see what innovations you can advance with wireless as you create a customer experience that's seamless. Areas of work include Cellular Engineering, Systems Engineering, Carrier Engineering, Telephony Engineering, Location Engineering, Bluetooth Engineering, and Wi-Fi Engineering.
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Different together. At Apple, we're not all the same. And that's our greatest strength.
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If you're looking for CAD software for Mac, you're not without options. We've found some standout Mac and cloud-based CAD platforms for you.
You're likely to hit a wall if you're searching for computer-aided design (CAD) software designed for Mac. There are plenty of CAD software options for Windows—you'll see many of them in our list of the top AutoCAD alternatives—but only a handful offer support for Mac.
And, if you think you'll bypass the issue by using a cloud-based CAD tool, you'll quickly find that CAD vendors haven't embraced the cloud as much as other types of software vendors have, so the offerings are still largely on-premise. According to Gartner's Hype Cycle for IT Evolution (full content available to Gartner clients), cloud-native CAD applications still have five to 10 years before they reach mainstream adoption.
But fear not, Mac users. We've done some digging and have put together this list of the top-rated CAD software for Mac. Read more about our methodology at the bottom of this article.
5 Best CAD Software for Mac (presented alphabetically)
Jump to:
CorelCAD
FreeCAD
Fusion 360
LibreCAD
Onshape
1. CorelCAD
CorelCAD offers 2D drafting and 3D design capabilities, such as the drawing constraints feature for creating different geometric shapes faster and the push and pull feature for 3D direct modeling.
3D modeling in CorelCAD (Source)
Common user feedback trends
Based on analyses of user reviews on Capterra, here's an overview of the areas of CorelCAD they like best, as well as those they feel could use improvement.
What users like:
- The short learning curve: Users mention that the tool is easy to use and beginners don't have to spend a lot of time learning it.
- Compatibility with multiple file types: Users like the fact that the tool is compatible with DWG, PDF, ACIS, DXF, STL, CDR, and other file formats.
What users think could be improved:
- Software reliability issues: Some users mention that the software tends to crash at times.
- Better dimension functionality: Some users would like a better dimensioning feature for more accurate drawings of angles and proportions.
Who can use CorelCAD
CorelCAD can be used by construction businesses for collaborative editing on multiple devices. It offers native iOS applications, which makes it easy for field crews to add annotations in graphics and share files using their iPhones and iPads. Additionally, the tool allows team members to leave recorded messages and instructions for colleagues embedded in the graphics using a voice note tool.
2. FreeCAD
FreeCAD is an open source CAD tool that works on Mac as well as Windows and Linux. It reads many common file formats such as STEP, IGES, STL, SVG, DXF, OBJ, IFC, and DAE.
It offers different modules, including a drawing sheets module that converts 3D models into 2D views, a rendering module that can export 3D objects, and an architecture module for a BIM-like workflow.
3D model of a building in FreeCAD (Source)
Common user feedback trends
Based on analysis of user reviews on Capterra, here's an overview of the areas of FreeCAD they like best, as well as those they feel could use improvement.
What users like:
- Feature-richness for a free tool: Users mention that, although it's free, the tool comes with a full set of features.
- Reliability: Users mention that the tool does not demand a lot of CPU power and works well on devices with low RAM.
What users think could be improved:
- Steep learning curve: Users mention that the tool is not the most user-friendly solution and can be difficult for beginners to learn.
- Dependent on community for updates: Users mention that modules ignored by the community tend to become outdated quickly.
Who can use FreeCAD
FreeCAD appears to be best for hobbyists and home users. It's also good for users who don't have a high budget for software but still want to tinker with CAD modeling.
FreeCAD could also be a good choice for businesses on a budget looking for a free and open-source option.
3. Fusion 360
Fusion 360 is a CAD tool from Autodesk with design functionalities such as sketching and 3D modeling. It also supports project management with features such as task management, document management, and collaborative image editing.
Document management in Fusion 360 (Source)
Common user feedback trends
Based on analysis of user reviews on Capterra, here's an overview of the areas of Fusion 360 they like best, as well as those they feel could use improvement.
What users like:
- Comprehensive design features: User mention that the tool offers all the functionalities necessary for 2D and 3D designing.
- Availability of training resources: Users like the fact that the tool comes with ample documentation and tutorials.
What users think could be improved:
- System crashes: Users mention that the tool tends to crash, especially when designing and rendering large files.
- Steep learning curve: Users mention that it can take a lot of time to learn the advanced functionalities of the tool.
Who can use Fusion 360
Fusion 360 is part of the Autodesk ecosystem designed for the AEC industry. This makes the tool suitable for construction businesses that are already using, or intend to use, other Autodesk solutions. Using a software vendor that offers multiple solutions will especially benefit larger businesses that invariably need software that can scale with their growing requirements.
4. LibreCAD
LibreCAD is an open source CAD tool that supports Mac, Windows, and Linux operating systems. The tool comes with 2D drawing features such as a snap tool, dimensioning, and annotations. It also supports multiple file imports and exports.
2D drawing in LibreCAD (Source)
Common user feedback trends
Based on analysis of user reviews on Capterra, here's an overview of the areas of LibreCAD they like best, as well as those they feel could use improvement.
What users like:
- Ease of use: Users mention that the tool offers an intuitive and easy-to-use interface.
- Lots of tutorials: Users like the fact that there are ample video tutorials that help them get started with the tool.
What users think could be improved:
- Software speed: Users mention that the software tends to lag, especially when trying to print designs.
- Add support for 3D design: Users would like to see functionalities for creating 3D designs.
Who can use LibreCAD
LibreCAD is an exclusively 2D CAD tool for drawing and designing blueprints of buildings, layouts of parks, and the like. As a free tool, the solution can be used by small and midsize businesses across different industries, including manufacturing, engineering, architecture, and construction.
5. Onshape
Onshape is a cloud-only CAD solution that comes with features such as document management with version control, collaborative design creation/editing capabilities, and reporting dashboards to understand project status. Remote desktop download mac.
Importing documents in Onshape (Source)
Common user feedback trends
Based on analysis of user reviews on Capterra, here's an overview of the areas of Onshape they like best, as well as those they feel could use improvement.
What users like:
- Document version control: Users like the document management features of the tool, such as version history.
- Intuitive interface: Users mention that the tool comes with an intuitive interface for easy image editing.
What users think could be improved:
- Performance issues: Some users mention that the tool does not function well on non-Chrome browsers and has file loading issues.
- Lack of features: Users mention that the tool should improve certain features such as 2D drawing and 3D surfacing.
Simple Cad For Mac
Who can use Onshape
As a fully-cloud based tool, Onshape is ideal for businesses that need to manage design documents collaboratively with multiple stakeholders. The tool's collaboration functionalities include document sharing, document editing, comments, and file downloads in multiple CAD formats, such as Parasolid, ACIS, STEP, and IGES.
Next steps
Mac Software For Engineering Software
This report offers a mix of Mac CAD solutions—from free tools that can help you with basic 2D drawing to advanced solutions offering extensive 3D modeling functionalities.
If these tools don't meet your needs, expand your search and check out more options. To help you, we've created a CAD software comparison page where you can explore products using different filters, such as features offered and pricing options.
If you're looking to understand the CAD software market better, we also recommend that you read the articles listed below: |
Open Source Cad For Mac
Methodology
To be shortlisted, products had to fulfill the following criteria:
- Products had to be compatible with Mac and offer core CAD software capabilities, such as:
- 2D drawing or 3D modeling features
- Collaborative editing of drawings
- Products needed a minimum of 20 user reviews on Capterra (published in the last two years).
- Products had to have a high overall rating (an average of at least 4 out of 5 on Capterra).
Note: The content in this piece that provides opinions and points of view expressed by users. It does not represent the views of Capterra.
Best Engineering Software
Looking for Construction Management software? Check out Capterra's list of the best Construction Management software solutions.
