Inside the MKCAD workspace
Screenshot from internal testing — sketch and solid modeling tools, feature tree and part properties in one workspace.
Interface may still change before release to customers.
Browser for the interface, local app for computation
MKCAD isn't trying to fit an entire CAD engine inside the browser tab. The interface — sketches, the feature tree, 3D viewing — runs in the browser, the same way the rest of MKWork Manager does. Solid geometry operations and CNC toolpath generation are heavier calculations, so they run through a small local application, similar to how mk-agent already processes CNC machine data locally. This lets MKCAD use a mature geometry engine — the same OpenCASCADE kernel 3D Viewer already uses for STEP files — without asking the browser to do work it isn't built for.
Browser
Sketches, 3D viewing, the feature tree and forms — the same interface as the rest of MKWork, no separate install for this part.
Local application
Solid geometry operations and CNC toolpath generation. Also works offline — more on that below.
MKWork Manager (server)
Stores parts and revisions, and connects the model to quoting, production and work orders.
Six stages, built one at a time
Basic Sketch and Basic 3D Modeling have been implemented and are in internal testing — not released to customers yet. The other four stages are the direction we're heading, not a fixed-date commitment; scope and order can change as we go, especially for the two CAM stages, which are a much larger undertaking than the sketching and modeling stages.
Basic Sketch
2D sketching on a work plane: lines, arcs, circles, rectangles, dimensions and basic geometric constraints.
Implemented, in testingBasic 3D Modeling
Turn a sketch into a solid: extrude, revolve, holes, simple fillets and chamfers.
Implemented, in testingAdvanced Sketching
More complete constraints between sketch elements, dimensions driven by formulas, and 2D patterns (linear, circular).
PlannedAdvanced 3D Modeling
A longer-term goal: additional modeling operations (shell, 3D patterns) and, resources permitting, simple multi-part assemblies. We're not committing to a fixed feature set here yet.
ExploringBasic CAM
2.5-axis milling and drilling toolpaths, generated directly from the model, with G-code compatible with MKWork's NC editor.
PlannedAdvanced CAM
An area we're exploring, without committing to specific features or a timeline: more complex toolpaths and, possibly, machining simulation. A full CAM engine on the level of Fusion 360 or Mastercam is a very large undertaking — we're going step by step and will see how far it makes sense to go.
ExploringWhy integrated CAD/CAM
A standalone CAD package doesn't know about your parts, quotes or machines. This is the gap MKCAD is meant to close.
No file round-tripping
No exporting STEP from one app and importing it into another. For a part modeled directly in MKCAD, the sketch, the model and the part record are meant to be the same object.
Model feeds the part directly
Dimensions and revisions from a part modeled in MKCAD flow into the part record used by production, quality and purchasing.
Cost estimate as you design
3D Viewer already estimates CNC machining cost from geometry. Applying the same analysis to models built directly in MKCAD is a goal, not something available yet.
Toolpaths tied to work orders
Once the CAM stages exist, the plan is for their G-code to open directly in MKWork's NC editor and link to the machine and work order — the same way parts and quotes already connect today.
One login, one history
Same users, permissions and audit trail as the rest of MKWork — no separate CAD license or account to manage.
Still open to external CAD
For complex assemblies, keep using SolidWorks/Fusion 360 and bring the STEP file in via 3D Viewer — the two paths are meant to coexist, not force a switch.
MKCAD as part of a browser-based PLM
MKCAD isn't meant to be just a point replacement for sketching and simple modeling. The direction we're working toward is for MKWork Manager to become the place where a manufacturing company keeps all of its 3D models — a kind of PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) accessible directly from the browser, instead of a separate CAD document/revision system. In practice: access to every 3D model tied to a part, the ability to add new models or modify existing ones directly from MKWork, with the same revision history and permissions as the rest of the app.
The goal is to reduce the number of separate programs a manufacturing company has to run — CAD, document/revision management and ERP — into one platform. This is a long-term direction, built up as the roadmap stages above progress, not a feature available today.
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Frequently Asked Questions
MKCAD is the CAD/CAM module we're building into MKWork Manager, with a browser interface. The goal is to let you sketch, model parts in 3D and, later on, generate CNC toolpaths directly inside the same platform that manages your parts, quotes and work orders — without exporting files between a separate CAD system and your ERP. Long term, the aim is for MKCAD to become the place where you keep and manage all of your company's 3D models, directly from MKWork.
The interface — sketches, the feature tree, 3D viewing — runs in the browser. But more complex solid geometry operations and CNC toolpath generation need more computing power than a browser can efficiently provide. For that, part of the processing runs through a small application installed locally, similar to mk-agent, which today processes CNC machine data locally. The browser stays the single interface.
The local application keeps working offline for the processing side. Work done locally stays saved on your computer and syncs to your MKWork account once the connection comes back — you don't lose what you worked on.
MKCAD ships in stages, not all at once. Basic Sketch and Basic 3D Modeling are already implemented and in internal testing, but not yet available to customers. The next stages are on the roadmap above with no fixed dates — some have a fairly clear scope (Advanced Sketch, Basic CAM), others are areas we're only starting to explore (Advanced 3D Modeling, Advanced CAM), with no promises on features or timing. Sign up for early access to find out when each stage becomes available.
Not necessarily, and not from day one. The stages already built and those planned in the near term target fairly simple sketches and parts, directly against your parts and work orders. For complex assemblies or advanced design work, it still makes sense to keep using SolidWorks, Fusion 360 or similar and bring the result into MKWork through the existing STEP import in 3D Viewer.
Pricing hasn't been announced yet — it will be published before the first stage becomes available to customers. Sign up for early access to be among the first to find out.
Not yet. Basic Sketch and Basic 3D Modeling are implemented and in internal testing, but not available to customers for now. Sign up for early access to be notified when they become available. In the meantime, you can try 3D Viewer and NC Viewer, MKWork's free tools that already work, no account needed.
Sketch to part,
built directly into MKWork.
Basic Sketch and Basic 3D Modeling are already built and in internal testing. Sign up for early access to be among the first to try them and to follow the rest of the roadmap.