QCAD — Features

Features

QCAD is packed with tools for professional 2D CAD. Browse the full feature set below. A check mark shows which editions include each feature: all QCAD versions, QCAD Professional, or QCAD/CAM.

File Formats

Feature	QCAD CE	QCAD Pro	QCAD/CAM
Supported File Formats
DWG and DXF: read and write support for format versions:		✓	✓
R2.5 (read only)		✓	✓
R2.6 (read only)		✓	✓
R9 (DWG read only)		✓	✓
R10 (DWG read only)		✓	✓
R11		✓	✓
R12 (LT2)		✓	✓
R13		✓	✓
R14 (LT98/LT97)		✓	✓
R15 (2000/LT2000, 2000i, 2002)		✓	✓
R18 (2004/LT2004, 2005/LT2005, 2006)		✓	✓
R21 (2007/LT2007, 2008/LT2008)		✓	✓
R24 (2010, 2011, 2012)		✓	✓
R27 (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)		✓	✓
R32 (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026)		✓	✓
DGN V8 (Microstation)		✓	✓
read only		✓	✓
DWF (read and write)		✓	✓
DWF binary		✓	✓
DWF ASCII		✓	✓
DWF XPS V60		✓	✓
DXF version R15 (2000) [QCAD Community Edition]	✓	✓	✓
Shift-JIS encoded DXF files from JW_Cad		✓	✓
read		✓	✓
SHP (ESRI Shapefile)		✓	✓
read		✓	✓
CXF font format	✓	✓	✓
reading for use as font	✓	✓	✓
opening and editing		✓	✓
saving		✓	✓
Bitmaps	✓	✓	✓
Formats: BMP, JFIF, JPEG, PBM, PGM, PNG, PPM, TIFF, WBMP, WEBP, XBM, XPM, (HEIC, HEIF on macOS)	✓	✓	✓
Bitmap import	✓	✓	✓
import bitmaps into drawing	✓	✓	✓
Bitmap export	✓	✓	✓
export only bounding box of selection	✓	✓	✓
specify resolution or size	✓	✓	✓
background color black, white or transparent	✓	✓	✓
specify margins	✓	✓	✓
prevent white on white / black on black export	✓	✓	✓
monochrome, grayscale or color	✓	✓	✓
antialiasing	✓	✓	✓
SVG	✓	✓	✓
SVG import	✓	✓	✓
import basic geometry	✓	✓	✓
import embedded images		✓	✓
import linked images		✓	✓
import text		✓	✓
import colors of entity		✓	✓
import solid fills		✓	✓
import path lineweights (optional)		✓	✓
SVG export		✓	✓
export dashed lines broken up into path (identical look)		✓	✓
export dashed lines as lines with dash pattern (rendered by SVG viewer)		✓	✓
embed or link bitmaps		✓	✓
PDF	✓	✓	✓
PDF import		✓	✓
vector data		✓	✓
images		✓	✓
text		✓	✓
(not available on 32bit Linux, legacy Windows (XP) and macOS < 10.10)		✓	✓
PDF export	✓	✓	✓
export drawing as PDF	✓	✓	✓
export drawing on multiple pages		✓	✓
export as PDF/A-1B	✓	✓	✓

Documents

Feature	QCAD CE	QCAD Pro	QCAD/CAM
Core Document Features
Multi-document interface with tabs	✓	✓	✓
Layer support	✓	✓	✓
Block support (grouping)	✓	✓	✓
Default template for new drawings		✓	✓
24-bit colors		✓	✓
Line Styles & Text Fonts
24 different line widths (mm)	✓	✓	✓
47 built-in linetypes	✓	✓	✓
9 complex linetypes with text / shapes		✓	✓
Linetypes extendable through .lin / .cxf files	✓	✓	✓
35 CAD-optimized line fonts	✓	✓	✓
Fonts extendable through .cxf files	✓	✓	✓
ISO 3098 font (osifont)	✓	✓	✓
All installed scalable system fonts (e.g. TTF)	✓	✓	✓
Undo & Clipboard
Unlimited undo / redo	✓	✓	✓
Clipboard functions (copy, cut, paste, duplicate)	✓	✓	✓
Rotate, scale, flip while pasting		✓	✓
Paste multiple instances along entity		✓	✓
Font substitution		✓	✓
Units & Measurements
Metric: nanometer, millimeter, centimeter, decimeter, meter	✓	✓	✓
Imperial: inch, foot, mile, microinch, mil, yard	✓	✓	✓
Other: angstrom, micron, astronomical unit, lightyear, parsec	✓	✓	✓
Keyboard Navigation
Two-letter shortcuts to start tools	✓	✓	✓
Tab to move focus to first input field		✓	✓
Typing a number types into first input field		✓	✓
Shortcuts for tool options in options toolbar		✓	✓
Ctrl+Enter / ⌘+Enter to confirm (left-click)		✓	✓
Printing
Printing the model space to scale (e.g. 1:2, 1:100)	✓	✓	✓
Print preview with paper selection	✓	✓	✓
Individual printer settings per block	✓	✓	✓
Print layouts with viewports		✓	✓
Print on multiple pages (poster)		✓	✓
Print crop marks		✓	✓
Print page tags		✓	✓
Printer calibration		✓	✓
Print window		✓	✓

Drawing

Feature	QCAD CE	QCAD Pro	QCAD/CAM
Points
Single points	✓	✓	✓
N points on a line		✓	✓
Array of N×M points		✓	✓
Lines
Lines with two points	✓	✓	✓
Given absolute angle	✓	✓	✓
Horizontal / vertical	✓	✓	✓
Parallels	✓	✓	✓
Bisectors	✓	✓	✓
Tangents	✓	✓	✓
Orthogonal	✓	✓	✓
Orthogonal to line and tangential to arc, circle, ellipse	✓	✓	✓
Given relative angle	✓	✓	✓
Freehand lines	✓	✓	✓
Infinite lines (construction lines, XLines)	✓	✓	✓
Rays	✓	✓	✓
Arcs
Center, radius, angles	✓	✓	✓
Three points	✓	✓	✓
Two points and radius	✓	✓	✓
Two points and angle	✓	✓	✓
Two points and length	✓	✓	✓
Two points and height	✓	✓	✓
Concentric	✓	✓	✓
Adjacent to existing entity	✓	✓	✓
Circles
Center, circle line point	✓	✓	✓
Center, radius	✓	✓	✓
Center, diameter	✓	✓	✓
Two points and radius	✓	✓	✓
Two opposed points	✓	✓	✓
Three points	✓	✓	✓
Concentric	✓	✓	✓
Tangential to one entity, through two points	✓	✓	✓
Tangential to two entities, through one point	✓	✓	✓
Tangential to two entities with given radius	✓	✓	✓
Tangential to three entities	✓	✓	✓
Ellipses
Center, radii	✓	✓	✓
Center, diameters	✓	✓	✓
Center, two points (minor and major axis)	✓	✓	✓
Center, two points, start angle, end angle	✓	✓	✓
Parallel curve to ellipse	✓	✓	✓
Inscribed in quadrilateral	✓	✓	✓
Splines (NURBS)
From control points (degrees 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)	✓	✓	✓
From fit points (degree 3)		✓	✓
Insert fit points		✓	✓
Remove fit points		✓	✓
Closed (periodic) or open	✓	✓	✓
Polylines
Line and arc segments	✓	✓	✓
Add / delete nodes		✓	✓
Trim segments		✓	✓
Delete all nodes between two given segments		✓	✓
Create polylines from existing or selected segments		✓	✓
Create polyline along selected entities		✓	✓
Create equidistant polylines (offset)		✓	✓
Miter join		✓	✓
Round join		✓	✓
Morph between two polylines		✓	✓
Apply easing curve for interpolation		✓	✓
Interpolate Z linearly		✓	✓
Individual start / end width per segment		✓	✓
Auto logically close / open polylines		✓	✓
Replace arc segments with line segments		✓	✓
Insert vertices at self-intersection points		✓	✓
Boolean operations		✓	✓
Intersection (AND)		✓	✓
Union (OR)		✓	✓
Difference (NOT)		✓	✓
Exclusive OR (XOR)		✓	✓
Auto detect holes in contours		✓	✓
Shapes
Rectangle from two points	✓	✓	✓
Rectangle from size	✓	✓	✓
Regular polygon from center and corner point	✓	✓	✓
Regular polygon from two corners	✓	✓	✓
Regular polygon from center and middle of side	✓	✓	✓
Regular polygon from two opposite middles of sides	✓	✓	✓
Star shape		✓	✓
Ring from inside and outside diameter		✓	✓

Construction

Feature	QCAD CE	QCAD Pro	QCAD/CAM
Texts
Fonts: ISO, ISO cursive, Courier, Romans	✓	✓	✓
All installed system fonts (TTF, OTF)	✓	✓	✓
Alignments: left, right, centered	✓	✓	✓
Vertical alignments: top, bottom, middle	✓	✓	✓
Unicode support (Japanese, Chinese, German umlauts)	✓	✓	✓
Bold, italic, underlined, subscript, superscript	✓	✓	✓
Backward text		✓	✓
Upside down text		✓	✓
Dimensions
Aligned	✓	✓	✓
Linear (rotated)	✓	✓	✓
Horizontal / vertical	✓	✓	✓
Radius	✓	✓	✓
Diameter	✓	✓	✓
Angles	✓	✓	✓
Arc length		✓	✓
Arrows (leaders)	✓	✓	✓
Arrows or architectural ticks	✓	✓	✓
Automatic or fixed label	✓	✓	✓
Individual linear scale factor	✓	✓	✓
Configurable dimension font		✓	✓
Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T)		✓	✓
Tolerances		✓	✓
Datum leaders		✓	✓
Dimension styles and per-entity overrides		✓	✓
Configurable DIM variables (DIMTXT, DIMGAP, DIMASZ, DIMEXE, DIMEXO, DIMTAD, DIMTIH, DIMTSZ, …)		✓	✓
Decimal separator, format, decimal places and trailing zeroes		✓	✓
Hatches & Fills
68 patterns (extensible via .pat files)	✓	✓	✓
Adjustable pattern scale and angle	✓	✓	✓
Solid fill (color fill)	✓	✓	✓
Create hatch from selected, trimmed boundary	✓	✓	✓
Create hatch from segments (untrimmed boundary)		✓	✓
Raster Images
Insertion of bitmaps	✓	✓	✓
Adjustable scale and rotation angle	✓	✓	✓
Adjustable transparency	✓	✓	✓
Trace images (vectorization)		✓	✓
Preprocess bitmap to monochrome (alpha or brightness)		✓	✓
Block Inserts & Viewports
Insert array of blocks	✓	✓	✓
Add viewport		✓	✓
Manage viewport layers		✓	✓
Wipeouts
Rectangular wipeouts		✓	✓
Polygonal wipeouts		✓	✓
Wipeouts from polyline		✓	✓

Modification

Feature	QCAD CE	QCAD Pro	QCAD/CAM
Move, Copy & Transform
Move / copy	✓	✓	✓
Rotate	✓	✓	✓
Scale	✓	✓	✓
Interactive scaling in one direction		✓	✓
Mirror	✓	✓	✓
Move and rotate	✓	✓	✓
Rotate and counter-rotate	✓	✓	✓
Align reference points		✓	✓
Offset & Trim
Offset to lines, arcs, circles, ellipses	✓	✓	✓
Offset to single or multiple polylines		✓	✓
Miter join		✓	✓
Round join		✓	✓
Trim to entity	✓	✓	✓
Trim by amount	✓	✓	✓
Bevel	✓	✓	✓
Round	✓	✓	✓
Divide	✓	✓	✓
Break & Extend
Break out segment of lines, arcs, circles, ellipses	✓	✓	✓
Break out segment of polylines and splines		✓	✓
Break out segment manually	✓	✓	✓
Break out gap	✓	✓	✓
Auto trim (trim / extend to closest intersections)	✓	✓	✓
Transform & Edit
Stretch	✓	✓	✓
Explode	✓	✓	✓
Dimensions, block references, hatches	✓	✓	✓
Ellipses and splines into polylines		✓	✓
Formatted text into simple text		✓	✓
Text into polylines		✓	✓
Edit texts	✓	✓	✓
Scale text heights		✓	✓
Delete	✓	✓	✓
Move to background / foreground	✓	✓	✓
Align		✓	✓
Detect duplicate or zero-length entities		✓	✓
Split entities into equal parts		✓	✓
Search / replace in text entities		✓	✓
Clip selection to rectangular area		✓	✓
Modify properties of single or multiple entities	✓	✓	✓
Property painter (copy properties between entities)		✓	✓

Selection

Feature	QCAD CE	QCAD Pro	QCAD/CAM
Selection
Modes: replace, add, remove, intersect	✓	✓	✓
All / nothing	✓	✓	✓
Single elements	✓	✓	✓
Rectangular areas	✓	✓	✓
Polygonal areas		✓	✓
Connected elements (contours)	✓	✓	✓
Elements intersected by a selecting line	✓	✓	✓
Invert selection	✓	✓	✓
Select layer	✓	✓	✓
Select all visible entities		✓	✓
Select entities based on type and / or properties		✓	✓
Select desired entity from overlapping entities	✓	✓	✓

Snapping

Feature	QCAD CE	QCAD Pro	QCAD/CAM
Snap
Free	✓	✓	✓
Snap to grid	✓	✓	✓
Snap to endpoints	✓	✓	✓
Snap to points on entities	✓	✓	✓
Snap perpendicular	✓	✓	✓
Snap tangential	✓	✓	✓
Snap to center points	✓	✓	✓
Snap to middle points	✓	✓	✓
Snap to middle between two given points	✓	✓	✓
Snap to reference points	✓	✓	✓
Snap to points with given distance to end point	✓	✓	✓
Snap to intersections	✓	✓	✓
Snap to intersection of two selected entities	✓	✓	✓
Auto snap	✓	✓	✓
Location defined by entered coordinates	✓	✓	✓
Relative / absolute / cartesian / angular / surveyor	✓	✓	✓
Restrict snap horizontally, vertically, orthogonally	✓	✓	✓
Lock current snap		✓	✓

Organization

Feature	QCAD CE	QCAD Pro	QCAD/CAM
Block Tools
Block list as dockable widget	✓	✓	✓
Add, edit, copy, rename and remove blocks	✓	✓	✓
Create block from selection	✓	✓	✓
Insert block into drawing	✓	✓	✓
Nested blocks	✓	✓	✓
Hide individual blocks	✓	✓	✓
Copy block		✓	✓
Purge unused blocks		✓	✓
Block attributes		✓	✓
Add and edit block attribute definitions		✓	✓
Create and edit attributes when block inserted		✓	✓
Synchronize attributes of selected block references		✓	✓
Layer Tools
Layer list as dockable widget	✓	✓	✓
Add, edit and remove layers	✓	✓	✓
Show only active layer	✓	✓	✓
Hide individual layers	✓	✓	✓
Purge empty layers		✓	✓
Hierarchical layers		✓	✓
Select multiple layers to delete or edit		✓	✓
Move selection to current layer		✓	✓
Layer states: add, activate, rename, remove		✓	✓
View Tools
View list as dockable widget		✓	✓
Save current view with a name		✓	✓
Update view from current view		✓	✓
Delete saved view		✓	✓
Direction, startpoint and order overlays		✓	✓

Measuring

Feature	QCAD CE	QCAD Pro	QCAD/CAM
Measuring Tools
Position	✓	✓	✓
Relative position	✓	✓	✓
Polar position	✓	✓	✓
Relative polar position	✓	✓	✓
Distance between two points	✓	✓	✓
Distance between an element and a point	✓	✓	✓
Angle between two lines	✓	✓	✓
Total length of selected entities		✓	✓
Polygonal area / circumference	✓	✓	✓
Arc, circle, ellipse area	✓	✓	✓
Optionally add measured results to drawing	✓	✓	✓

Navigation

Feature	QCAD CE	QCAD Pro	QCAD/CAM
Zoom & Pan
Auto zoom	✓	✓	✓
Zoom in / out (mouse wheel, buttons, hotkeys)	✓	✓	✓
Panning (middle mouse button)	✓	✓	✓
Window zoom	✓	✓	✓
Zoom to selection	✓	✓	✓
Back to last view	✓	✓	✓

Library

Feature	QCAD Pro	QCAD/CAM
QCAD Library Browser
Over 5000 CAD parts available as free add-ons	✓	✓
Insert parts into the drawing	✓	✓
Adjust angle and scale	✓	✓
Flip	✓	✓
Extensible with user-defined drawings and symbols	✓	✓
Supported formats: DXF, DWG, PDF, bitmaps (PNG, JPEG), CXF, SHP	✓	✓

Automation

Feature	QCAD CE	QCAD Pro	QCAD/CAM
ECMAScript Interface
Creation and modification of entities	✓	✓	✓
Create new, interactive CAD tools	✓	✓	✓
Create command line or GUI tools	✓	✓	✓
Script shell	✓	✓	✓
Almost the entire Qt API available	✓	✓	✓
SQL database connectivity	✓	✓	✓
Networking	✓	✓	✓
WebKit	✓	✓	✓
Multimedia	✓	✓	✓
XML	✓	✓	✓
User interface (widgets)	✓	✓	✓
Command Line Tools
bbox: print minimum and maximum extents of a drawing		✓	✓
bmp2dwg: trace bitmap files with polylines		✓	✓
dwg2csv: extract information and object properties to CSV		✓	✓
dwg2dwg: batch convert between releases, set fonts and header variables, convert PDF		✓	✓
dwg2pdf: batch convert to PDF (paper size, layers, scale, fonts, grayscale/mono, PDF/A-1B)		✓	✓
dwg2svg: batch convert to SVG (block, margins, layers, scale, fonts)		✓	✓
dwg2bmp: batch convert to bitmaps (resolution, size, background, layers, color correction)		✓	✓
dwgmapconvert: batch convert between coordinate systems (input/output CRS)		✓	✓
dwg2maptiles: batch convert to map tiles (zoom levels, WMS/TMS, retina, transparency)		✓	✓
svg2dwg: batch convert SVG files to CAD drawings		✓	✓
dwgexplode: explode complex entities in drawings		✓	✓
dwgnest: automatic nesting of parts into sheets		✓	✓
merge: batch merge multiple CAD drawings	✓	✓	✓

Miscellaneous

Feature	QCAD CE	QCAD Pro	QCAD/CAM
Miscellaneous
Import points with labels from CSV		✓	✓
Store and reuse positions		✓	✓
Isometric projection (pseudo-3D)	✓	✓	✓
Planometric projection	✓	✓	✓
Dimetric projection	✓	✓	✓
Cabinet projection (and cabinet 30°)	✓	✓	✓
Cavalier projection	✓	✓	✓
User-defined projections		✓	✓
Isometric / orthographic projection onto cylinder		✓	✓
2D matrix transformation		✓	✓
Adjustable dimension unit format and accuracy	✓	✓	✓
Integrated user reference manual (English, German, partial Japanese)		✓	✓
Clipboard widget		✓	✓
Assign custom properties to entities		✓	✓
Context menu tools (last used tools, clipboard, node editing, select connected)		✓	✓

Localization

Feature	QCAD CE	QCAD Pro	QCAD/CAM
User Interface Translations
Tier 1 (up to date, proofread): Dutch, English, German	✓	✓	✓
Tier 2 (up to date): French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish	✓	✓	✓
Tier 3 (partial): Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Finnish, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Ukrainian	✓	✓	✓

QCAD/CAM

QCAD/CAM is a separate edition that adds computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) functionality on top of QCAD Professional.

Feature	QCAD CE	QCAD Pro	QCAD/CAM
Nesting
Automatic nesting of selected parts into chosen sheets			✓
Support for islands in parts and sheets			✓
Support for polylines, loose entities, splines, text			✓
Part-in-part placement			✓
Align part angle to X / Y axis			✓
Multithreading			✓
Treat texts as bounding boxes (faster)			✓
Sort solutions by discovery, quality, width, height, size or non-placeable parts			✓
Define quantity and quantity multiplier per part			✓
CAM Tools
GERBER import			✓
Tool list: add, edit, remove tools			✓
Toolpath list: edit parameters, remove, regenerate from selection			✓
Drill Toolpaths
Safe Z, start Z, cut Z			✓
Single pass			✓
Multiple passes			✓
Profile Toolpaths
Safe Z, start Z, cut Z			✓
Single or multiple passes			✓
Cutter radius compensation: on, outside, inside			✓
Climbing (left) or conventional (right) direction			✓
Lead in / out			✓
None			✓
Normal			✓
Extension			✓
Half, quarter or eighth circle (and from-center variants)			✓
Overcut			✓
Add tabs to hold cut-out pieces in place			✓
CAM Export
Tool radius compensation: as G41/G42 or computed coordinates			✓
Entity conversion: splines, ellipses, arcs and complex entities			✓
Postprocessor: G-Code (generic)			✓
Postprocessor: DXF (splines/ellipses/arcs options, flatten, version)			✓
Postprocessors: EMC2, LinuxCNC, Mach3, TNC145, TNC430, HP-GL (PLT)			✓

User Manual