I really enjoy reading all these posts. For me its very important to learn all aspects of CAD modeling. I have always been curious about this? Why is Moi3d and Rhino referred as being only surface modeling programs? They have many solid tools that create water tight objects. In Moi3d if you click on any object it will tell you if its a solid, joined surface, or multi surfaces. Just don't completely understand the true definition of a solid modeler. I have made many items that slice up perfectly and print with amazing results. I know there are many users on this forum with years more experience than me. So I really enjoy any information that increases my knowledge. Have to say Been getting better and better using Rhino 7. I really dig it. But I use ViaCAD to check and examine my files. ViaCAD is a huge part of my modeling creations. Check this cage canopy, I made using Rhino 7 SubD. A few other images from ViaCAD, Moi3d, Rocket 3f.

I think that even with the bugs ViaCAD Pro is still a solid alternative at its price point (specially when you catch a sale).

Im not a professional CAD/CAM guy (I don't really make money out it), most of my designs are for my OpenBuilds CNC and 3D printing. If you want to do CAD in a MAC the options are limited and extremely expensive.

Learning ViaCAD was a breeze, you can actually figure out how most things works without reading a manual. While running V12 on Monterey/BigSur is so painful, y still use it, albeit no so much, I sendup going to my old Mac.

I have tried a lot of programs, pretty much anything that runs on a Mac, FreeCAD/Moi3D and web/cloud hybrids like Fusion360/OnShape. I also tried AutoCad and CorelDraw. PS I also have a PC is just not my cup of tee.

I really put a lot of time learning FreeCAD's, but the workbenches annoy me, doing precision drawing and editing is not as simple as in ViaCAD, but at the end of the day I gets the work done, but ViaCAD is more pleasant and I feel far more productive, I mean like I can make more complex designs in ViaCAD.

I paid for MoI V4. It is easy to learn but once again doing precision drawing and editing is extremely primitive. Unless you zoom in a lot snaps are off, so you get a lot of gaps and different sizes, So you have to always double check things. Editing solids to exact dimensions is not fun you end up having to add all of this construction lines and 2d primitives to use them as snap points/reference. I like that I can script/hack the soul out it using plain javascript and html.

All of these applications run under Rosetta (X86 emulation) which is not an issue, my M1 Pro Studio is a workhorse.



I notice that they rolled PowerPack with SharkCAD Pro V14, it will be cool if they did the same with ViaCAD Pro V14.

Im hopping that V14 gives them a new steady platform on MacOS...

I'd make sure the compare features section of the website is working before you buy.
They moved a lot of features about and this is where you find out what you are getting. This currently returns an error.

Judging by posts in other sections there is still bugs and it's being released! Wow wow wow.