PROJECT BLUEPRINT / NO ADD-ON RELEASE YET
Installing B-CAD
Installation is not available yet. B-CAD currently publishes a blueprint and contributor hub. This repository does not contain a working Blender add-on, an extension package, a native CAD-core executable, or a supported release. There is nothing to enable in Blender today.
GitHub's Code → Download ZIP downloads the repository source. It is not a B-CAD extension installer. Cloning this repository will not add CAD tools to Blender.
What you can do now
- Read the architecture and roadmap.
- Help with a concrete task through the contributor guide.
- Run the documentation checks and preview the contributor website using the development guide.
- Watch the repository for releases and follow implementation issues.
Compatibility status
| Component | Current status |
|---|---|
| Blender | No version tested or supported by B-CAD yet. The blueprint proposes Blender 5.2 LTS as the initial target. |
| Windows / macOS / Linux | Intended platforms; no B-CAD runtime builds or compatibility results exist yet. |
| Native CAD core / OCCT | Proposed architecture; no distributed service or dependency installer exists. |
| Sketch solver | Evaluation planned; no solver is bundled. |
Existing .blend, STEP, or mesh files |
No B-CAD import, migration, export, or file compatibility support exists yet. |
A planning target is not a compatibility promise. The first release must publish its exact Blender versions, operating systems, CPU architectures, native dependencies, and known limitations.
Planned installation flow for a future release
The following is a conditional guide, ready to be replaced by tested instructions when a release exists. Package names, binary distribution, and platform support remain undecided.
- Open the repository's Releases page. Continue only when a release explicitly includes an installable B-CAD extension and states your supported Blender version and platform.
- Read the release notes, known limitations, and dependency instructions. Download the release extension asset, rather than GitHub's automatically generated source archive. Verify published checksums if the release provides them.
- Open the supported Blender version. In Preferences → Get Extensions, open the menu at the top right and select Install from Disk. Choose the extension
.zipsupplied by that release. Blender documents this general flow in its official extension installation guide. - Follow the release-specific instructions to enable the add-on and, if required, install or locate its matching native CAD core. Do not assume the extension ZIP will include every native dependency.
- Run the release's documented smoke test on a new, disposable file. The release must explain the expected UI, core connection status, model operation, and save/reopen result.
The exact UI may differ by Blender version; release-specific, tested steps will take precedence. A future listing on the Blender Extensions Platform would be another possible distribution route, but no B-CAD listing or approval is claimed.
Before a first release can be called installable
Contributors must provide a valid extension manifest, reproducible packages, compatible core binaries or explicit dependency setup, license notices, platform checks, uninstall instructions, and a documented smoke test. The roadmap tracks this work. Until those gates are met, development artifacts should be labeled experimental and must not be presented as supported installers.
Getting help
Today, report documentation or website problems through GitHub Issues. When runtime builds become available, include the exact B-CAD release, Blender version, OS, architecture, steps to reproduce, and redacted logs. Never upload private customer models or credentials.