CollabCAD is a 3D CAD/CAM Software system for collaborative design & development of Industrial Designs.It provides a total solution from product design, numerical control, visualization, simulation, analysis to content management, workflow and office automation. CollabCAD is an initiative of National Informatics Centre (NIC, Department of Information Technology).

CollabCAD is developed on the Linux platform and is available on Windows and Linux (Red Hat and Mandrake). CollabCAD bundled with Knoppix is also available. CollabCAD is developed using open source software tools such as Java/Java 3D, Open Cascade geometry kernel and supports open standards of data exchange such as XML, STEP, IGES, and VRML to ensure interoperability.

• Design & Drafting
• Surface Modeling
• Solid Modeling
• Collaborative Design
• Database Link
• Data Exchange
• Basic NC Operations
• Customization
• Visualisation
• Content Management System
• WorkFlow
• ERP MRP Module
• FEA Module

CollabCAD facilitates the conventional CAD/CAM capabilities like design, drafting, surface and solid modeling, feature based modeling, basic NC features, data exchange, scripting etc. Surface models can be reverse engineered from point cloud digitized data, obtained from raw/scanned data. CollabCAD also provides reflection line analysis for visual inspection using Zebra Stripes mapping. The Zebra stripes mapping is a surface evaluation method for checking surface continuity.

CollabCAD also offers other niche features like Bar Code to link the designs to non CAD utilities like MRP, Meshing, Creation and linking of databases etc. CollabCAD also provides database connectivity and a component library framework. It enables the user to create or use a Component library. CollabCAD has also been integrated with an Advanced multi-purpose CFD Software for Engineering Design and with a Casting Simulation Software

Current version of CollabCAD supports basic NC operations like lathe roughing, lathe contouring, lathe center drilling, lathe thread cutting, point-to-point operations, surface milling, tools and animation.

Besides the conventional CAD/CAM features, it also provides a collaborative framework for CAD/CAM professionals to work across a network and concurrently access the same design for viewing and modification. It also offers an interactive design environment through audio and video conferencing, for on-line communication between participating designers.

Integrating CAD with PLM, CollabCAD provides an interface to a content repository and incorporates security, locking and versioning of the engineering drawings and documents. It further provides an interface to a workflow system and enables the user to specify, execute, monitor and coordinate the organizations flow of work. CollabCAD also provides an interface to an open source enterprise automation software.

CollabCAD provides a Finite Element Analysis Module (currently only for linux based distributions). It provides pre and post processor for Meshing, Modifying and Analysing Geometrical Structures. The user can - Modify, import/export, repair/clean CAD models, - Mesh CAD elements, check quality, import/export mesh(MED,UNV,ASCII) - Handle physical properties and quantities attached to geometrical items. The Finite Element Solver offers a full range of multiphysics analysis and the modelling methods go well beyond thermo-mechanical calculations, applicable for linear as well as non-linear structures. It provides a wide range of functions to set physical properties of prepared models and simplifies calculations. It support Data Exchange Format(MED),Command file Editor and analyzer (EFICAS). It has a well built user Interactive Interface and serves as a solver/analyzer between pre and post processing.