What is IntelliCAD? progeCAD, CADian and ActCAD compared
IntelliCAD is a CAD engine that works with the DWG format, developed by the non-profit IntelliCAD Technology Consortium (ITC). It is not sold directly to end users; products such as progeCAD, CADian and ActCAD license the engine and ship it with their own interface and tools. This page summarises the family neutrally from its public sources.
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What is IntelliCAD, and how does the ITC work?
IntelliCAD is a CAD platform for 2D technical drawing and 3D modelling that opens and saves DWG as its own format. According to Wikipedia its interface and basic commands resemble AutoCAD’s, and it uses Open Design Alliance (ODA) technology to read and write DWG. On the desktop it runs on Windows.
The IntelliCAD Technology Consortium (ITC)
- The ITC was founded in 1999 and describes itself as a non-profit consortium directed by its members.
- It consists of a development team, commercial members that market their own applications, and a board elected by the commercial members.
- The ITC sells no end-user products; it licenses the engine to its members. Members receive source code access, developer support and distribution rights, and pay an annual membership fee.
- Each member adds its own interface, industry tools, licence terms and support on top of the engine and sells it under its own brand. That is why you usually see “IntelliCAD” in a product’s technical foundation rather than in its name.
A short history
- The product goes back to IntelliCADD, developed in California in the early 1990s; it was acquired by Softdesk in 1994 and by Visio in 1997.
- “Visio IntelliCAD” came out in 1998. Visio then gave the ITC a royalty-free, perpetual licence to the source code, and the consortium has continued development since 1999.
- Major releases now come roughly yearly: 11 (2022), 12 (2023), 13 (2024), 14 (2025) and, according to Wikipedia, IntelliCAD 15 in 2026.
Programming interfaces
IntelliCAD supports LISP, COM, Visual Basic, SDS/ADS and IRX, a C++ interface similar to ARX. LISP routines and SDS applications often run with few changes; C++ add-ons, however, must be compiled for IntelliCAD. Before you buy, ask whether your industry add-on is available for the IntelliCAD-based product you choose.
Sources: IntelliCAD Technology Consortium, “About ITC”, IntelliCAD home page, Wikipedia, “IntelliCAD”; accessed 31 October 2026.
What are progeCAD, CADian and ActCAD?
The IntelliCAD-based products most searched for in Turkey are progeCAD, CADian and ActCAD. All three have a distributor in Turkey. The information below comes from the vendors’ own pages.
progeCAD
progeCAD Professional is 2D and 3D CAD software from progeSOFT; the current release is progeCAD 2027, which supports the DWG 2027 format. The vendor highlights working directly with DWG, an AutoCAD-like interface, Revit and IFC import, DWG Compare and dynamic blocks. AutoLISP, ARX, COM and .NET are supported for customisation. It is sold with a perpetual licence (no annual fee) and there is a 30-day free trial.
CADian
CADian is a product of Wizcore, based in Seoul, South Korea; the current release is CADian 2026. The family includes CADian Pro (in the vendor’s words, lifetime usage with a single purchase) and CADian 3D, add-on applications such as CADian ARCH for architectural drawing, and a CAD engine for other software vendors. The vendor states bidirectional compatibility with DWG files from AutoCAD R14 to the latest version, and LISP and API support. A free trial is available.
ActCAD
ActCAD is a product of Jytra Technology Solutions; the current release is ActCAD 2027. It comes in three editions: Standard (2D), Premium (2D and 3D) and Map Drafter for survey and GIS drawing. It is sold with a perpetual licence per seat, usable as a key, network (floating), cloud or USB dongle licence. It runs on Windows 10/11 and supports LISP, Visual LISP, SDS, DCL and .NET. There is a 15-day full-featured trial.
Other members of the family
The ITC site and Wikipedia also list commercial members such as CMS IntelliCAD, ArCADia, Carlson, MicroSurvey and 4M, most of which build industry-specific products (surveying, construction, building services). These products ship the same engine with their own industry tools.
Sources: progeCAD Professional, CADian, ActCAD; for the member list, intellicad.org and Wikipedia. Accessed 31 October 2026. No prices are given.
Same engine, different products: where is the difference?
Because progeCAD, CADian and ActCAD use the same engine, their core drawing behaviour, command structure and DWG support are close. The differences show up in these areas:
- Extra tools: each vendor adds its own tools on top of the engine (for example Revit/IFC import and DWG Compare in progeCAD, Map Drafter for survey drawing in ActCAD, an architectural add-on in CADian).
- Release schedule: vendors move the ITC’s new engine release into their products at different times; two products carrying the same year may be on different engine versions.
- Licence and maintenance: all three offer perpetual licences; the terms on which updates and support are provided vary by vendor and reseller.
- Local support: in Turkey, training, technical support and Turkish interface/documentation depend on the distributor.
| progeCAD Professional | CADian | ActCAD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vendor | progeSOFT | Wizcore (Seoul, South Korea) | Jytra Technology Solutions |
| Current release | progeCAD 2027 | CADian 2026 | ActCAD 2027 |
| Editions | Professional (2D and 3D) | CADian Pro, CADian 3D | Standard (2D), Premium (2D and 3D), Map Drafter |
| Licence | Perpetual, no annual fee | One-off purchase (lifetime) | Perpetual, per seat; key, network, cloud, USB |
| Programming | AutoLISP, ARX, COM, .NET | LISP and API | LISP, Visual LISP, SDS, DCL, .NET |
| Trial | 30 days | Available (length not stated) | 15 days |
Information in the table comes from the vendor pages above, accessed 31 October 2026.
What does progeCAD pricing depend on?
For progeCAD and other IntelliCAD-based products, pricing depends on the licence type (single-user or network), number of users, upgrades and the maintenance/support package, and regional sales terms. In Turkey, get a quote from the authorised distributor for the current amount. We recommend comparing on the three-year total cost including training, migration and upgrades, not on the licence fee alone.
How should you evaluate an IntelliCAD-based program?
1. Start with real drawings from your archive
Open and save the large DWGs your team uses every day, projects with external references (Xrefs), dynamic blocks, tables and text styles in the trial; reopen the saved file in your partner’s program and check the layout and dimensions.
2. Run your LISP routines and add-ons
Test your LISP and menu customisations. If you use an ARX-based add-on, ask its vendor whether a build for IRX or for the product you choose is available. In BricsCAD, BRX is code-compatible with ObjectARX; AutoCAD applications whose source code you hold run once built with BRX.
3. 2D only, or 3D and beyond?
IntelliCAD-based products are mainly for 2D drawing and basic 3D modelling. If you need sheet metal, assemblies, parametric mechanical design or BIM, evaluate the Pro, Mechanical and BIM levels of BricsCAD, which cover those needs on the same DWG platform.
4. Compare local support and total cost
Compare the Turkish distributor’s training, technical support and upgrade terms, your need for network licences and the three-year total cost in the same table as the other programs you are evaluating.
Questions to ask when choosing CAD software in Turkey
Whichever program you evaluate, the answers to these questions decide how easy the switch is and the total cost.
- Does it open and save DWG files natively, without conversion? Do your archived drawings and blocks look the same?
- Are the commands, shortcuts and menus close to what the team is used to? Do your LISP routines and templates run?
- Can you stay on the same platform as you move from 2D to 3D, mechanical design or BIM?
- Is the licence perpetual or a subscription? Is a network licence available? How are updates and support provided?
- Which operating systems does it run on: Windows, macOS, Linux (including Pardus)?
- Where are your drawings stored? With desktop CAD, files stay on your own computers and servers; if a cloud sharing service will be used, ask in which country the data is stored and whether KVKK, Turkey’s data protection law, would require a transfer abroad.
- Is there an authorised partner in Turkey providing installation, training and support in Turkish?
- What is the three-year total cost including licences, maintenance, training and adaptations?
Your AutoCAD applications run on BricsCAD
The LISP routines, menus and applications you have built up for AutoCAD or IntelliCAD tabanlı programlar over the years are no obstacle to moving to BricsCAD. The points below come from Bricsys’s (Octave) Build on BricsCAD and CAD alternative pages (accessed 3 November 2026).
LISP and DCL
Most existing AutoLISP programs run in BricsCAD without modification; DCL dialog boxes can also be used unchanged in most cases.
Menus, scripts and templates
BricsCAD is compatible with AutoCAD’s command, script, macro and menu structure; your menus, command scripts, templates, CTB/STB plot styles and layer states keep working in BricsCAD.
C++ applications (ObjectARX → BRX)
BRX is code-compatible with AutoCAD’s ObjectARX. C++ applications whose source code you hold are moved to BricsCAD by building them with BRX; if a software vendor holds the source, ask them for the BricsCAD version. Add-ins written with IRX are built for BRX the same way.
COM, VBA and .NET
BricsCAD’s COM interfaces are similar to AutoCAD’s COM model and let the same client code run on both platforms. Most VBA macros created in AutoCAD run with minimal modification. For .NET applications BricsCAD has a .NET API.
Plan the move with MechSoft
Before the move we list the routines and applications you use together and try each one with your own drawings in the 30-day BricsCAD trial, so it is clear from the start which run as they are and which need building with BRX.
Answering these questions with BricsCAD
MechSoft is an Octave BricsCAD Premium Partner. We can evaluate BricsCAD against these criteria together, on your own drawings.
Native DWG
BricsCAD uses DWG as its own file format, so you work with your archive, templates and partners’ files without conversion.
A familiar way of working
Compatible with AutoCAD’s command, script, macro and menu structure; most LISP routines run without modification and BRX is code-compatible with ObjectARX. The team keeps its habits and its applications.
One platform from 2D to BIM
The Lite (2D), Pro (2D and 3D), Mechanical, BIM and Ultimate editions share one platform; you move up an edition as needs grow.
Windows, macOS and Linux
BricsCAD runs on Windows, macOS and supported Linux distributions.
Your files stay with you
BricsCAD is desktop CAD software; your drawings are kept on your own computers and servers.
Support in Turkish, in Turkey
Installation, training, migration and support are provided in Turkish by the MechSoft team; you can start with a 30-day free trial.
Frequently asked questions about IntelliCAD
What is IntelliCAD?
IntelliCAD is a CAD engine that uses DWG as its own format, developed by the non-profit IntelliCAD Technology Consortium. It is not sold directly to end users; it is the foundation of products such as progeCAD, CADian and ActCAD.
Is IntelliCAD free?
No. The ITC does not sell or distribute products to end users; to use IntelliCAD you buy a commercial product built on it (for example progeCAD, CADian, ActCAD). These products have free trials.
Are progeCAD, CADian and ActCAD the same program?
No, but they use the same IntelliCAD engine. Their core drawing behaviour is similar; extra tools, release schedule, licence terms and local support differ by vendor.
What is progeCAD used for?
progeCAD is used to prepare 2D technical drawings such as plans, sections, details and manufacturing drawings, and basic 3D models, in DWG format. It can import Revit and IFC files.
Do IntelliCAD-based programs open AutoCAD files?
Yes. They use DWG as their own format and open and save drawings created in AutoCAD. Custom objects and add-on data may behave differently, so test with your own drawings before switching.
Which country is IntelliCAD from?
The IntelliCAD Technology Consortium is a non-profit based in Oregon, USA. Its member companies come from different countries; for example Wizcore, which develops CADian, is based in South Korea.
Does MechSoft sell IntelliCAD-based products?
No. MechSoft is an Octave BricsCAD Premium Partner and provides BricsCAD sales, training and support in Turkey. If you are evaluating an IntelliCAD-based product, we can help you compare BricsCAD against the same questions, on your own drawings.
Continue with CAD selection
Let’s assess your CAD needs together
Let’s talk through the drawings you produce, your DWG archive and how your team works, and show BricsCAD on your own files.