BRL-CAD is a powerful open-source solid modeling computer-aided design (CAD) system. It is a robust, efficient, and highly capable software package specifically designed for creating and manipulating geometric models of three-dimensional solids. BRL-CAD stands for the Ballistic Research Laboratory CAD and was initially developed by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory's Survivability/Lethality Analysis Directorate.
At its core, BRL-CAD provides an extensive set of tools and libraries for creating, editing, analyzing, and visualizing complex 3D objects and scenes. It supports a wide range of operations, such as geometric modeling, ray tracing, image rendering, solid geometry processing, and more. The software utilizes a constructive solid geometry (CSG) approach, where complex 3D objects are built by combining simpler shapes through Boolean operations like union, intersection, and difference.
BRL-CAD offers a command-line interface as well as a graphical user interface (GUI), making it accessible for both expert users and novices. It provides a comprehensive suite of tools for performing tasks like geometric editing, geometric analysis, geometric conversion, and geometric interaction. Additionally, BRL-CAD supports various input and output formats, allowing interoperability with other CAD systems.
Due to its open-source nature, BRL-CAD enjoys an active community of developers and users who contribute to its continuous improvement and expansion. It is supported on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and various Unix systems.
Overall, BRL-CAD is a versatile and powerful CAD system used in diverse applications, such as geometric analysis, computer graphics research, architecture, engineering, and even military applications.
