FAQ

Short answer: none of them do a full automatic raster-to-vector conversion out of the box. That work belongs to specialized third-party apps.

This is a running thread. I’ll update it when AutoCAD, IntelliCAD or BricsCAD change what they can do natively with rasters and scans.

First, a quick definition so we’re talking about the same thing. Raster-to-vector conversion means taking a scanned picture of a drawing (pixels) and automatically turning the lines, arcs and text on that scan into real, editable CAD entities (polylines, arcs, text and so on). Attaching an image and tracing over it by hand is not conversion. Importing a vector PDF’s geometry is also not the same thing as converting a scan.

I get asked this a lot when someone has a scanned survey plat, an old topographic sheet or a blurry engineering drawing and wants that linework turned into CAD. So I lined up the three platforms people ask me about most: AutoCAD, IntelliCAD and BricsCAD.

As of October 9, 2026, this comparison is based on AutoCAD 2027, IntelliCAD 15.0 and BricsCAD V26. It covers only the native CAD platforms. It does not include third-party raster-to-vector apps or specialized toolsets. Those tools do exist and they are where the real conversion work happens.

Jump to:

• The comparison table
• What the rows actually mean
• So what do you do with a scanned drawing?
• What about third-party apps?

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The comparison table

Here’s the side-by-side. “Yes” means the feature is built into the core platform. “No” means it isn’t.

Feature	IntelliCAD 15	BricsCAD V26	AutoCAD 2027
Attach raster images (JPG, PNG, TIFF)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Scale, rotate and position raster images	Yes	Yes	Yes
Manually trace raster drawings	Yes	Yes	Yes
Attach scanned PDFs as underlays	Yes	Yes	Yes
Import vector PDF geometry as CAD entities	Implementation-dependent	Yes	Yes
Automatically convert scanned lines to CAD entities	No	No	No
Convert scanned contour lines to polylines	No	No	No
OCR recognition of scanned text	No	No	No

What the rows actually mean

All three platforms let you attach a JPG, PNG or TIFF, then scale, rotate and position it so you can draw over it. That’s the old-fashioned way and it still works just fine.

All three also let you attach a scanned PDF as an underlay. Same idea: the scan sits under your drawing and you trace what you need.

What none of them do natively is look at a scanned picture of lines and turn those pixels into editable polylines, arcs and text for you. No automatic line conversion. No contour-to-polyline magic. No OCR that reads the text off the scan. If you want that, you’re looking at a specialized raster-to-vector tool or a toolset that sits on top of the CAD program.

So what do you do with a scanned drawing?

For scanned survey plats, topographic maps and legacy engineering drawings, all three platforms land in the same place:

• Attach the image or PDF underlay.
• Scale and position it so it matches your coordinate system or known distances.
• Trace the linework you actually need… or run the scan through a dedicated raster-to-vector program first, then bring the resulting CAD entities in.

In other words, don’t pick AutoCAD, IntelliCAD or BricsCAD expecting a built-in “turn this scan into CAD” button. Pick them for the CAD work. Handle the conversion with a specialized tool when the volume of tracing would make you crazy.

What about third-party apps?

Yes, there are third-party apps (and a few specialized toolsets) that actually do raster-to-vector conversion. They are built for that job: reading scanned linework, cleaning it up and turning it into editable CAD geometry, sometimes with OCR for the text.

If conversion is a big part of your workflow, look at those tools separately. The comparison table above is about what the three CAD platforms themselves can and cannot do without that help.

This is a running list of the recent improvements to BricsCAD, newest release first. For each release you’ll find our quick take on why it matters, the hot features and links to the official BricsCAD release notes. The release notes links jump straight to the build you want. We update this page as BricsCAD releases new versions.

As of October 8, 2026, the current release is BricsCAD V26.2.08 (September 15, 2026).

Jump to:

• BricsCAD V26.2 (March 2026)
• BricsCAD V26.1 (October 2025)
• BricsCAD V25.2 (March 2025)
• BricsCAD V25.1 (October 2024)

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BricsCAD V26.2 (March 2026)

V26.2 is a big mid-cycle update with a focus on making everyday work easier. The new BricsCAD Assist panel puts help right inside the program and the new FILTER panel makes it much easier to select exactly what you need. Civil users also get DEM surface import and export plus more than 20 civil improvements.

Hot features:

• BricsCAD Assist – an AI-powered chat panel that brings documentation, how-to tips and guidance right into BricsCAD.
• FILTER – build a query on DWG, BIM or mechanical properties to select or deselect exactly the entities you want.
• Health Advisor – checks each open drawing’s health in the background and lets you know when it can be improved.
• PDFSHXTEXT – converts SHX text in PDFs into editable text, so there’s no need to retype it.
• DEM surface import and export – bring DEM, GeoTIFF and ASCII Grid surface data into and out of BricsCAD.

Release notes for each V26.2 build (Windows):

• BricsCAD V26.2.08 – September 15, 2026 (fixes)
• BricsCAD V26.2.07 – June 23, 2026 (adds BIMPURGE to clean up oversized BIM library files)
• BricsCAD V26.2.05 – May 26, 2026 (fixes)
• BricsCAD V26.2.04 – April 28, 2026 (IFC import now brings in geocoordinates)
• BricsCAD V26.2.03 – March 31, 2026 (the V26.2 feature release)

Mac and Linux: Mac release notes | Linux release notes

Overview: What’s New in BricsCAD V26

BricsCAD V26.1 (October 2025)

V26 arrived in October 2025 with a long list of improvements across core CAD, civil, BIM, mechanical and point clouds in its first build. Two things to plan for before you upgrade: add-ons built on .NET must be rebuilt for .NET 8 and BricsCAD Shape has been discontinued. If you rely on add-ons, check with the developer that a V26 version is available.

Hot features:

• Stretch 3D solids with grips – select a face or edge and drag its grip to reshape a solid right in model space.
• MEASUREGEOM – measure distances, radii, angles, areas and volumes with one command.
• Civil section lines and section views – create sections along an alignment or string from TIN surfaces, gradings, strings, solids and more.
• TIN Volume Report – export a volume report to a CSV file or insert it as a table in the drawing.
• POINTCLOUDTRACE – draw connected polylines over a point cloud with a single click per segment.

Release notes for each V26.1 build (Windows):

• BricsCAD V26.1.08 – January 20, 2026 (BCOUNT with an empty selection now counts every block in the drawing)
• BricsCAD V26.1.07 – December 9, 2025 (files opened together from Windows Explorer can now open in the same BricsCAD session)
• BricsCAD V26.1.06 – November 12, 2025 (fixes)
• BricsCAD V26.1.05 – October 21, 2025 (the V26 launch release)

Mac and Linux: Mac release notes | Linux release notes

BricsCAD V25.2 (March 2025)

V25.2 was all about speed and polish. Printing, publishing and live sections can be up to 10 times faster in some cases and several everyday commands got friendlier. BricsCAD BIM also became officially certified for IFC4 Reference View (Architecture).

Hot features:

• Faster printing and publishing – print and publish jobs can run up to 10 times faster in certain cases.
• Faster live sections – drawings that contain a live section perform up to 10 times faster.
• ATTACH and CLIP – one command to attach and one to clip xrefs, images and PDFs.
• 3D Offset – offset lines, polylines, 3D polylines and civil strings while handling elevation differences.
• KML and KMZ import and export – bring KML and KMZ map files into BricsCAD and send your data back out.

Release notes for each V25.2 build (Windows):

• BricsCAD V25.2.07 – June 9, 2025 (the final V25 build)
• BricsCAD V25.2.06 – May 12, 2025
• BricsCAD V25.2.05 – April 14, 2025
• BricsCAD V25.2.04 – March 28, 2025
• BricsCAD V25.2.03 – March 17, 2025 (the V25.2 feature release)

Mac and Linux: Mac release notes | Linux release notes

Overview: What’s New in BricsCAD V25

BricsCAD V25.1 (October 2024)

V25 launched in October 2024 with a new Open dialog, a Set-Up Wizard and the new Civil String object that later releases build on. This version also announced that BricsCAD Shape would be retired in V26.

Hot features:

• New Open dialog – faster drawing selection, quick access folders, in-folder search and path pasting.
• Set-Up Wizard – choose a Classic, Modern or Tool Bars interface on a clean install.
• Civil Strings – a new 3D object made of line and curve segments, organized in String Groups.
• Line and curve labels – label line and curve segments in your civil drawings.
• SOLIDIFY – converts watertight mesh data into 3D solids.

Release notes for each V25.1 build (Windows):

• BricsCAD V25.1.07 – December 16, 2024
• BricsCAD V25.1.06 – November 18, 2024
• BricsCAD V25.1.05 – October 23, 2024 (the V25 launch release)

Mac and Linux: Mac release notes | Linux release notes

Need the release notes in another language? See Where can I find the release notes? in the BricsCAD Help Center.

Ready to upgrade? Contact an authorized BricsCAD dealer about your options.

This post covers BricsCAD Pro V26. We’ll update it when BricsCAD V27 comes out.

As of October 8, 2026, the current release is BricsCAD V26.2.08 (September 15, 2026).

Short answer: yes! BricsCAD can pull in imagery from public map servers, show online maps behind your linework, attach your own georeferenced aerials and bring GIS data in and out with its attributes.

But if you’re looking for Bing maps, here’s the scoop… Bing Maps have been retired and can no longer be used in BricsCAD. The good news is that OpenStreetMap is free and needs no key, Esri maps work with an Esri API key (Free*) and BricsCAD Pro can connect to a Web Map Service (WMS).

* The Esri API is free up to a point. See Getting an Esri map key for the monthly tile limit and what happens after that.

Jump to:

• Can BricsCAD link to open source or government map services?
• First things first: set your geographic location
• Online maps with GEOMAP
• Getting an Esri map key
• Capturing a map image
• Importing and exporting GIS data
• Attaching your own georeferenced images
• What’s in Lite and what needs Pro?

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Does BricsCAD allow users to link to open source or government services such as feature services or map services?

Yes. BricsCAD supports connecting to Web Map Service (WMS) endpoints using the MAPCONNECT command (BricsCAD Pro and higher), which lets you add map imagery from public and government-hosted WMS servers into your drawing.

Before adding WMS data, you must set the drawing’s geographic location using GEOGRAPHICLOCATION (more on that below). Then:

• Create the connection – give it a name, the server URL and version, plus a login if the server needs one.
• Pick your layers – select one or more data layers, set the ground resolution and the maximum tile size and check the estimated download size before you click Add.

BricsCAD saves the downloaded map tiles as regular image files in the same folder as your drawing, so keep that in mind when you send the drawing to someone else.

For vector GIS features with attributes, the other half of that question, see Importing and exporting GIS data.

First things first: set your geographic location

Everything map-related starts with GEOGRAPHICLOCATION (you can also type GEO, NORTH or NORTHDIR). It opens the Geographic Location dialog box, where you pick a GIS coordinate system or add coordinates manually. Under Advanced / BIM Settings you can:

• Set the real-world location of the geographic marker in decimal latitude and longitude, in degrees, minutes and seconds or as a projected Easting and Northing, plus an elevation.
• Set the marker’s position in the drawing by typing X, Y and Z values or picking a point.
• Set the north direction, which is saved to the NORTHDIRECTION system variable.
• Remove the geographic location data if you need to start over.

The GIS Coordinate System button on the status bar opens the same dialog. And for the CAD managers writing scripts or LISP, there’s a command line version: -GEOGRAPHICLOCATION.

Online maps with GEOMAP

BricsCAD also supports displaying online maps inside a drawing using GEOMAP. Your choices are:

• open street Map – free to use and doesn’t require an API key.
• esri Imagery, esri Streets, esri Light, esri Dark and esri Hybrid – available only when an Esri API key is assigned. Hybrid combines the aerial imagery with labels.
• Off – hides the map.

What about drawings that were set up with Bing? By default, BricsCAD substitutes them automatically: Bing Aerial becomes esri Imagery, Bing Road becomes open street Map and Bing Hybrid becomes esri Hybrid. You’ll see a notification in the lower right corner when that happens.

So… what is OpenStreetMap? Think of it like Wikipedia, but for maps! OpenStreetMap is a free world map built and kept up to date by volunteers all over the world. They add the roads, buildings, trails, rivers and place names, and anyone can use it for free. That’s why BricsCAD can give it to you with no key. Just keep in mind that it’s a street-style map, not aerial photos. If you want imagery, you’ll need one of the Esri styles. (Techie tip: the GEOMAPOSMMODE system variable controls where the open street Map tiles come from. The default of 1 uses OpenStreetMap’s own maps and 0 switches to Esri’s version.)

The map’s copyright and watermark show in the lower right corner of the drawing area, and you’ll see a downloading message while the map tiles load.

Getting an Esri map key

Run GEOMAPKEY to open the Online Maps Support dialog box and paste your Esri key into the Esri Key field. You create the key yourself with a free account on Esri’s ArcGIS Location Platform, giving it the Basemaps privileges (both Basemap styles service and Static basemap tiles).

Here’s the kicker… according to the BricsCAD help as of October 8, 2026:

• Free tiles – the first 2 million map tiles per month are free.
• After that – it’s $0.15 per 1,000 tiles. If you go over the free limit, the maps stop working until you turn on pay-as-you-go in your Esri dashboard or buy a voucher.
• One key per person – BricsCAD recommends that each user create their own Esri account and key to stay under the limit.
• Keys expire – the default is 90 days and the maximum is one year. After that you’ll need to generate a new key.

Esri sets that pricing, so it can change. My advice? Put a reminder on your calendar for the day your key expires!

Capturing a map image

GEOMAPIMAGE captures a rectangle of the online map (or the whole current viewport) and embeds it in the drawing as an image. A frame shows where the capture is, and if you change the frame’s size or position, the image updates. Run GEOMAP again and choose Off if you want to see only your captured image. The copyright and watermark are added to the bottom right corner of the image.

Then fine-tune it with:

• GEOMAPIMAGETYPE – changes the map style of the captured image.
• GEOMAPIMAGERESOLUTION – sets the resolution to Coarse, Optimal, Fine or VeryFine.
• GEOMAPIMAGEUPDATE – optimizes or reloads the image.

Importing and exporting GIS data

For importing vector GIS data as CAD entities with attributes, BricsCAD Pro provides:

• GISIMPORT – imports vector GIS features with their original location, shape and attributes from SHP, GML, KML/KMZ and Esri Geodatabase files. Features come in as points, lines and polylines on the drawing layers you choose, only inside the import area you set and with coordinate system transformation.
• GISEXPORT – exports vector GIS features with their location, shape and attributes to SHP, GML or KML/KMZ files.
• GISCONVERT – converts Object Data and Mpolygons in a drawing you’ve received into BricsCAD GIS data. CONVERTGISTOOBJECTDATA goes the other way and turns BricsCAD GIS data into Object Data.
• MPOLYGON – creates multi-sided polygon entities, handy for GIS polygons with holes and islands.
• MOVEBLOCKSTOELEVATION – moves each block’s insertion point to the elevation in its block attribute or GIS data.
• GEOIMPORT – imports a DWG or DXF drawing and places it based on the geographic location of both the source and target drawings.

Civil labels can also display GIS attributes, and point clouds with geographic data can set your drawing’s location (see our point cloud FAQ below).

Attaching your own georeferenced images

Have an aerial from your county or a drone flight? Attach it with IMAGEATTACH (alias IAT). In the Attach Raster Image dialog box, turn on Use Geocoding Information and BricsCAD uses the image’s position file (world file) to set its size, location and rotation for you.

What’s in Lite and what needs Pro?

Good news for Lite users: the online map basics are included in every edition.

• Included in Lite and Pro: GEOGRAPHICLOCATION, GEOMAP, GEOMAPKEY, GEOMAPIMAGE, GEOMAPIMAGETYPE, GEOMAPIMAGERESOLUTION, GEOMAPIMAGEUPDATE and IMAGEATTACH.
• Requires Pro or higher: MAPCONNECT, GISIMPORT, GISEXPORT, GISCONVERT, MPOLYGON, MOVEBLOCKSTOELEVATION, GEOIMPORT and POINTCLOUDGEOGRAPHICLOCATION.

If you need the Pro tools, talk to an authorized BricsCAD dealer about moving up from Lite.

This post covers BricsCAD Pro V26. We’ll update it when BricsCAD V27 comes out.

As of October 8, 2026, the current release is BricsCAD V26.2.08 (September 15, 2026).

Short answer: a lot!

BricsCAD Pro doesn’t just display a scan. You can crop it, color it, classify it, trace linework from it, build a TIN surface from it and check your work against it. Many of the surveyors and engineers I talk to don’t realize all of that is in Pro.

We checked every command below against the BricsCAD V26 Help Center to make sure it works with a Pro license, not just BIM or Ultimate. The handful of point cloud tools that need a higher license are listed near the end.

Jump to:

• Getting point clouds into BricsCAD Pro
• Viewing, cropping and organizing
• The Bubble Viewer
• Drawing and modeling from a point cloud
• Classifying points
• Point clouds and geographic location
• Exporting point clouds
• What’s NOT in Pro?
• A quick hardware tip

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Getting point clouds into BricsCAD Pro

• POINTCLOUDATTACH – attaches a point cloud file (or a whole folder) to the current drawing. The drawing doesn’t even have to be saved first. Supported files are .e57, .hspc, .las, .laz, .lgsx, .pack, .pts, .ptx, .rcp, .rcs, .rdbx, .rsp and .zfs. On a Mac, .lgsx, .rdbx and .rsp files aren’t supported.
• ASCII point files – you can also bring in an ASCII point cloud with almost any extension, a custom separator or a custom column layout. Choose All files in the file type list to find it.
• Point Cloud Cache Manager (POINTCLOUDREFERENCE) – BricsCAD preprocesses each scan in the background into a cache and lets you know when it’s done. In the Cache Manager you can search your cached scans, see their metadata, edit the name, unit and GIS coordinate system and then attach with an insertion point, scale, rotation and coordinate system.
• HSPC format – HSPC (Hexagon Smart Point Cloud) is the default cache format, set by the POINTCLOUDHSPC system variable. It stores metadata for each point, which is what makes regions, scan-by-scan visibility, classes and geographic data possible.

So, the first time you attach a big scan, go get a cup of coffee. If you pick the same source file again later, BricsCAD finds the existing cache and inserts it without preprocessing it all over again.

Viewing, cropping and organizing

• Point Cloud Manager panel (POINTCLOUDMANAGERPANELOPEN) – a tree of your point clouds with their scans, regions and classes. Turn any of them on or off.
• Render Settings (POINTCLOUDRENDERSETTINGSOPEN) – a tab in the same panel for bubble size, Outline rendering and the POINTCLOUDPOINTMAX setting, which is now in millions (10 = 10,000,000 points).
• POINTCLOUDCROP – crops a cloud with a rectangular, polygonal or circular boundary and shows what’s inside or outside. POINTCLOUDUNCROP removes the crop.
• POINTCLOUDCROPSOLID – turns an extruded solid or polysolid into a crop solid so you can crop in 3D. You can edit it like any other solid.
• POINTCLOUDREGION – saves a selection of points as a region. Regions are stored next to the cache, so they’re available in any drawing you attach that scan to.
• POINTCLOUDCOLORMAP – colors the points by scan color, object color, elevation, intensity, normals or classification, with color schemes like Hydro, Earth and Spectrum. There’s also an X-Ray option for transparency.
• POINTCLOUDLOAD – unloads a scan temporarily to free up resources, loads it back or relocates the cache folder.
• POINTCLOUD – opens the Point Clouds category of the Drawing Explorer, where you can see each cloud’s size, references and paths.

The Bubble Viewer

If you’ve never stood “inside” a scan, try this one first.

Scans captured with a static scanner show up with green bubbles at each scan location. Run POINTCLOUDBUBBLEVIEWER or double-click a bubble to look around from that spot.

• Hold the middle mouse button to look in any direction and use the wheel to zoom.
• Press Tab to cycle between colors, normals and distances views.
• Press Ctrl+A to sync your drawing view to the Bubble Viewer.
• When a command asks you for a point, you can snap to point cloud points right in the Bubble Viewer.

Some kinematic (mobile) scanners capture panoramic images along the way. Those show up as blue waypoints, which are for viewing only. LAS and PTS files don’t contain scanner information, so they don’t produce bubbles at all.

Drawing and modeling from a point cloud

• Point Cloud Nearest Point snap (PCNEAREST) – picks the point closest to you inside the snap aperture. It’s bit 128 of the 3DOSMODE system variable, so make sure your 3D snaps aren’t turned off.
• POINTCLOUDALIGN – rotates the cloud to line up with the X and Y axes based on its walls and other vertical surfaces, or creates a UCS aligned to it so ortho and polar tracking behave.
• POINTCLOUDTRACE – draws 2D polylines where each segment snaps to the best-fitting line through the points. It works best with a crop, a section view or Outline rendering turned on.
• Section planes (SECTIONPLANE) – live sections work on point clouds, too.
• TIN surface from a point cloud – the TIN command has a create from point Cloud option. You can let TIN Simplify thin the points by radius and elevation difference as it builds the surface.
• POINTCLOUDDEVIATION – colors the points by how closely they fit a planar entity, solid or TIN surface you select, using your own good-fit and bad-fit tolerances. Handy for checking a surface against the scan.

Classifying points

POINTCLOUDCLASSIFY assigns a class to every point using one of six models:

• Outdoor – terrain, vegetation, building, paved road and noise.
• Roads – 30 classes for scans from a car-mounted scanner, such as road surface, curbstone, guard rails and sign posts.
• Construction – 15 classes for construction sites, such as trenching, fencing and construction material.
• indoorBasic, indoorSimplified and indoorFull – 10, 20 or 40 classes for indoor scans.

Now, the fine print. The classifier runs on Windows only, needs a CUDA-compatible NVIDIA graphics card with the latest driver and only works on scans preprocessed in HSPC format. You also have to download the classifier libraries separately, copy them into the BricsCAD installation folder and restart BricsCAD.

If your LAS or LAZ file already has classification data, the classes show up in the Point Cloud Manager panel and you can turn each class on or off.

Point clouds and geographic location

• Geolocate property – when the original scan has geographic information, it’s kept in the HSPC cache and shows in the Properties panel under Misc. Turn Geolocate on to use it for the drawing’s geographic location. This only works when the scan and the drawing use the same coordinate system.
• POINTCLOUDGEOGRAPHICLOCATION – for LAS and LAZ files, sets the drawing’s geographic marker from the scan, moves the scan to match the drawing’s geographic location or lines up two geolocated scans with each other.

Exporting point clouds

POINTCLOUDEXPORT saves the visible part of a point cloud to a PTS, HSPC or LAZ file. Bubbles are included when you export to HSPC. In other words… crop first, export second!

What’s NOT in Pro?

These point cloud commands require BricsCAD BIM or Ultimate:

• POINTCLOUDSCAN2BIM and the rest of the Scan to BIM workflow
• POINTCLOUDDETECTFLOORS and POINTCLOUDDETECTROOMS
• POINTCLOUDFITPLANAR, POINTCLOUDFITCYLINDER and POINTCLOUDFITROOMS
• POINTCLOUDPROFILESWEEP and POINTCLOUDPROJECTSECTION
• POINTCLOUDMODIFYCLASS (adding points to a class by hand), POINTCLOUDMODIFYBUILDING and POINTCLOUDMODIFYFLOOR

And if you’re on BricsCAD Lite, you can’t attach point clouds at all. POINTCLOUDATTACH needs Pro. If you want to start working with scans, talk to an authorized BricsCAD dealer about moving up to Pro.

A quick hardware tip

Point clouds are hungry! BricsCAD recommends setting BricsCAD to High Performance in your Windows Graphics settings when you work with point clouds and large models. Check our BricsCAD system requirements FAQ for the recommended memory and graphics card.

About BricsCAD

BricsCAD is a DWG-compatible CAD platform built for 2D drafting, 3D modeling, mechanical design and building information modeling (BIM). BricsCAD is now part of Octave, the software company spun off from Hexagon.

Click here to learn more about Octave

About BricsCAD-Based Software

BricsCAD supports 2D drafting, 3D modeling, mechanical design and BIM workflows. BricsCAD offers multiple editions built on the same platform:

• BricsCAD Lite – 2D drafting
• BricsCAD Pro – 2D and 3D modeling
• BricsCAD BIM
• BricsCAD Mechanical
• BricsCAD Ultimate – all-in-one suite

The applications offer a familiar AutoCAD-like interface and full compatibility with DWG, DXF, DGN, IFC and point cloud formats. BricsCAD runs on Windows, macOS and Linux and includes smart tools such as Blockify and CopyGuided.

Click here for a BricsCAD vs AutoCAD comparison

System Requirements

System requirements change with each release. See our BricsCAD system requirements FAQ for the current requirements on Windows, macOS and Linux.

CAD Platform

All BricsCAD applications (Lite, Pro, BIM, etc.) are built on the same BricsCAD core platform.

How and Where to Purchase

BricsCAD is available directly from BricsCAD and through authorized BricsCAD dealers. Pricing varies by edition and add-ons.

To purchase BricsCAD, please contact an authorized BricsCAD dealer.

Upgrades and Crossgrades

Perpetual licenses can be kept current with BricsCAD Maintenance, which includes automatic upgrades and support, or by purchasing version upgrades.

Subscription licenses include Priority Support and access to all new versions during the subscription term.

If you want to move between editions (e.g. Lite to Pro or Pro to BIM), contact an authorized BricsCAD dealer about your upgrade options.

License Options (License Modes)

• Academic License: Free 12-month access for students and faculty, renewable annually with valid academic ID
• Single-User License: One computer, one user, one OS
• Network License: Shared access on LAN (Local Area Network); available for perpetual or subscription licenses with 1-year maintenance
• Volume License: One license key used across a defined user base; available for perpetual or subscription licensing and includes a 1-year maintenance contract

Click to learn more about BricsCAD license options (license modes)

License Terms (License Types)

• Perpetual License
• Subscription License

Click to learn more about BricsCAD license terms (license types)

License Levels

• BricsCAD Lite: 2D drafting; no 3D modeling; supports LISP and APIs
• BricsCAD Pro: Adds full 3D modeling, rendering, constraints and 3rd-party application support
• BricsCAD BIM: All Pro features plus streamlined BIM workflow using DWG
• BricsCAD Mechanical: All Pro features plus complete mechanical toolset including sheet metal
• BricsCAD Ultimate: Combines BIM and Mechanical in one platform

Click here to learn more about BricsCAD license levels

Software Trials

You can trial BricsCAD Ultimate for 30 days. All features are enabled during this period. Use the SETLICENSELEVEL command to test other levels. After 30 days, a valid commercial license is required.

Click here to learn more about BricsCAD trial mode

If you would like help requesting a trial of this software, please contact an authorized BricsCAD dealer.

Support and Training Options

BricsCAD provides onboarding and learning resources through the BricsCAD Learning portal.

Technical support is available via the BricsCAD Help Center, including their knowledge base and ticket system.

About MicroSurvey Software

MicroSurvey Software, based in West Kelowna, British Columbia, has been developing survey and mapping software since 1985. MicroSurvey is part of Hexagon and serves surveyors, public safety and mapping professionals, with customers in over 100 countries. Its software is used for land surveying, mapping, law enforcement, forensics and accident reconstruction.

Click here to learn more about MicroSurvey Software

About the MicroSurvey Line of Products

MicroSurvey develops specialized software for land surveyors, civil engineers and construction professionals. Its products cover the workflow from field data collection through drafting, network adjustments and final deliverables, using industry-standard file formats such as DWG, DXF and LandXML.

MicroSurvey’s survey CAD software provides field to finish drafting, COGO, traverse adjustments, surface modeling, volume calculations and alignment design tools. It runs on your choice of CAD platform:

• MicroSurvey CAD runs standalone on an included IntelliCAD engine. Click here to learn more about MicroSurvey CAD
• MicroSurvey embeddedCAD runs standalone on an included AutoCAD OEM engine from Autodesk. Click here to learn more about MicroSurvey embeddedCAD
• MicroSurvey inCAD is a subscription-based plugin that adds MicroSurvey’s survey tools to your current Autodesk AutoCAD, Civil 3D or Map 3D subscription. Click here to learn more about MicroSurvey inCAD
• SurveyTools for BricsCAD is a subscription-based plugin that installs on top of a separately purchased license of BricsCAD. Click here to learn more about SurveyTools for BricsCAD

STAR*NET is least squares adjustment software that adjusts and analyzes 1D, 2D and 3D survey networks. It combines total station, level, GNSS and gyroscope data and supports GPS vectors, geoid modeling and detailed statistical reporting. Click here to learn more about STAR*NET

FieldGenius is field data collection software for total stations and GNSS receivers, with a map-based view, COGO, staking lists and cutsheet reporting. It runs on Windows and Android. Click here to learn more about FieldGenius

FieldGenius Legacy runs on Windows-based data collectors, tablets and desktop PCs. Click here to learn more about FieldGenius Legacy

Operating System

As of October 8, 2026, these are the supported operating systems for the current releases:

• MicroSurvey CAD 2027: Windows 11 (64-bit)
• MicroSurvey embeddedCAD 2027: Windows 11 (64-bit)
• MicroSurvey inCAD 2027: Windows 11 (64-bit)
• SurveyTools for BricsCAD V26: Windows 11 (64-bit)
• STAR*NET 14: Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit)
• FieldGenius: Windows 10 and 11 or Android
• FieldGenius Legacy: Windows 10, Windows Mobile and Windows CE

System Requirements

System requirements change with each release. See our MicroSurvey system requirements FAQ for the current requirements of each MicroSurvey desktop program.

CAD Platform

• MicroSurvey CAD: Standalone with an included IntelliCAD engine
• MicroSurvey embeddedCAD: Standalone with an included AutoCAD OEM engine
• MicroSurvey inCAD: Add-on for a current Autodesk AutoCAD, Civil 3D or Map 3D
• SurveyTools for BricsCAD: Add-on for BricsCAD (SurveyTools for BricsCAD V26 requires the latest BricsCAD V26)

How and Where to Purchase

When purchasing MicroSurvey software, you can buy directly from MicroSurvey or through its authorized dealer network. Pricing is subject to change without notice and varies by product, edition and license option.

To purchase MicroSurvey software, please contact MicroSurvey or an authorized MicroSurvey dealer.

Upgrades to New Versions and Crossgrades to Different License Types or Editions

New versions are included while your Customer Care Package (CCP) is current. With an active CCP you can update from inside the software by going to Help > Check for Updates. If you let your CCP lapse and renew more than 3 months after it expires, MicroSurvey prices the renewal as an upgrade.

MicroSurvey also offers an upgrade path for switching from USB key or network licenses to a floating license. To move between editions or products, contact MicroSurvey or an authorized MicroSurvey dealer about your options.

Click here to learn more about MicroSurvey maintenance and upgrades

License Options (License Types)

• USB License Key: The license is stored on a USB key plugged into the computer running the software. The key is activated after purchase and updated with MicroSurvey’s USB License Manager when new versions are released.
• Network License: The USB license key plugs into a license server computer on your network that runs MicroSurvey’s Network License Server software.
• Floating License: An internet-activated license that an administrator deploys, monitors and updates from an online MicroSurvey account. A floating license can be checked out for offline use, but nobody else can use that seat until it is checked back in or the checkout period ends.

Click here to learn more about MicroSurvey license options (license types)

License Terms

• Perpetual License: New perpetual licenses include a 12-month Customer Care Package (CCP). If your CCP expires, you can keep running the last version released before your CCP end date, but you lose access to new versions and MicroSurvey technical support until you renew. FieldGenius is available as a perpetual or subscription license.
• Subscription License: MicroSurvey inCAD and SurveyTools for BricsCAD are sold by subscription only and are activated with a License ID and Password. Without a current subscription, you can’t run new versions.

Refer to MicroSurvey’s End-User License Agreement (EULA) for the full license terms.

License Levels

Some MicroSurvey products are offered in more than one edition, each with different functionality. MicroSurvey’s pricing pages currently list:

• MicroSurvey CAD: Standard, Premium and Ultimate. The MicroSurvey CAD 2027 release notes also mention a Studio edition. Click here for the MicroSurvey CAD feature table
• MicroSurvey embeddedCAD: Premium. Click here for the MicroSurvey embeddedCAD feature table
• MicroSurvey inCAD: One level, sold by subscription. Click here for the MicroSurvey inCAD feature table
• SurveyTools for BricsCAD: One level, sold by subscription. Click here for the SurveyTools for BricsCAD feature table
• STAR*NET: Plus, Pro and Ultimate. Click here for the STAR*NET feature table
• FieldGenius: One level, sold as a subscription or perpetual license. Click here for the FieldGenius feature table
• FieldGenius Legacy: Premium. Click here for the FieldGenius Legacy feature table

Software Trials

MicroSurvey offers free 30-day demos of MicroSurvey CAD and FieldGenius. Its demo request page lists every MicroSurvey product. The MicroSurvey CAD demo is a complete, unrestricted version of the software. SurveyTools for BricsCAD also needs BricsCAD V26 installed, which you can try free for 30 days.

Click here to request a MicroSurvey demo

If you would like help requesting a trial of this software, please contact MicroSurvey or an authorized MicroSurvey dealer.

Support and Training Options

New MicroSurvey licenses include a 12-month Customer Care Package (CCP), formerly called the Annual Maintenance Subscription (AMS), which includes:

• Software updates and new versions
• Technical support from MicroSurvey’s experts
• Discounts on MicroSurvey live training and its on-demand online school
• Compatibility updates for the latest operating systems, IntelliCAD and AutoCAD versions

Click here to learn more about MicroSurvey’s Customer Care Package

MicroSurvey also offers self-paced online training courses, some of which are free.

Click here for MicroSurvey’s Online Training portal

Click here for MicroSurvey’s online help desk

The main difference is:

BricsCAD Lite can work with basic geometry in 3D space, but BricsCAD Pro is required for true 3D modeling, terrain surfaces and civil design.

Can I draw linework with different elevations?

Yes. The standard LINE command accepts X, Y and Z coordinates. For example, a line can begin at 100,200,10 and end at 150,250,25.

Lite also includes the 3DPOLY command. This creates a connected series of line segments whose vertices can each have different X, Y and Z values.

What civil and survey work can I do in BricsCAD Lite?

A 3D polyline, 3D face or faceted mesh is still basic drawing geometry. It is not an intelligent terrain surface and does not provide automatic contouring, slope analysis or volume calculations.

What civil and survey work can’t I do in BricsCAD Lite?

BricsCAD Lite does not include BricsCAD’s civil modeling and design tools.

These tools require BricsCAD Pro or a higher BricsCAD license level.

Can Lite open drawings that contain 3D objects?

Yes. Lite can open and display DWG files containing 3D solids, surfaces and other 3D objects. You can orbit around the drawing, inspect the model and generally move, copy, rotate or scale complete objects.

However, Lite does not include the full tools needed to create or remodel those objects. For example, you cannot extrude a boundary into a solid, push or pull a solid face or cut one solid from another.

Are BricsCAD Lite and BricsCAD Pro separate programs?

No. Lite and Pro are different license levels of the same BricsCAD program. They use the same installer for the same BricsCAD version, operating system, processor platform and language.

The activated license controls which commands and features are available. If you upgrade from Lite to Pro, you generally do not need to uninstall BricsCAD or download a separate Pro installer. You can activate the Pro license in the existing installation and restart BricsCAD if necessary.

Bottom Line

BricsCAD Lite is not strictly 2D. It can create elevated lines, 3D polylines, survey breaklines and other basic XYZ geometry.

BricsCAD Lite may be sufficient when you need to draft or exchange civil and survey linework with elevations; but, choose BricsCAD Pro when you need terrain surfaces, contours, volumes, grading, alignments, profiles, corridors or true 3D modeling.