| Drawlytic (CAD kernel) | AI image generators | |
|---|---|---|
| Input | Your CAD geometry (STEP / DXF) | A text prompt or reference image |
| Engine | OpenCascade CAD kernel — hidden-line removal on the exact solid | Generative image model (diffusion/transformer) |
| Dimensions | Measured on the B-rep, match your CAD to 0.01 mm | Plausible-looking numbers, not tied to real geometry |
| Views | True front/top/right + isometric, third-angle, consistent with each other | Views drawn independently — often mutually inconsistent |
| Repeatability | Deterministic — same model, same drawing, every time | Stochastic — each generation differs |
| Output formats | Vector SVG, PDF sheets (A4–A1 + Letter) with title block, DXF (VISIBLE/HIDDEN + 1:1 CUT layer), STL | PNG/JPG image; sometimes traced SVG |
| Editability | Add/adjust real measurements, change paper scale, cross sections — re-rendered from geometry | Re-prompt and hope; no measurable geometry to edit |
| Fit for manufacturing | Yes — quotes, travelers, inspection, laser/CNC | No — illustration only |
The difference in one sentence
An AI image generator answers "what might a technical drawing of this look like?" — Drawlytic answers "what does this part actually measure?". Generative models are trained to produce convincing images, and modern ones produce very convincing drawing-shaped images: neat borders, title blocks, dimension arrows with numbers. But those numbers are sampled, not measured — no CAD solid stands behind them, the three views don't necessarily describe the same object, and generating twice gives two different parts. That's harmless for an illustration and disqualifying for manufacturing.
Drawlytic takes the opposite route, the classic CAD route: it loads the exact solid from your STEP file into the OpenCascade kernel, computes each view by hidden-line removal, detects features (holes, fillets, chamfers) and measures every dimension on the geometry itself. The result is boring in the best way — deterministic, self-consistent, and in agreement with your CAD system to the hundredth of a millimetre. That's also why Drawlytic can export things an image model cannot: a 1:1 DXF contour a laser cutter follows, a projection DXF you keep drafting on, a PDF sheet at true 1:2 scale that's measurable with calipers.
Use both, for what each is for: generated images for concept visuals and decoration, Drawlytic when a human or a machine will rely on the numbers.
Frequently asked
Is Drawlytic AI?
The drawing pipeline is deterministic CAD software, not a generative model. Views are computed by hidden-line removal on the OpenCascade kernel and dimensions are measured on your exact geometry. The same input always produces the same drawing.
When is an AI image generator the right tool?
When you need an illustration: concept art, a patent-style figure for a pitch deck, a decorative blueprint poster. If nobody will manufacture or inspect against the image, generated art is fast and fine.
When do I need a measured drawing instead?
Whenever someone will build, machine, cut, weld, quote or inspect from it. A drawing is a contract about dimensions — so the dimensions must come from the geometry, not from a model's guess about what numbers look plausible.
Can AI image tools produce a DXF my laser cutter can use?
Image generators output pixels (PNG/JPG); some tools trace them into vectors, but the contour is still an approximation of a picture — not your part. Drawlytic's DXF is projected from the CAD solid at 1:1, so the cut matches the model.
What input does Drawlytic need?
A STEP file exported from any CAD system (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Inventor, CATIA, Onshape, FreeCAD…) or a 2D DXF. It doesn't work from text prompts or photos — that's the point: the geometry is the source of truth.
Related guides
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