CAD on iPad
CAD on iPad: can you really design in CAD on an iPad?
Updated October 5, 2026
The short answerYes. Today’s iPads run full 3D CAD apps that draw precise curves, build surfaces and solids to real dimensions, and export standard CAD files such as STEP and IGES. In uMake you sketch with Apple Pencil or your fingers, build NURBS geometry in millimeters or inches, and send the result to your desktop tools when you need to.
What “CAD on iPad” can mean
People mean three different things when they search for CAD on an iPad, and different apps cover each one:
- Viewing and marking up drawings someone else made, on site or in a meeting.
- 2D drafting: plans, sections and details drawn as lines and dimensions.
- 3D modeling: designing the object or space itself, as curves, surfaces and solids you can turn, measure and export.
uMake is a 3D modeling app. It is strongest early in a project, when you’re working out the form, and it hands that form to other tools in standard formats.
What you need
- An iPad with iPadOS 17.6 or later. uMake also runs on iPhone and on a Mac with Apple silicon, with the same designs.
- Apple Pencil is optional. Fingers work for every tool, and on Mac a keyboard and trackpad do.
- A plan to draw, edit and export in the 3D editor. Opening and viewing 3D files is free (compare plans).
How CAD work happens on an iPad, in uMake
1. Draw exact profiles, or sketch freely
Precision chains exact line and arc segments into a profile, and a closed loop fills with a surface while Auto Surface is on. Pen lays down one smooth curve per stroke, with a stabilizer for quick gestures. Freestyle is for loose ideas, with ink, pencil, marker, charcoal and chalk brushes, and every stroke is drawn in 3D. On iPad, Apple Pencil Mode lets the Pencil draw while one finger orbits the view.
2. Turn curves into surfaces and solids
Curves become NURBS surfaces you reshape by their control points. Extrude, Revolve, Loft, Fillet & Chamfer and Offset build the solid. Combine joins, subtracts or intersects shapes and shows the result in 3D before you apply it, and Project Shape wraps a flat logo or pattern onto a curved surface.
3. Work to real dimensions
Set the document in millimeters, centimeters, meters, inches or feet, add dimensions, and type exact values on the measurement keypad. Snapping and symmetry keep geometry aligned, and Components keep repeated parts linked, so changing one changes every copy.
4. Exchange files with desktop CAD
| Direction | Formats | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Import (free) | STEP, IGES, OBJ, STL, USDZ, GLB, DAE, SVG, SketchUp (SKP) | SketchUp files are converted online, so that import needs a connection |
| Export (with a plan) | STEP, IGES, OBJ, STL, USDZ, UMK | STL and OBJ are labeled for 3D printing; USDZ is Apple’s AR format |
uMake doesn’t read or write DWG or DXF. If your office documents projects as DWG drawings, model the form in uMake, export STEP or IGES, and produce the drawings in your desktop CAD tool.
Where an iPad fits in a CAD workflow
An iPad is at its best where a desk gets in the way: sketching the first idea with a client, modeling on the train, checking a design at real size in the room with View in AR, or presenting it full screen. Many designers do the concept and form in uMake and the documentation on a desktop, with STEP or IGES in between.
uMake also puts AI next to the model. AI Design Partner builds and edits editable 3D geometry from a description or a reference image, and Live AI Preview shows a photorealistic render beside your model as you work (AI in uMake).
Is an iPad powerful enough for CAD?
For 3D modeling, yes: recent iPads model, orbit and render complex designs smoothly. Very large assemblies and full construction documentation are still easier on a desktop, which is why exporting STEP and IGES matters.
Do I need an Apple Pencil for CAD on iPad?
No. Every uMake tool works with your fingers. Apple Pencil makes freehand sketching more natural, and Apple Pencil Mode lets it draw while a finger orbits the view.
Can I open my desktop CAD files on the iPad?
Yes. uMake opens STEP, IGES, OBJ, STL, USDZ, GLB, DAE, SVG and SketchUp files for free. It doesn’t open DWG or DXF.
Is uMake free?
It’s free to download, and opening and viewing 3D files is free. Drawing, editing and exporting in the 3D editor come with a plan. See pricing.
Try it in uMake.
uMake is free to download for iPad, iPhone and Mac.