What it does
ZW3D combines parametric, direct and surface modelling with assemblies and drawings. Separate editions extend the system into moulds, electrodes, machinery analysis and machining. Perpetual licences in the published Latin American offer include one year of maintenance, and a 30-day free trial is available.
Create a new Part with the Standard subtype and Default template. Choose a sketch plane and orientation, draw a rectangle and define its dimensions. Fully constrained sketch lines turn blue. After leaving the sketch, select the profile in Extrude, enter the required extent and confirm the solid.
A hole can start from a circle on a flat face. Dimension its position, then extrude it inward with Through All and Boolean Remove. Chamfer and Fillet act on selected edges. Double-click an operation in History Manager to revise its size or shape. Deleting an upstream feature can break its dependent holes or fillets; Blank hides it without deleting it.
The published Latin American price list gives these one-time USD licence prices, including one year of maintenance:
| Edition | Price | Main scope |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | USD 3,000 | Basic CAD |
| Standard | USD 4,500 | Advanced CAD, steel structures and basic part statics |
| Professional | USD 7,000 | Standard plus mould and electrode design |
| Advanced | USD 7,500 | Professional plus assembly statics, harnesses, piping and motion |
That list applies outside mainland China; local retail and upgrade policies can vary, and local partner training or support is excluded. Two-axis and three-axis machining have separate packages, while Ultimate is quoted. A 30-day free trial is available.
One navigation detail matters during modelling: clicking the middle mouse button confirms a command, while holding and dragging it pans the view.
Strengths
- History Manager keeps earlier feature dimensions available for revision.
- Fully defined sketch colours expose missing constraints before extrusion.
- The edition list separates part design from specialist machinery and CAM requirements.
Watch out for
- Removing a parent feature can break later features that depend on it.
- Specialist analysis and machining capabilities depend on the selected package.
- Published licence prices exclude local partner training and support.
Best for
- Mechanical parts built from dimensioned sketches and editable features
- Teams matching machinery design and machining requirements to an edition
Sources
- ZW3D | Current Hybrid Modelling and Edition-Dependent Extensions (Oct 28, 2026)
- ZW3D | Complete Sketch, Extrusion, Hole and Revision Task (Oct 28, 2026)
- ZW3D LATAM | Explicit USD Perpetual Editions and Regional Scope (Oct 28, 2026)