Hey everyone! I’m back with a brand-new project that started out as a fun weekend experiment and quickly turned into a serious tool to make our CAD lives a whole lot easier.
As a creator and designer, my goal is simple: build free, practical tools that cut out the tedious busywork so we can focus on actual designing. Today, I’m excited to share my latest solution for the Onshape community.
The Struggle: Why Image Tracing in CAD is Painful
If you’re a CAD user, you’ve probably tried using image references to design replica models, reverse-engineer mechanical parts, or model custom toys. But let's be honest—the traditional process is a headache.
Usually, designers rely on DWG or DXF files to convert images into editable sketches. But we all know how that goes:
- Inaccurate results: You get half a sketch, a massive, chaotic data dump, or a workspace glowing with frustrating red error dots.
- Laggy performance: Because of all those heavy, unnecessary sketch entities, your workspace loads forever every time you make a change.
- Endless corrections: You end up spending hours tweaking shapes just to satisfy yourself (or your client).
Other CAD platforms have built-in workarounds, SolidWorks has Auto Trace, Fusion 360 has Image Tracing, and AutoCAD has External Tracing (struggle's for best result's). But Onshape didn’t have a native, seamless solution. With AI and modern web tools making things possible from the outside, I decided to bridge that gap myself.
Meet the "Image to Sketch" Tool for Onshape
After the success of my first version Svg2Sketch (which only handled SVG files)—I built a fully upgraded tool that supports JPEG, JPG, SVG, PNG, and WebP.
This tool reads your image pixels and converts them directly into clean Onshape sketches inside your Part Studio, ready to be extruded into 3D models.
Key Features:
- Full Transformation Control: Once imported, you can easily scale, move position on the plane, change the target plane/face, or rotate the sketch.
- Smart Filtering: Use low, medium, or hard filters to control the level of detail you need from the image.
- Color Mode Support: For color images, preview the image with built-in noise and brightness filters to isolate the best results before converting.
- Transparency & Debugging: You can inspect the raw code of the conversion and view any errors if they pop up.
- Safe API Integration: The tool communicates via FeatureScript/Onshape API. Don't worry, it won't touch your actual developer API request limits!
(Note: I’ve also already reached out to Onshape application support to integrate this tool directly into the Onshape App Store. Soon, you won't even need to copy and paste Part Studio links—you'll just open the extension right from your sidebar!)
How It Works (Step-by-Step)
- Connect: Authorize and connect your Onshape account.
- Link: Copy and paste your Part Studio link into the placeholder.
- Upload: Import your image (supports JPEG, JPG, SVG, PNG, WebP).
- Set Size: Define the primary target size in the tool (you can also edit it later).
- Convert: Hit "Convert" and adjust your detail filters.
- Import: Once you're happy with the preview, click "Import to Onshape". The status will update to "Imported" once complete!
Where to Find It
You can find the feature and tool inside our ChandraAwesome Studio—just search for the tool, and you'll find it right away!
🔗https://svgto-onshape.vercel.app/
I really hope this tool saves you time, whether you're a professional CAD designer or a 3D printing hobbyist. Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments below!
Also, what’s your biggest CAD pain point right now? Drop it in the comments—let’s talk solutions!