I wanted to share a bit more about why we built them, because this is one of the biggest changes we’ve made to the product (and to our codebase) since we added History-Based Parametric Modeling in 2024.
We had two goals.
The first was to make you faster. Over the years, every tool in Shapr3D ended up with its own logic. Some remembered your settings, some didn’t. Some parameters only showed up when you edited a step from the history. Parameter Cards give every tool the same behavior and put all of its parameters in one place, whether you’re modeling directly or going back to edit history. Once you learn how one tool works, you know how they all work.
The second was to make us faster. Many of you have asked for more tools, and more parameters. We have a long list of things we want to build. To get through it quickly, we had to rebuild our tool architecture into something that’s much easier to extend and maintain. You won’t see most of that work directly, but you’ll feel it in how often new tools show up.
How we’re releasing it
Because this touches nearly every tool, we’re rolling it out gradually. Each week, more of you get access, and we only widen the rollout once we’re confident it’s working well. If you don’t have it yet, you will soon.
We’d love your feedback
If you’re already using Parameter Cards, please tell us how it’s going. What feels better? What feels off? What slowed you down? Reply here and be as specific as you like. Our team reads every post, and your feedback during the rollout directly shapes what we fix and adjust next.
What’s coming next
The new architecture is already paying off. Here’s what we’re working on:
New sketch tools: fillet, slot, extend, 2-point circle, 3-point arc, and point
Bridge curve
Threads and holes
Alignment improvements
One question for you
We’re planning next year right now, and we want your input. If you could add one thing to Shapr3D in 2027, what would it be? A tool, a workflow, a fix for something that’s bugged you forever, anything. Tell us below.
Thanks for designing with us, and for all the feedback you’ve already shared.
I really think the Parameter Cards are a great Idea it reminds me of other Cad programs like when you want to redefine a feature it shows up (Good Job). Also in 2027 the most important addition I would like to see is a Assembly mode and many improvements to the Drawings tools mainly being able to add new parts to a assembly and then the ability to regenerate the drawing to make it update the views with the new part added to the assembly instead of having to recreate the drawing to make the update to the assembly show up.
For the fillet tool could you make it so that we could make chamfer the default? Since almost all of my design work is for models that will be 3-D printed, I’m almost exclusively using chamfer instead of fillets.
My “blue sky” wish for a feature is more complex calculation capabilities in variables. For example, it would super helpful to have some trig functions for calculating angles as well as conditional logic, something like…“if x > 0, then y, else z” where x is the value of another variable.
The use in my case is to create a part that fits multiple versions of something and may have elevation or placement changes based on a few length and angle measurements. For example, a bike accessory mount could be fully parameterized for almost any bike frame and could even include the profile of the mount.
Components similar to Fusion. They’d allow a group of objects to act as a single object, including easy selection of the entire group of objects and the ability to align a component with other objects/components. Currently, alignment is only on an object-to-object basis.
What is “soon”??? And is there any way to be bumped up in the que??
PM cards looks real cool. Big wish for a long time. But sad to see you added it to the left tool menu/row. It’s overcrowded already, especially on iPad. Would love to see an option to access via a icon on the drawing space. Like the blue cube thingie on extrude, where you can select new body, Union etc. You video calls it “the Boolean batch” but it seems to be gone now?
Just ONE wish? Not fair
Someone already said Assemblies (assume includes Joints?), so I’d have to say support for the Pencil Pro. The roll, squeeze and double tap gestures.
It’s a big thing to fully/properly implement and there are 100 ways/opinions on how to.
First step could be using squeeze as right click. Both in Item, History and on the model.
Secondly use Barrel roll to change tool mode or what ever you call arc/line, center/3pt/diag Rectangle, Lin/cir Pattern, chain/single offset etc. Including once you are “in the tool”. So after you select rectangle and put the first point and only then realize you are in the wrong mode.
Lastly double tap. It’s less standardized in other apps, so often configurable. But tool switching would make sense. So toggle between “exit tool” and “last tool”. So like Esc on Mac/PC I guess.
Since you are already updating sketch tools, please consider a “line from mid point” also. So one that extends equally in both directions from where you start. The use-case being line that needs to go through a point (circle center or what ever), but not ending there. So you’d be able to start at that point just once and not have to chase the purple line for the other half.
I still have one feature request for the app that people have been asking about for years. That is the ability to perform alignments across multiple selected objects at once. This is similar to what you will find in common vector drawing applications. It is a simple form of alignment, but it is fundamental to my workflow. I can never get the existing Align tool to do what I need.
The other feature request that I have is the ability to nudge selected objects by a specific distance using something like the arrow keys. This is another capability that we use in vector design software all the time, and it is a huge benefit to precision work for my workflow.
That will make my day when they show up. I have always loved SHAPR3D, but these two features have always baffled me, as they seem so essential yet elusive.
Threads already sounds like a number one wish of me and my Team, but beside that i realy would love to have the ability to move the Center of Projekts, this was already discussed and mentioned here in the gamma forum.
Moving the projects Center (xyz) to a body, to a plane or Sketch would be great. If We would get the possibility to save those coordinate zeroes (Centers) would be even greater, but with the Option to return to the original Spot.
Use case: directly inside Projekt messuring for cnc workers.
Easier modelling of Single (isolated) bodies in complex Multi body Projekts
Love parameter cards so far. I guess for next year my number one request would be a way to group or organize the history sidebar. Being able to invert the order with most recent on top is part of this request as well!
X,Y & Z constraints for panning an rotating around the design?