Glossary

CAD

CAD stands for Computer-Aided Design: software for creating precise 2D and 3D models, dominant in engineering, manufacturing and product design. CAD tools like SolidWorks, Autodesk Fusion, Inventor, CATIA, Creo and Rhino describe parts mathematically through parametric, solid and surface geometry, which is ideal for production but not for the web. To show a CAD model in the browser or in AR, it is converted to a mesh format like GLB or USDZ.

Quick Facts

Stands for: Computer-Aided Design
Software: SolidWorks, Autodesk Fusion, Inventor, CATIA, Creo, Rhino, Onshape
Modeling: parametric, solid and surface geometry
Exchange formats: STEP, IGES, Parasolid, native
Web: not directly displayable, convert to GLB and USDZ

CAD is where industrial products are actually designed. Instead of pushing polygons around, you work with exact, parametric geometry: dimensions, constraints, features and assemblies that can be edited, simulated and sent to manufacturing. Models are exchanged between tools and suppliers mainly as STEP (or IGES, Parasolid and native formats), and cloud CAD like Onshape and Autodesk Fusion has made the workflow more collaborative.

The catch for the web is the geometry itself. CAD uses precise boundary representations, while browsers and AR viewers need lightweight polygon meshes. So the path to Web AR always runs through a conversion with the right level of tessellation: STEP to GLB for the web and Android, plus USDZ for iOS AR. STEP-to-GLB is typically a professional service step that involves controlled tessellation, decimation and material setup. Once you have a GLB, the GLB-to-USDZ step is trivial: our free GLB to USDZ converter does it in the browser.

A real-world example: Whipps brought their entire water control solutions portfolio from CAD into 3D and Web AR on their website. The output sits in PausAR Viewer on the WordPress side, so a part designed in CAD ends up as a true-to-scale AR product page.

Comparison

Property	CAD geometry	Web mesh (GLB / USDZ)
Geometry	Parametric, exact	Polygonal, optimized for display
Main use	Engineering and manufacturing	Web and AR display
Browser ready	No	Yes

FAQ

Can I show a CAD file on my website?

Not directly. CAD files use precise parametric geometry, while browsers need polygon meshes. The CAD model is converted to GLB for the web and USDZ for iOS AR first, then embedded via a 3D viewer like PausAR Viewer.

Which CAD format should I export for the web?

Export STEP from your CAD tool, then convert it to GLB for web and Android and USDZ for iOS AR.

How do I get a CAD model into WordPress?

Convert it to GLB and USDZ, then upload both to the PausAR Viewer Elementor widget, no coding required.