Coming from AutoCAD
Most of what your hands know works the same. Here is what stays, what changes, and what Linework can’t do yet.
What stays the same
- The command line at the bottom, with short aliases and Enter or Space to confirm
- Points as x,y, @dx,dy and @distance<angle, or a length in the direction of the cursor, in feet and inches too
- Object snaps with the familiar markers, ortho, polar tracking, object snap tracking
- Grips, window and crossing selection, a short right-click as Enter
- Layers, layer states, linetypes, lineweights, transparency
- Blocks with attributes and dynamic parameters, xrefs with clipping, hatches, text and dimension styles
- Dimensions that follow their objects, tables with formulas, fields, multileaders, wipeouts, construction lines
- DWG and DXF in both directions, layouts with viewports plotted to PDF, plot styles from CTB files
Not there yet
- Parametric 2D constraints, table styles and leader styles, creating geometric tolerances
- Several viewports in model space, spell checking, editing a spline’s fit points afterwards
- 3D solids made in AutoCAD (ACIS data in DWG) and DWG terrain don’t come in yet; your own 3D goes out to DWG as meshes
- Materials for rendering, and rendering itself
- AutoLISP and plug-ins
- Windows and Linux. Windows is in preparation
What is different
- Walls instead of multilines.
- A wall has a thickness, a height and layers, joins with mitres, and carries its doors and windows. The floor plan is a cut through it.
- A model from your 2D plan.
- Parallel lines become walls, symbols become doors and windows, room stamps become rooms. Each step shows a preview first.
- Duck draws with you.
- An assistant that runs real commands, step by step, with one undo for the whole run.
- Agents in the open drawing.
- Claude Code and other agents work over MCP in the running app while you watch.
- Checks built in.
- Door swings, clear heights, gaps and overlapping solids, measured on the model instead of by eye.
- Free.
- Every command, DWG included, for professional work too.
- An open file.
- .frame is readable JSON with stable ids, good for scripts and version control.
Aliases
The AutoCAD aliases you use most, and the Linework command behind them.
- L
lineLine - PL
plinePolyline - C
circleCircle - A
arcArc - REC
rectangleRectangle - POL
polygonPolygon - EL
ellipseEllipse - SPL
splineSpline - H
hatchHatch - T
mtextMultiline text - DT
textText - DLI
dimlinearLinear dimension - M
moveMove - CO
copyCopy - RO
rotateRotate - MI
mirrorMirror - SC
scaleScale - S
stretchStretch - O
offsetOffset - TR
trimTrim - EX
extendExtend - F
filletFillet - CHA
chamferChamfer - BR
breakBreak - J
joinJoin - LEN
lengthenLengthen - AR
arrayrectRectangular array - X
explodeExplode - I
insertInsert block - B
boxBox - EXT
extrudeExtrude - REV
revolveRevolve - UNI
unionUnion - SU
subtractSubtract - PP
presspullPress/pull - LA
layerLayer - MA
matchpropMatch properties - DI
distDistance - AA
areaArea - LI
listList - DIV
divideDivide - ME
measureMeasure - AL
alignAlign - G
groupGroup - U
undoUndo
AutoCAD is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc. FrameMind Linework is an independent product, written from scratch, and not affiliated with Autodesk.
Download Linework and open one of your drawings.
The app is free, for professional work too, without an account or a licence key.
- Product
- FrameMind Linework
- Version
- 0.19.2
- Date
- 13 November 2026
- Platform
- macOS, Apple silicon
- Windows
- in preparation
- Price
- free