Welcome to CadNexa
Sign in with Google
Go to cadnexa.com/app.html and click "Continue with Google." One click, no password to create. Your account is instantly ready.
Choose your tool
From the dashboard, click CadNexa 3D to open 3D CAD files (STEP, IGES, STL...) or Balloon Tool to balloon PDF engineering drawings and generate FAI reports.
Upload your file
Click Open and select your file. CadNexa supports 14+ 3D formats and any PDF drawing. Files are processed in your browser — nothing is uploaded to our servers.
What CadNexa offers
3D File Viewing
Open STEP, IGES, BREP, STL, OBJ, GLB, FBX, 3MF, DXF and more. Rotate, zoom, pan with mouse or touch.
BOM Generation
Auto-detect all parts, calculate volume, weight, and material cost from Indian market prices.
PDF Ballooning
Place numbered inspection balloons on engineering drawings. Smart dimension detection with GD&T support.
FAI Reports
Generate First Article Inspection reports in AS9102, PPAP, ISO, ASME, DIN, JIS, GB, IS standards.
Quotation Builder
Material + overhead + profit + GST = professional quotation in 2 minutes. Export as PDF.
Secure RFQ
Share 3D models with vendors for quoting without exposing your design. View-only, watermarked, no download.
Opening and viewing 3D files
Click "Open" button
Click the green Open button in the toolbar, or drag and drop a file directly onto the viewer area.
Navigate the model
Left click + drag to rotate. Scroll wheel to zoom. Right click + drag to pan. On mobile: swipe to rotate, pinch to zoom, two-finger drag to pan.
Select parts
Click Pick in the toolbar, then click any part in the model. The parts tree on the left highlights the selected part. Right-click for options: Focus, Isolate, Hide, Measure.
Use view presets
Click FRONT, BACK, TOP, BTM, LEFT, RIGHT, ISO buttons at the bottom to snap to standard engineering views.
Measuring dimensions
Click "Measure" in toolbar
The measurement panel opens on the right side. Choose measurement type: Point-to-Point, Edge Length, Face Area, or Angle.
Click on the model
For point-to-point: click the first point, then the second point. The distance appears instantly in mm. For edge length: click any edge. For face area: click any face.
Read the measurement
The measurement result shows on the model with dimension lines, and in the measurement panel with exact values. All measurements are in millimeters.
Generating BOM (Bill of Materials)
Click "BOM" in toolbar
After loading a STEP/IGES file, click the BOM button. CadNexa automatically detects all parts, calculates volume, weight, and assigns materials.
Assign materials
Each part shows a material dropdown. Select the correct material (SS304, EN8, Aluminium 6061, etc.). The weight and cost update instantly based on real Indian market prices.
Review totals
The BOM shows: part name, quantity, material, volume, weight per piece, total weight, and material cost. The footer shows grand totals for weight and cost.
Export BOM
Click Export to download the BOM as CSV (for Excel) or copy to clipboard. Use this for quotation preparation or purchase requisitions.
Checking part weight
Load your STEP file
Open a STEP or IGES file. CadNexa automatically calculates the volume of every part.
Open BOM
Click BOM. Assign the correct material to each part. The weight is calculated automatically: Volume × Material Density = Weight.
On mobile
On your phone, tap the Weight button in the bottom bar. A panel slides up showing total weight, material cost, and per-part weight breakdown.
Additional features
Exploded View
Click Explode to separate all parts along their axes. Adjust the explosion distance with the slider. Great for understanding assembly relationships.
Section Cut
Click Section to cut through the model along X, Y, or Z axis. Drag the cutting plane to reveal internal features.
Wireframe Mode
Click Wire to toggle wireframe display. See through the model to understand internal geometry.
Quotation Builder
Click Quote to open the quotation builder. Enter overhead %, profit %, and GST %. Generate a professional PDF quotation instantly.
Cost Estimator
Click Estimate to add manufacturing operations (CNC, turning, grinding). Calculate true manufacturing cost per part.
Export
Export your model as STL, OBJ, or capture screenshots. Export 2D drawings in SVG, PNG, PDF, or DXF format.
Placing balloons on engineering drawings
Open a PDF drawing
Click Open PDF and select your engineering drawing. CadNexa supports any PDF — A0 to A4, landscape or portrait, single or multi-page.
Choose balloon mode
Select your mode: Click (place balloon with one click), Leader (balloon with arrow pointing to dimension), Box+Bal (draw a box around a dimension and place balloon).
Click on a dimension
Click near the dimension you want to balloon. A numbered circle appears. The balloon number auto-increments. Type the dimension value in the text field on the right panel.
Customize balloon appearance
Adjust Size (slider), Color (13 colors with visual preview), and Line Width. Choose leader type: Arrow, Line, Ortho, or None.
Use Smart Detect
Click Smart Detect Dimensions to auto-find and parse all dimensions on the drawing including GD&T symbols. Review and correct as needed.
Generating FAI reports
Place all balloons
Complete your ballooning — place numbered balloons on every dimension that needs inspection. Enter the nominal value and tolerance for each balloon.
Click "Generate FAI Report"
Click the green Generate FAI Report button at the bottom of the panel. Choose your standard:
AS9102 Rev C
Aerospace standard. Required by Boeing, Airbus, and all aerospace primes.
PPAP
Automotive standard. Required by Toyota, Hyundai, Maruti, and all OEMs.
ISO / ASME
International standards for general manufacturing inspection.
DIN / JIS / GB / IS
German, Japanese, Chinese, and Indian national standards.
Review and edit the report
The FAI report opens with all balloon data pre-filled. You can edit actual measured values, mark pass/fail, add remarks. The report is fully editable.
Download or print
Click Print/PDF to save the completed FAI report. Share with your customer as proof of first article inspection.
Tips and shortcuts
Delete a balloon
Click the red X next to the balloon in the list. The next number auto-fills the gap — no renumbering needed.
Move a balloon
Switch to Move mode, then drag any balloon to reposition it on the drawing.
Add comments
Click the "Add comment..." field below any balloon to add inspection notes or special instructions.
Multi-page drawings
Use the page navigation at the top to move between pages. Balloons are saved per-page and the numbering continues across pages.
Zoom and pan
Scroll to zoom. Hold Pan mode or middle-click to move around the drawing. Double-click to fit the page.
Save your work
Click Save to Project to save your balloons and drawing. Projects sync to the cloud when logged in.
Sending secure RFQs to vendors
Create an RFQ
Go to RFQ Market tab → click Create RFQ. Upload your STEP file, specify quantity, material, process, and delivery deadline.
Generate secure link
Click Generate Secure Link. CadNexa creates a view-only, watermarked link. Vendors can see and measure the 3D model but cannot download your design file.
Share via WhatsApp or email
Click WhatsApp to send the link directly. Or copy the link and share via email. Vendors view the model on any device — desktop or mobile.
Compare quotes
As vendors submit quotes, they appear in your dashboard. Compare price, delivery, terms side-by-side. Award the best vendor with one click.
CadNexa Blog
Manufacturing insights, product updates, and engineering tips.
Why browser-based CAD is the future of Indian manufacturing
No installation, no license fees, works on any device. How cloud-based CAD tools are transforming small and medium manufacturers in India.
FAI reports in 10 minutes: How CadNexa Balloon Tool saves QA engineers hours
A step-by-step breakdown of how our balloon tool reduces AS9102 report generation from 4-6 hours to under 10 minutes.
The complete manufacturing engineer's toolkit: 3D viewer, exploded view, ballooning & FAI reports
Everything CadNexa offers in one guide — STEP viewer with BOM, exploded view, PDF ballooning, AS9102/PPAP FAI reports. Free alternative to InspectionXpert and QA-CAD.
Protecting your IP: Why emailing STEP files to vendors is risky
Once you email a STEP file, you lose control. Learn how CadNexa's secure RFQ sharing protects your design while getting vendor quotes.
Understanding GD&T: A practical guide for shop floor engineers
Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing explained with real manufacturing examples. What every CNC machinist and QA inspector should know.
How to estimate manufacturing costs without experience
Material cost + machining time + overhead = quotation. A practical framework for engineers new to cost estimation.
AS9102 vs PPAP: Which FAI standard does your customer need?
Aerospace uses AS9102, automotive uses PPAP. Understanding the differences and when to use each standard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to common questions.