FAQ

Plasticity is a direct modeling tool created for artists and designers who want powerful CAD capabilities without the complexity of traditional engineering software. Unlike parametric CAD tools — which rely on constraints, feature trees and design history — Plasticity is designed for clarity and speed, letting you make changes directly to the model at any time.

This approach offers a more flexible, intuitive workflow, making it ideal for quickly exploring ideas, iterating on designs, or making simple adjustments between print or production runs. Even without parametric tools, editing geometry in Plasticity is fast and straightforward, so you can focus more on creativity and less on managing the software.

Plasticity is available for:

Please note that not all features are available on every platform.

Your license can be used across multiple devices and operating systems — you’re free to install Plasticity on Windows, macOS, and Linux simultaneously.

Plasticity benefits from modern, high-performance hardware. While you can use the free trial to check how well it runs on your system, we recommend the following for a smooth experience:

Plasticity can run on both laptops and desktops, but a powerful CPU, GPU, and sufficient RAM will greatly improve performance — especially when working with complex 3D models.

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In simple terms, xNURBS helps create smooth, precise surfaces that meet complex design requirements.

Technically, xNURBS is a software library that uses variational surfacing technology to produce high-quality surfaces from a set of boundary and interior constraints. It is widely used in professional surfacing workflows and is normally sold as a $400 add-on for Rhino and SolidWorks.

With Plasticity, xNURBS is exclusively available with the Studio license. It is currently offered only on Windows and Mac. As it is a third-party tool that we license, we do not control its compatibility or availability on Linux. While we remain hopeful for future developments, its inclusion on Linux is unlikely in the near term.

Parasolid is a geometry kernel — a software library that performs complex mathematical operations such as booleans, fillets, and other modeling functions. Every CAD program uses a geometry kernel, and Parasolid is considered one of the best, powering leading software like SolidWorks, Siemens NX, and Shapr3D. It enables Plasticity to deliver precise, high-quality modeling for everything from small manufactured parts to large aerospace components.

HOOPS Exchange is a CAD format translation library that allows Plasticity to import and export a wide range of CAD file formats. Since different CAD programs use different geometry kernels, transferring data can be challenging. HOOPS Exchange solves this by providing industry-leading translation accuracy, ensuring your models move seamlessly between programs.

By integrating Parasolid and HOOPS Exchange, Plasticity gives you access to some of the most advanced CAD technology — at an exceptionally competitive price.

Your license is linked to the email address you used at the time of purchase — there is no password-based account. After your purchase, you will receive your license token via a purchase confirmation email sent from Paddle. This token remains the same for the lifetime of your license, including after renewals or upgrades.

Currently, our licenses are node-locked and tailored individually. This setup ensures that each license is assigned to a specific user and their devices, offering flexibility and control over usage.

A node-locked license is tied to specific computers:

We provide:

An activation is used when you install the license on a new computer (even if it’s the same machine after reinstallation). While we currently provide the above activations to accommodate different scenarios, frequent transitions between machines are restricted to prevent misuse of the license. You can transfer your license if you get a new device, and if you reach your activation limit within the year, simply email us to request additional activations.

Licenses are strictly for individual use and cannot be shared between multiple people. Even if installed on multiple machines, each license may only be used by a single individual. Concurrent use by different people is not permitted.

Both our Indie and Studio licenses are perpetual, meaning you pay only once for a 12-month maintenance window, but you own and can use the software forever. With your purchase, you receive 12 months of free upgrades, encompassing releases within that period. The versions of the software released and installed within the 12-month period will not become invalid or inaccessible after one year.

We aim to have two or three major releases each year.

Please note that updates are not automatic — you’ll need to download and install each new version manually once it’s released.

To stay informed about the latest stable releases, we recommend joining our official Discord channel, where all updates are posted in the #releases-stable channel.

Users who purchased the $99 Indie 1.0 license before October 2023 only have access to 1.x updates of Plasticity. This means their license does not include access to later releases such as v.2024 or v.2025.

We aim to have two or three major releases each year.

More generally, older licenses whose 12-month maintenance period has expired are limited to the last version released within their maintenance window. Since our licenses are perpetual, you can continue to use that version without restrictions, but you will not be able to access newer releases unless you renew within the renewal window or purchase a new license.

Eligibility requirements: