The desktop CAD era is ending
For 40 years, CAD systems were desktop-bound: AutoCAD (1982), SolidWorks (1995), EPLAN, Revit. But the last 5 years have seen a tectonic shift — and it's irreversible.
Figma (2012) first proved that a complex engineering tool can work in the browser without performance loss. Onshape (2015) did the same for solid 3D modeling. GorkyCAD (2023) — for electrical power design.
The technology stack
Browser-based CAD became possible thanks to four technologies:
1. WebAssembly (WASM)
WASM runs code compiled from C/C++/Rust in the browser at near-native speed (90-95%). Heavy calculations — short-circuit currents, ray tracing, topology analysis — now fly in the browser.
2. WebGPU
A new graphics API (Chrome 113+, Firefox, Safari). Renders complex 2D and 3D scenes with desktop OpenGL/Vulkan-level performance. GorkyCAD uses WebGPU for floor plan and schematic rendering.
3. PWAs (Progressive Web Apps)
PWAs let web apps work offline, like native apps. Desktop installation, app icon, no address bar. GorkyCAD is a PWA: works without internet, all data stored locally in IndexedDB, syncs when connected.
4. Cloud computing
Heavy computation can be offloaded to the cloud. GorkyCAD does it locally (WASM), but uses cloud sync for team collaboration.
Advantages of the web approach
1. Cross-platform: Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, iPad — identical experience everywhere
What's holding it back
- Habit: old-school engineers only trust "real" desktop software
- Huge files: a factory project can be gigabytes — but cloud streaming solves this
- PLM/ERP integration: historically desktop API-bound — but web APIs are replacing COM/OLE
Forecast
By 2030, 70% of new CAD projects will start in web tools. Desktop will remain in niches: aerospace, automotive (CATIA), microelectronics. The mass market — construction, electrical, HVAC, site planning — will move to the web.
GorkyCAD made this bet from day one.