Everyone who knows us knows that we are die-hard fans of the Apple Pencil. With its unique pressure sensitivity, great latency, and palm rejection, it’s the most advanced stylus that has ever been used on a mobile device. It was made for designers and engineers. And that’s exactly why we designed Shapr3D for it.

That being said…we also want to make precise, intuitive and fun 3D modeling accessible for people who don’t have an Apple Pencil or a compatible iPad. As obsessed as we are with providing the highest quality CAD app possible, we also want all of our fans to be able to enjoy the Shapr3D experience. Until now, without an Apple Pencil, Shapr3D only functioned as a dynamic viewer. But not anymore.

Pencil it in. Make it click. Tap into it.

With our newly released mouse and keyboard support, the choice is yours. Now you have the flexibility and freedom to design in Shapr3D with any input device. Start modeling with what feels most comfortable for you and find the workflow that suits you best.

To get started, just enable Bluetooth for Shapr3D and your iPad, connect your keyboard with mouse or trackpad, and get to work. You can navigate the design space, create, and edit sketches and bodies with your mouse or trackpad. Switch views and undo or redo tweaks with keyboard shortcuts. Type in the exact dimensions of each line, curve, shape, and body in your projects.

Check out our forum article here to see the list of compatible devices. If you’re already using an iPad that’s compatible with the Apple Pencil, then you’ve got nothing to worry about. It will be compatible with the keyboard and mouse/trackpad as well. For more details on compatibility in general, have a look at Apple’s support article too.

Ch-ch-changes (take a little getting used to)

It may take a while to get the hang of modeling and editing with the mouse/trackpad in Shapr3D. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a handy cheat sheet with a list of new shortcuts and gestures that will help you hit the ground running. If you’re currently using the app, you can also long-press the Command key plus to see our revamped onboarding and in-app tutorials with all the new information.

Your toolkit, upgraded

For us, the concept of mobility goes both ways: we want people to have a CAD app they could use to design on the move, whenever and wherever inspiration strikes. But we also want to empower people to use Shapr3D while sitting at a desk with a mouse and keyboard, if that’s what suits your workflow and available equipment best in that moment.

Try it out and and let us know what you think! We can’t wait for you guys to enjoy this addition to your toolkit and all the dynamic versatility Shapr3D has to offer.