LAD (Language-Aided Designer) is an AI-based 3D CAD (Computer-Aided Design) design automation add-in tool specifically for SolidWorks, developed by the LAD team (Will & Jorge) as part of the Y Combinator W26 batch on January 5, 2026. This software aims to enable mechanical and hardware manufacturing designers to instruct and perform 3D modeling tasks through an interactive interface, similar to how software engineers use tools like Cursor or Claude Code to edit code and manipulate systems using natural language. Internally, it leverages SolidWorks' own API to translate and execute user-inputted natural language and numerical prompts into SolidWorks macro commands. By combining screen capture and Feature Tree parsing, it fully and accurately perceives and controls the physical state and design context of the current drawing in real-time. Traditional 3D CAD design methods require an extremely labor-intensive and cumbersome workflow due to the numerous mouse clicks, precise manual input of dimensions, and complex menu navigation. Furthermore, typical LLMs (Large Language Models) have significantly lower capabilities in directly generating complex 3D geometric data compared to their text code writing abilities. LAD intelligently overcomes these limitations through SolidWorks API macro automation and direct CAD engine control. Like a skilled CAD operator expertly manipulating all of SolidWorks' tools based on instructions from the designer's side, LAD converts the user's high-level natural language commands into precise geometric design operations, drastically reducing manual design time and fatigue. It also provides context-aware checkpointing, allowing users to track and revert the work history, ensuring design safety even if incorrect results are generated. From the perspective of researchers in biotechnology and biosensor device development, LAD can be a highly innovative rapid prototyping partner for hardware. Bio researchers who need to directly design and manufacture precision experimental hardware, such as cell culture plate holders, microfluidic chips, custom tube racks, or complex optical microscope stage fixtures, can rapidly design the desired structure using only text specification sheets and natural language instructions, without requiring specialized CAD expertise. For example, if a user requests a custom microfluidic chamber model with five independent channels and 2.5mm diameter inlets arranged at regular intervals, LAD can automate the complex sketching and feature generation through internal calls to the SolidWorks API, completing a high-quality 3D model in just a few seconds, thereby significantly accelerating the in-house 3D printing prototyping process.

LAD (Language-Aided Designer) is an AI-powered 3D CAD (Computer-Aided Design) design automation add-in tool specifically for SolidWorks, developed by the LAD team (Will & Jorge) as part of the Y Combinator W26 batch on January 5, 2026. This software enables designers in the fields of mechanical engineering and hardware manufacturing to instruct and perform 3D modeling tasks through an interactive interface, similar to how software engineers use tools like Cursor or Claude Code to edit code and manipulate systems using natural language.

Case 1: Rapid Design of a Custom Microfluidic Chip Prototype: When researchers instruct LAD to generate a microfluidic device design with 5 channels (channel width 500μm, depth 200μm) and a 2.5mm diameter inlet for co-culture experiments, LAD dynamically drives the SolidWorks API macro to automatically complete the 3D modeling within 15 seconds and export it as an STL file for 3D printing.