We build software based on the mathematics of origami
PackCAD is a small team of researchers and software engineers working on the mathematics of origami folding — and building design tools that make it usable in industry.
Conventional CAD was never built for folded geometry
Folding is an efficient way to manufacture 3D parts out of flat sheet material — from paperboard packaging to high-performance aerospace structures. But conventional CAD was built for solids and surfaces, not folds.
PackCAD brings advances from the academic field of computational origami into practical CAD software. Our mission is to expand what designers and engineers can create with folding, and to make specialized techniques like curved folding available to anyone.
Our approach
Research-driven
We conduct original research into the algorithms, simulation methods, and geometric constraints underlying folding and developable surfaces.
Built for the web
We build 3D CAD that runs in a browser tab, on any machine, so improvements reach you as soon as they are ready.
Made with our users
Our development process runs on user feedback. Early releases go out through our beta program, where they get tested against real workflows.
Parametric by design
Everything in PackCAD is parametric, so you can iterate through many versions of a design in the time it would take to manufacture one.
Amanda Ghassaei has spent over a decade building 3D CAD and simulation software. She earned her master's at MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms, and her industry experience includes work at Autodesk and at Adobe, where she built tools for folding packaging design.
In 2017 she released Origami Simulator: a free, browser-based tool used by artists, researchers, and educators worldwide. She founded PackCAD to translate this work into production-ready software for designers and engineers.