Softwr

CAD · head to head

CoreTechnologie vs MicroSurvey CAD

CoreTechnologie logo

CoreTechnologie

CAD

CAD format conversion, validation and additive build preparation from a German independent

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MicroSurvey CAD logo

MicroSurvey CAD

CAD

Survey drafting and COGO on an IntelliCAD engine, sold outright rather than by subscription

From
$2945/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CoreTechnologie no pricing is published and the vendor sells through direct and regional channels, so there is no list price to anchor a negotiation and quotes differ by territory.; MicroSurvey CAD dWG compatibility is file-level, not feature-level, so Civil 3D corridors, pipe networks and other object-enabled entities do not arrive intact and collaboration with engineering consultants remains awkward
  • They diverge on capability: CoreTechnologie covers Native CAD conversion, MicroSurvey CAD covers Coordinate geometry.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CoreTechnologie and MicroSurvey CAD actually diverge.

Attributes where CoreTechnologie and MicroSurvey CAD differ
AttributeCoreTechnologieMicroSurvey CAD
Starting priceOn request$2945/one-time
Pricing modelquoteOne-time purchase
PlatformsWindows, LinuxWindows

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (CAD).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in CoreTechnologie

  • Native CAD conversion
  • Automatic geometry healing
  • Feature recognition
  • Simplification and defeaturing
  • Batch and server conversion
  • 3D_Analyzer
  • 4D_Additive B-rep printing

Only in MicroSurvey CAD

  • Coordinate geometry
  • Traverse adjustment
  • Field data reduction
  • IntelliCAD drafting
  • Legal descriptions
  • Surface and contours
  • Point cloud viewing

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

CoreTechnologie

  • A tier supplier that receives CATIA from one customer and NX from another and must work in SolidWorksnot MicroSurvey CAD
  • A company migrating a CAD library off one platform and needing feature-recognised, editable models rather than dumb solidsnot MicroSurvey CAD
  • Preparing additive builds from exact B-rep geometry where STL faceting would lose the tolerance you neednot MicroSurvey CAD
  • Giving purchasing and manufacturing staff a viewer with real analysis without buying them CAD seatsnot MicroSurvey CAD

MicroSurvey CAD

  • A boundary surveying practice that wants to reduce field data, adjust the traverse and write the legal description in one packagenot CoreTechnologie
  • A firm that refuses to pay an AutoCAD subscription but must deliver DWG files clients can opennot CoreTechnologie
  • A survey office standardised on Leica total stations that wants instrument data flowing in without a translation stepnot CoreTechnologie
  • A two-person practice with irregular workload that wants to own its software outright rather than lose access if it stops payingnot CoreTechnologie

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

CoreTechnologie

  • No pricing is published and the vendor sells through direct and regional channels, so there is no list price to anchor a negotiation and quotes differ by territory.
  • Licensing is granular by format read and write pair, so the price you were quoted covers the translations you named and adding a customer with a different CAD platform later means going back for another line item.
  • It is a small independent vendor, so a buyer standardising a critical migration pipeline on it should weigh the concentration risk and check the support arrangement in their own region rather than assume global coverage.
  • Feature recognition on converted geometry works well on prismatic machined parts and much less well on complex freeform surfaces, so the rebuilt-as-editable claim needs testing on your own worst parts, not on a demo model.
  • 4D_Additive competes with entrenched incumbents such as Magics in industrial AM, so machine-side Build Processor support and bureau familiarity are thinner, which matters if you need your service provider to accept the output.

MicroSurvey CAD

  • DWG compatibility is file-level, not feature-level, so Civil 3D corridors, pipe networks and other object-enabled entities do not arrive intact and collaboration with engineering consultants remains awkward
  • Only one price is listed publicly, for the floating network licence, and the differences between the Standard, Premium and Ultimate editions are resolved through a reseller conversation rather than a published comparison
  • It is Windows only and the installed base is concentrated in North America, so support, training material and experienced staff are much harder to find elsewhere
  • IntelliCAD lags AutoCAD on newer drawing format features and on third party plug-in availability, so a firm depending on a specific AutoCAD add-in will not find an equivalent
  • MicroSurvey now sits inside Hexagon alongside Leica Geosystems, which means the product competes for investment with a much larger portfolio, and buyers of a perpetual licence should ask about the release cadence commitment before assuming years of updates

Pricing, plan by plan

CoreTechnologie

On request
  • 3D_Evolution$undefined/year
    • Native CAD conversion across around 36 formats
    • Automatic healing and feature recognition
    • Simplification and defeaturing
  • 3D_Analyzer$undefined/year
    • Cross-format viewing and measurement
    • Wall thickness, draft and collision analysis
    • Model comparison
  • 4D_Additive$undefined/year
    • B-rep based build preparation
    • Texturing, nesting and lattice structures
    • Automatic part analysis for printability

MicroSurvey CAD

$2945/one-time
  • MicroSurvey CAD, floating network licence$2945/one-time
    • Perpetual licence, shared use with no USB dongle
    • Includes one year of maintenance and support
    • Standard, Premium and Ultimate editions differ in included modules
  • Edition upgrades and add-ons$undefined/one-time
    • Premium and Ultimate edition pricing quoted by MicroSurvey or a reseller
    • Point cloud and scanning modules priced separately
    • Reseller pricing varies by region

Which should you pick?

Choose CoreTechnologie if

  • You need native cad conversion.
  • You work on Windows, Linux.
  • You also want automatic geometry healing.
CoreTechnologie review

Choose MicroSurvey CAD if

  • You need coordinate geometry.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want traverse adjustment.
MicroSurvey CAD review

Questions people ask

Is CoreTechnologie or MicroSurvey CAD better?
Neither clearly leads. CoreTechnologie starts at On request and MicroSurvey CAD at $2945/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CoreTechnologie or MicroSurvey CAD?
CoreTechnologie starts at On request and MicroSurvey CAD at $2945/one-time.
Does CoreTechnologie or MicroSurvey CAD run on more platforms?
CoreTechnologie runs on Windows, Linux. MicroSurvey CAD runs on Windows.
What is CoreTechnologie best used for?
CoreTechnologie is most often used for a tier supplier that receives catia from one customer and nx from another and must work in solidworks, a company migrating a cad library off one platform and needing feature-recognised, editable models rather than dumb solids, preparing additive builds from exact b-rep geometry where stl faceting would lose the tolerance you need, giving purchasing and manufacturing staff a viewer with real analysis without buying them cad seats. Of those, a tier supplier that receives catia from one customer and nx from another and must work in solidworks and a company migrating a cad library off one platform and needing feature-recognised, editable models rather than dumb solids are not what MicroSurvey CAD is typically brought in for.
What can CoreTechnologie do that MicroSurvey CAD cannot?
CoreTechnologie covers Native CAD conversion, Automatic geometry healing, Feature recognition, Simplification and defeaturing. MicroSurvey CAD covers Coordinate geometry, Traverse adjustment, Field data reduction, IntelliCAD drafting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CoreTechnologie: Is CoreTechnologie owned by a CAD vendor?

No. It is an independent German company, which is the main reason it appears in supply chains that must move data between competing CAD platforms.

MicroSurvey CAD: Do I need AutoCAD to run it?

No. It is built on the IntelliCAD engine and reads and writes DWG natively without an Autodesk licence.

CoreTechnologie: Does conversion produce editable models?

3D_Evolution has feature recognition that rebuilds parametric features from solids. It is reliable on prismatic machined geometry and weaker on complex freeform surfaces, so test it on your hardest parts.

MicroSurvey CAD: Is it a perpetual licence or a subscription?

Perpetual. The listed 2,945 US dollar licence includes one year of maintenance and support, after which maintenance is optional.

CoreTechnologie: What makes 4D_Additive different from a normal slicer?

It prepares builds on exact B-rep geometry rather than converting to STL first, so tolerance and surface accuracy are not lost to faceting before printing.

MicroSurvey CAD: Who owns MicroSurvey?

Hexagon, the same group that owns Leica Geosystems.

CoreTechnologie: Can it run unattended for large migrations?

Yes. Batch and server conversion is designed for high-volume migration and PLM pipeline use rather than desk-by-desk conversion.

MicroSurvey CAD: Will Civil 3D drawings open correctly?

The geometry will. Civil 3D object data such as corridors and pipe networks will not come through as editable objects.

Share

Related pages

More on CoreTechnologie

More on MicroSurvey CAD

Keep looking

Other head to heads