Neurocad is an execution layer between your static engineering files and your EDA and CAD applications. You bring in a file — a datasheet, a drawing, a schematic — tell Neurocad what to extract and how to transform it, and the output goes directly into Altium, Cadence, SolidWorks, or whichever tool you're working in. No manual re-entry. No redrawing from scratch.
This guide walks you through setup, your first recipe, and the building blocks you'll use from there.
Every Neurocad workflow follows the same loop:
Recipes are reusable. Once you've built one for a footprint extraction or a CAD part from a drawing, you can run it again on new files or automate it for batch processing.
Recipe A recipe is a visual workflow built in the Canvas editor. It defines the inputs (your files), the logic (your prompts and processing nodes), and the outputs (the digital assets going into your EDA and CAD applications). Recipes are the primary unit of work in Neurocad.
Canvas editor The visual workspace where you build and edit recipes. Nodes are connected left to right — data flows from your input file through processing steps to the output.
Node A single step in a recipe workflow. Each node has a specific function: adding a file, extracting geometry, processing library data, sending to a connected tool, and so on. Nodes are selected from the Node palette and connected in the Canvas editor.
Preset recipe A pre-built recipe scaffold for common workflow operations. Presets give you a working node structure to start from so you're not building from scratch. You can customize any preset inside the Canvas editor.
Artifact The output of a recipe run — a footprint, symbol, CAD part, schematic, or other digital asset. Artifacts are reviewable before you send them to any connected tool.
Follow the download instructions provided at installation for Neurocad Link. Once installed, sign in on Neurocad Link. Then you’re done.
Neurocad Link will auto install into your current suite of tools upon download. Should you have problems, each application has its own connection guide.
Current supported applications:
Click Start tour to get a quick orientation of the main menu.
This walkthrough uses the Extract symbol preset — a common starting point that demonstrates the full Neurocad loop.
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Once you're comfortable with presets, you can build recipes from scratch using the Blank recipe option, or modify any preset to fit your workflow.
The Node palette on the left side of the Canvas editor is organized into five sections. Click any node to add it to your canvas, then connect nodes left to right to build your workflow.
Input nodes provide data to your recipe. They appear in the Input section of the node palette.
Add file - Upload any file as an asset. This is typically the starting point for image-based workflows. The Add file node accepts single page and multipage PDFs and text files, JPEGs, PNGs, and more.
Prompt - A text field where you describe what you want to create. Most process nodes accept a prompt input for context.
Describe what you want Neurocad to extract from the file. This works like LLM prompt engineering — be specific.
If the image has ambiguous labels, measurements, etc., clarify what you're asking the agent to re-create. Instead of "extract the footprint," write something like: "Extract the land pattern and pad dimensions from the component footprint on page 3. Output as a PCB footprint compatible with IPC-7351 naming conventions."
Extract image - Takes a file (PDF, SVG, 3D model) and extracts a raster image from it. Useful for pulling reference drawings out of documents before sending them to a process node (for a detailed conversion). Currently available for Model interpretations.
Import - Import EDA and CAD libraries and schematics directly. Outputs a library, schematic, and preview image.
Corner set - Define parameter corners for sweep runs. Outputs both the active corner and the full set of corners.
Connect read - Defines an input port for automation recipes. Used when a recipe is triggered programmatically rather than run manually.
Mechanical nodes run remotely and handle CAD tasks. They appear in the Mechanical section of the palette.
Model - Creates 3D CAD models from drawings and prompts. Accepts separate image inputs for part and enclosure references.
Interpret drawing - Analyzes an engineering drawing and extracts structured dimensions and parameters. Outputs a parameter set that can feed into a Model node for more precise geometry.
Other Mechanical nodes (Drawing, Assembly, Sketch) are planned but not yet enabled.
EDA nodes run remotely and handle electronic design tasks. They appear in the EDA section of the palette.
Library - Creates component library symbols and footprints from reference images and prompts. Accepts separate image inputs for symbol and footprint references.
Other EDA nodes (Schematic, PCB, CAM, Wire diagram, SPICE) are planned but not yet enabled.
Output nodes are the terminal step of a recipe. They appear in the Output section of the palette.
Live design - Sends the result to your local Neurocad installation for viewing and further editing.
Run recipe - Executes the entire recipe as a job. Also used to publish the recipe as an embeddable link.
Embeddable - Publishes the output artifact so it can be embedded or shared externally.
Connect write - Defines an output port for automation recipes. Paired with Connect read to form the boundary of a headless pipeline.
When you create a new recipe you can start from a preset template. These wire up common workflows so you can get started quickly.
EDA presets
Extract footprint - File > Extract image > Library (footprint mode) > Live design
Extract symbol - File > Extract image > Library (symbol mode) > Live design
Mechanical presets
CAD part from drawing - File > Extract image > Model (part mode) > Live design
CAD enclosure from drawing - File > Extract image > Model (enclosure mode) > Live design
CAD part from interpreted drawing - File > Extract image > Interpret drawing > Model > Live design. The interpret step extracts dimensions from the drawing and passes them as parameters to the model node.
Automation presets
Automation: Library symbol - Connect read > Library > Connect write
Automation: CAD part - Connect read > Model > Connect write
Automation presets use Connect read/write instead of file inputs and live design outputs. They are designed for triggered or headless execution. The typical workflow is to prototype with a standard preset first, then adapt for automation once the flow works.
Blank recipe
Blank recipe - An empty canvas. Build your recipe from scratch.
Nodes communicate through typed ports. The main port types are:
Text - Prompt and description strings
Image - Raster images extracted from documents or uploaded directly
Data - Structured data like parameter sets and sweep results
EDA - EDA artifacts (libraries, schematics, netlists)
Mechanical - CAD artifacts (3D models, drawings, assemblies)
Generic - Accepts any type. Used by output nodes so they can receive artifacts from either domain.
The canvas enforces type compatibility when you draw connections. Generic inputs accept any output type, but typed inputs only connect to matching outputs.
Once a recipe is working reliably, you can apply it to an automation sequence for batch processing.
Go to Automate in the left navigation panel. From here you can configure automations that run a recipe across multiple files or trigger on a schedule. Automate is useful for library maintenance, bulk part imports, or recurring drawing conversions.
The left panel is your primary navigation:
Click the Neurocad logo or Neurocad icon at the top left to access Overview — your home base for recent activity.
Use the icon panel at the bottom of the Canvas editor for workspace navigation:
Click the caret (v) next to a recipe title for recipe-level options:
If a recipe run fails, start here:
Last updated April 10, 2026