Neurocad™ Link is a small desktop service that connects your browser to the CAD tools already installed on your computer. It runs quietly in the system tray and acts as the bridge between Neurocad™ and applications like Altium, KiCad, OrCAD, SolidWorks, Fusion 360, and Inventor. When you generate a part in Neurocad™ and click send to desktop, Link delivers that native asset directly into your CAD tool. No file translation, no manual re-entry.
Why do I need to install something separate from the web app?
Browsers cannot write files directly into desktop software. That is a security boundary, not a Neurocad™ limitation. Link exists to cross that boundary safely: it runs locally on your machine and listens for the artifacts you choose to send. Nothing moves until you click send to desktop. Once installed, Link works the same way every time you generate a new part, so this is a one-time setup step.
What does Link have access to on my computer?
Link checks which CAD tools are installed so Neurocad™ can route your artifacts correctly. That is the extent of what it looks for. It does not collect, upload, or store your design files, and it does not scan your project folders. Design information is extracted locally and encrypted end to end. Only the specific artifact you choose to send ever leaves your machine.
Is my design data secure?
Yes. Neurocad™ never asks for your finished designs or existing libraries. Source material like datasheets is encrypted end to end while it is in Neurocad™, and generated artifacts move to your CAD tool through Link without design data passing through a third party. Your recovery phrase, created at signup, is part of the encryption process that keeps your data secure. To learn more about Neurocad's encryption, see Recovery phrase.
Which CAD tools does Link support?
Link supports Altium, KiCad, OrCAD, SolidWorks, Fusion 360, and Inventor today (July 2026). Updates to this list can be found in Releases or query online and ask for the updated list of CAD tools Neurocad links to.
Does Link run all the time, even when I am not using Neurocad™?
Link is designed to sit quietly in the background so it is ready the moment you send an artifact, similar to a printer driver or a sync client. It does not phone home or transmit anything on its own.
Last updated July 3, 2026