There are two ways to use METHEUS. Design by chatting with AI in the app, or connect METHEUS Tool to an external AI agent such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or Codex. If you're new, start with Method A.
Chat with AI in the METHEUS app, review the design process, and adjust its direction as you go.
※ May use more credits than Method B.
For users with an external AI agentUse METHEUS Tool in Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or Codex for CAD work. The METHEUS app handles the FreeCAD connection.
Install the app → Sign in → Connect FreeCAD → Request your first design
Download the METHEUS app for Windows.
When Restart to update appears at the top of the app, select it to update to the latest version.
Sign in to your METHEUS account and choose a workspace.
Connect the METHEUS app to FreeCAD to get ready for CAD work.
A green FreeCAD indicator at the top means you are connected. If FreeCAD is not installed, select Install & launch or use Open freecad.org to install it.
Describe the product you want to build and its requirements in the chat.
You don't need every requirement up front. METHEUS can ask for details as needed. For what happens next, see the design-stage guide.
Chat in your external AI agent while the METHEUS app handles the FreeCAD connection and routes tool calls.
CAD requests from your external AI agent pass through METHEUS to FreeCAD. If you run FreeCAD while signed in to METHEUS, your external AI agent can also call METHEUS tools to use the design features.
Add the copied settings to your external AI agent and restart it. Keep your existing settings.
To use the design generation and optimization features, sign in to your METHEUS account and select a workspace.
| Item | Method A · METHEUS app | Method B · Connect an External AI Agent |
|---|---|---|
| Design conversation | METHEUS app | External AI (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Codex) |
| What you get | You can start designing directly in the app without connecting an external AI agent. Review and adjust the design process, and keep your design records in one place. | Connect METHEUS to the AI agent you already use and continue working in your familiar workflow. |
| Keep in mind | May use more credits than Method B. AI usage counts toward the daily and weekly credit allowance. | Results may vary by AI model and version. Conversations are not saved in METHEUS. |
| Best for | For first-time users, anyone who prefers a simple interface over connecting an external AI agent, and teams that want to keep design records in one place | For users with an external AI agent who want to add METHEUS design capabilities to their workflow while reducing credit costs |
Enter design requirements and compare candidates in the METHEUS app. Inspect geometry and motion in FreeCAD.
Find the design chat, CAD connection, candidate generation, and report tools.
Use New project to organize related chats. Reopen a past chat to continue your design.
Describe your design goals and requirements to METHEUS, then review the results and refine your design through conversation.
Check the connected FreeCAD document and its status. You can also launch FreeCAD or reconnect.
Create or edit the problem definition with the tools in Problem, compare options in Candidates, and revisit saved options in Saved.
Use the play button or step slider to inspect mechanism motion. In Assess, Drive, Forces, and Details, review the results, drive settings, and loads.
Review requirements, design options, and engineering analysis together in the design report.
In FreeCAD
Select mechanisms and parts in the model tree, then toggle visibility to focus on the geometry you need.
Change the view with the view cube, and use Fit all to show the entire model.
Keep CAD beside the chat when entering requirements and beside the candidate list when comparing design options.
When using an external AI agent, continue the design conversation there and inspect geometry and motion in FreeCAD.
In the web Console, check your daily and weekly credit allowance, recent chats, and credit usage.
Work Records and Design Assets are not available during the beta.
The service is free during this period, so the credit usage shown will not be billed.
METHEUS helps organize requirements, generate design candidates, build CAD models, run engineering analysis, and prepare design reports. Compare what you can do at each stage with the METHEUS app AI or a connected external AI agent.
Describe your goals and requirements in the chat. METHEUS structures the design problem and asks about missing details. Review the design space and target poses in FreeCAD.
Your external AI agent organizes the requirements and asks about missing details. It can call METHEUS tools to set up the design problem in CAD.
Specify the target motion and dimensions, available space, and mounting points.
Generate multiple design options and compare them in the Candidates tab. Review their motion in Playback, then develop your chosen option in detail.
Call candidate generation and CAD modeling tools from your external AI agent. Compare options in the chat and FreeCAD. The Candidates tab and Playback are unavailable in this mode.
Compare motion, manufacturability, and part count before choosing a design.
Review mechanism motion and static loads, then see the design process and analysis results in the app's design report.
Call the analysis and report generation tools, then open the resulting design report file to review it.
Set load conditions, materials, and acceptance criteria, then review the results.
Revisit chats and design sessions in the METHEUS app. Work Records and Design Assets in the Console are planned for a future update.
Chats with an external AI agent remain in that service and are not saved in the METHEUS app.
Save CAD models and design reports as local files.
Sign in to METHEUS and check your CAD connection. AI use in the app counts toward your daily and weekly credit allowance.
Sign in to the METHEUS app and launch FreeCAD. Your external AI agent can then call METHEUS tools to use design features.
Check the CAD document and project you want to use.
Visit About METHEUS for details on supported features.