# SmartSketch Reviews **Vendor:** Octave **Category:** [Sketching Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/sketching) **Average Rating:** 4.1/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 28 ## About SmartSketch Octave SmartSketch is an engineering drawing and drafting solution designed for the creation, editing and management of precise technical drawings and schematics. It combines intelligent drawing capabilities with practical tools that help engineering and design teams produce accurate, consistent work more efficiently. SmartSketch supports parametric drawing, meaning designs automatically adjust when changes are made, maintaining consistency across a project without manual rework. Extensive libraries of industry-standard symbols streamline the drafting process, while automated dimensioning and annotation tools reduce manual input and the risk of errors. Customizable templates help teams maintain adherence to internal and industry standards, and integration with other engineering applications supports data sharing across disciplines. The result is a straightforward drafting environment that reduces the time and effort needed to deliver high-quality technical drawings. ## SmartSketch Pros & Cons **What users like:** - Users find SmartSketch **user-friendly** and easy to navigate, enhancing their drawing experience significantly. (1 reviews) - Users find SmartSketch **intuitive** , making the drawing process simple and enjoyable to navigate. (1 reviews) ## SmartSketch Reviews ### 1. User friendly CAD program. **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Richard K. | Retired, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 05, 2025 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** It's a user friendly program and easy to navigate through the drawing process. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** Sometimes I have issues printing to my plotter. **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** It's a quick and easy program to create simple drawings for the job site. The learning curve for SmartSketch is quick. ### 2. I started using SmartSketch while was at tertiary in the 1990s. I found it easy to use. **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Vincent M. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 28, 2023 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** I like its ability to be save or export file to other competitors formats. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** Licensing or subscription thereof is recently is way beyond individual affordability. I love this product **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** System design for our vessels when it come to Communications and Navigation ### 3. Mechanical Engineer **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Alex F. | Private consultant **Reviewed Date:** December 04, 2021 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** Ease to Use for the sketch objective. Quality of graphics **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** It is difficult to find it in the market. **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Evaluation of design alternatives and options ### 4. SmartSketch.....Honest Review **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Vinesh S. | Civil Structural Designer, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 31, 2021 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** SmartSketch Drawing Editor is the only desktop application that gives you the power to create quick sketches, complex engineering designs, production drawings, plot plans, schematics, business diagrams, and more. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** Not enough customizations & The autosave function does not permanently save your changes. **Recommendations to others considering SmartSketch:** We usually use SmartSketch to produce steel structures, concrete foundation drawings & piping isometrics drawings. I strongly recommend this software. **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Convert diagrams to other formats like PDF, User-friendly. ### 5. Smart sketch- Let's edit smartly. **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Mukul S. | Engineer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 07, 2021 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** It's integration with the smart plant 3D. Easy extraction of 2D drawing from 3D model. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** Sometime the extract led files overlaps different views, it take time to adjust all together. **Recommendations to others considering SmartSketch:** Recommended if you wana extract drawing like drawings of equipments, vessels and Isometrics construction purpose to send those to client/site. **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Extracting and editing 2D drawings from 3D model for construction purpose. ### 6. A must-have 2D drawing resource tool! **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Rafael L. | Piping Designer II, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 22, 2020 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** As a piping designer, our deliverable comprises of isometric drawing and SmartSketch is very advantageous on putting up those drawings. What I like the most about it is the symbol creation it helps a lot on creating typical detail drawings to be used across users. Also, SmartSketch is very versatile when it comes to conversion of the file to different most-used 2D platforms. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** What I do notice of using it is the lack of proper shortcuts to certain command for faster execution. It hinders a faster workflow to establish a good drawing within a span of time. **Recommendations to others considering SmartSketch:** My advice on using SmartSketch is if you are looking for a software that is integrated with a Hexagon product. I suggest you use SmartSketch as it is highly integrated to those. When in terms of usage it is very easy to use as it has a short learning curve to fully utilize. **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** We usually use SmartSketch to produce piping isometric drawings. The integration it has to several Hexagon products is very beneficial to produce an isometric in an easy, straightforward process. ### 7. Long-term work with SmartSketch **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Josef M. | Projektant **Reviewed Date:** March 11, 2021 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** Easy work with the program. Option to create your own button commands. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** Frequent problems with SPLM, .Difficult creation of keyboard commands beyond the basic menu. I am missing the current version for W10 **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** I draw electrical design drawings. After creating custom symbols, it is universal. Cooperation with ACAD and Microstation formats. ### 8. SmartSketch Review - Electrical **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 31, 2020 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** The most helpful thing about Smartsketch (SS) is during extraction of 2d drawings the tags are already automatic based on the S3D and even the drawing limit & elevations. Also doing a detail is much faster in SS since it has a command in its program. Another one is that since it is associated with the S3D, any changes in the 3d can be reflected immediately in the 2d by just updating the drawing file. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** One of my problem is that it has no keyboard function or keyboard shortcuts like in Autocad, nonetheless it can still function as an Autocad. **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** I've realized the ease of working with SS since as I said earlier it is associated with the 3d details any changes can be reflected right away ### 9. Innovative tool for extracting drawings from 3D CAD applications **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Rommel D. | IT Systems Administrator, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 24, 2020 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** Smartsketch has a user friendly interface and of most of our designers recommends to use it. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** Sometimes I received complaints that some lines were missing during conversion from 3D to 2D drawings **Recommendations to others considering SmartSketch:** A good tool for creating detailed drawings **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Whenever I encountered issues with this product they can easily provide implementation assistance, product upgrades, and technical support ### 10. Professional grade and user friendly **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Jeffrey V. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 06, 2020 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** This product is not over loaded with bells and whistles that only serve to obstruct. It has what you need without cutting corners on performance. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** Truth to tell, there is nothing it lacks for what I need. **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Work prints for OSP Telecom were clear, crisp, and easy to read for the placers. Other products seem to fight you for clarity of placement intent. ### 11. Smarrsketch is very useful in extracting drawings from SmartPlant 3d. **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Mechanical or Industrial Engineering | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 03, 2020 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** Smartsketch is useful in producing isometric drawings,plot plan and section drawings from 3d model **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** It has no additional features for easier editing. For plot plan, most of the labels are scattered and not presentable so this adds to more effort on cleaning the drawing. **Recommendations to others considering SmartSketch:** This is recommendable if you want to extract and look into drawings of 3d model from SmartPlant 3d. **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** This is easier way to extract and present drawings from 3d model. With right setup, drawings are perfect for engineering services. ### 12. SmartSketch user interface **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Ardie Angelo D. | CSA Designer II, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 24, 2020 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** Extracting from S3D makes SmartSketch a convenient way of real time drawing updates in just 1 click **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** Glitches in SmartSketch are very irritable **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Instead of manually drafting 2D presentations., extracting 3D models regardless of orientation and complexity of views using SmartSketch comes in handy ### 13. Very useful in working on location plan and hook-up drawings. **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Reiland A. | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 14, 2020 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** Ease of use. Can work on SP3D generated drawings and covert to Autocad when need. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** Can't work as fast compared to using autocad in creating or modifying drawings. **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Smartsketch compliments working with SP3D as part of the SmartPlant family. ### 14. I find useful to share CAD designs concepts with people without making use of a expensive CAD tools. **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Airlines/Aviation | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 16, 2020 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** I find useful to share CAD designs concepts with people without CAD tools. Not as expensive as a usual CAD program. I use the program to sketch quickly ideas on top of existing CAD models. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** Need a bit of time to familiarise with the interface. Shortcuts are not too intuitive. **Recommendations to others considering SmartSketch:** quick for drafting on top of CAD designs. **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Quick for do some notes or share ideas without using expensive license. inexpensive license ### 15. Nilesh Patel (CSA Designer) **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** NILESH P. | Sr. E3D(PDMS) Designer Civil/Structural, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 24, 2020 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** Extracting from 3D makes Drawing in SmartSketch a convenient way of real time drawing updates in just 1 click and no mistakes, save time for checking. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** ts not good for drawing only editing and polishing of drawings **Recommendations to others considering SmartSketch:** yes **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Template creation, Symbol creation, drawings etc ### 16. SmartSketch is very userfriendly to use and easy to learn. **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Sergey J. | Freelance AutoCAD Designer / Draftsman, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 26, 2020 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** We can use Smartsketch to edit SP3D profiles and SPPID symbols. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** You need a while to get familiar with how to use Smartsketch. **Recommendations to others considering SmartSketch:** This is very useful when integrated with SMARTPLANT products. **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Editing the profiles and contours in SP3D for example platform shape. ### 17. Good experience but needs some work **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Oil & Energy | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 14, 2020 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** The way it can be customized and that it works to easily collaborate with other software such as Smart Plant 3D. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** The tentative to points of a line or shapes needs work. **Recommendations to others considering SmartSketch:** Keep asking questions **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** I'm extracting 2D drwgs from a 3D modeling software. Once customized it works great to annotate the final modifications. ### 18. Less work with high quality **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Oil & Energy | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 26, 2020 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** Ready made 2D drawing from 3D extraction. It is a real time representation of 3D model. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** The conversion process to other 2D format like microstation and autocad is not yet perfected. **Recommendations to others considering SmartSketch:** This is easy to use and navigate. Don' compare it to other 2D drafting software. It has it's unique tools and capability. **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Clients still wants 2D drawing format in microstation and autocad. Thus, the conversion is always neccessary. But this conversion is sometimes tedious and buggy. ### 19. Very useful in converting 3d drawings to 2d drawings. **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Mara Paulene R. | Associate Design Engineer I, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 25, 2020 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** Smartsketch interface is easy to use. This can be learned in a short time. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** Sometimes the 3d drawing is not accurately converted to 2d. Some lines were missing **Recommendations to others considering SmartSketch:** If your are looking for a versatile product in drafting, smartsketch is the key. **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Cleaned the 2d drawing in the easiest way ### 20. structural design technologist **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Civil Engineering | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 07, 2020 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** nice interface and easy to use for beginners. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** we need more step by step tutorial video on YouTube. **Recommendations to others considering SmartSketch:** i would recommend to others to use smartsketch. **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** i can use it for some small projects ### 21. Satisfied with Smartsketch **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Oil & Energy | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 23, 2020 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** I like best drawing update. It's very good tool without modification of existing **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** I dislike Snapping point of smartsketch. The snapping in smartsketch not smooth and accurate as AutoCAD **Recommendations to others considering SmartSketch:** Give some short cut default command like autocad **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** NA ### 22. A powerful tool for linkage between 3D and 2d software. **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Oil & Energy | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 24, 2019 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** It is likely to be best software for 3D to 2d updations **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** Drafting side is a little bit down as people using Autocad would say it’s a lot slow. **Recommendations to others considering SmartSketch:** If you are looking for a perfect software linking 3D and 2d it would be the best one. **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Additional.dll files addition is much more supporting. ### 23. Smart Sketch is best 2D tool **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Oil & Energy | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 31, 2020 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** The layout creation and symbol creation is way too easy compared to other 2D tools. Good with SmartPlant tools **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** Nothing as such. Easy to use and handle. **Recommendations to others considering SmartSketch:** Try to use it with other SmartPlant Tools **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Template creation, Symbol creation, drawings etc ### 24. Helps and checking knowledge about Smartsketch new command in a career. **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Anil k. | Piping Engineer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 16, 2020 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** Sketch editing commands Helps in editing GA Drawings using learned command. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** A lots of lengthy procedure to edit the drawings. **Recommendations to others considering SmartSketch:** Good to use and learn new way of generating and edit drawings. Very helpful and easy **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** GA drawings and isometrics drawing editing as per required standards. ### 25. Smart sketch is good tool **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Ajay G. | Electrical Designer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 26, 2019 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** Consistent linkage with sp3d. Short cut key or customer command **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** Slowness, not very user friendly. Background file is linked but only get updated when you update it. And after updation the file sometime get corrupted. **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Based on client requirement we use software. So when it come to smart sketch, we prepared layout and used it for extraction of drawings. The only benefit is the consistent linkage with sp3d ### 26. Smartsketch experience in structural detailing. **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Oil & Energy | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 22, 2019 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** Using smartsketch has lots of advantage in creating structural plans. One example is that you can extract and annotate drawings from the model using Smartplant 3d into 2d drawings at any views you want. You may also set up the workspace according to what feels comfortable to you as a user. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** Nothing to be disliked on smartsketch except maybe for beginners who must learn the environment first to be familiar with the software. **Recommendations to others considering SmartSketch:** It is a great tool for detailing as per my experience. **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** It made my work easy converting 3d models to 2d drawings. Just add annotations and you will have your detailed drawings created easily. ### 27. Brief experience **Rating:** 2.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Civil Engineering | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 24, 2019 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** What I like best is that is it user friendly you can understand the icons easily even without orientation. Your common sense will guide you through it. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** Its not good for drawing only editing and polishing of drawings **Recommendations to others considering SmartSketch:** Better try it **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** Although it is user friendly for designers like me its kind of not so good for drawing it is best used for editing only ### 28. Such an amazing 2D drafting software that is highly underrated. **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Civil Engineering | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 02, 2018 **What do you like best about SmartSketch?** It helps sketch up designs very fast and easily. It has a lot of features and is very accurate. **What do you dislike about SmartSketch?** As mentioned it only works for 2D sketching so the 3D drwaing option is not one of its specialty though it has some 3D modeling tools. Also initially you might find it a little difficult to get to know how to use it esp its more advanced features but once you start to understand it you'll find it really easy and user friendly. **What problems is SmartSketch solving and how is that benefiting you?** We needed a software to help us sketch and details a lot of parts in our project relating to aspects other than the construction aspects of a project i.e drawing circuit diagrams or dimensioning complex parts. It was the solution to that all. It allowed us to sketch up all of our project aspects with one software be it the architectural, construction, electrical or mechanical aspects. ## SmartSketch Discussions - [How do I open SmartSketch?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-do-i-open-smartsketch) - [How much does smart sketch cost?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-much-does-smart-sketch-cost) - [Is SmartSketch free?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-smartsketch-free) - [pricing for smartsketch?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/31229-pricing-for-smartsketch) - 1 upvote - [Can we add some more file types for opening in Smart Sketch](https://www.g2.com/discussions/27717-can-we-add-some-more-file-types-for-opening-in-smart-sketch) - [View SmartSketch pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/smartsketch/reviews?section=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-05-21+11%3A17%3A16+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=7bf2f6f6-a623-4d35-a018-ad40ee06fdb8&secure%5Btoken%5D=48f0beb9a3b970a90168f9fe107698d059429f24661f237b186bf44b1bcef1de&format=llm_user) ## Top SmartSketch Alternatives - [SketchUp](https://www.g2.com/products/sketchup/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (1,296 reviews) - [SmartDraw](https://www.g2.com/products/smartdraw/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (375 reviews) - [Autodesk Fusion](https://www.g2.com/products/autodesk-fusion/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (509 reviews)