The short version
- For a gate, a fence, or a screen, you type sizes instead of drawing lines.
- The tool computes the geometry and produces a dimensioned drawing plus a cut list.
- No AutoCAD, SolidWorks, or SketchUp, and no months learning to draft.
- Drawing and viewing is free; clean PDF and STEP downloads come with a paid plan.
- The title block carries your business name and logo, not a software brand.
- It takes minutes, and the cut list is always consistent with the drawing.
Why full CAD is overkill for a gate shop
AutoCAD, SolidWorks, and SketchUp are built to draw anything. That power is exactly the problem when all you need is a battened gate at a given size. You pay a licence per seat, you spend weeks learning to drive it, and then you draw every line, every dimension, and the cut list by hand, for a shape you build twenty times a year.
A gate is parametric. It is the same shape every time, just at different sizes. So the drafting can be done for you. A gate-specific tool already knows what a stile, a rail, and a batten are, so you set the numbers and it draws the gate. The skill moves from drafting to measuring and checking, which is where a fabricator’s real expertise sits anyway.
Full CAD vs a gate configurator
| Factor | Full CAD | Gate configurator |
|---|---|---|
| Learning curve | Weeks to months | Minutes |
| Cost | Licence per seat per year | Free to draw and view |
| How you work | Draw every line yourself | Type sizes, geometry is computed |
| Cut list | Build it by hand | Generated with the drawing |
| Best for | One-off custom geometry | Gates, fences, screens, panels |
The workflow, step by step
- Pick the model. Choose the style that matches the job from the catalogue: battened, slatted, louvred, swing, sliding, or a fence panel.
- Type the dimensions. Enter the clear opening width and height. The drawing redraws as you type.
- Set the frame and infill. Pick the tube profile (for example a 50 mm box section) and the batten or slat spacing. The geometry recomputes to suit.
- Fill the title block. Add your business name, the client, the finish callout, and your logo.
- Download. Export the dimensioned PDF and the cut list, ready to quote and build from.
What comes out
The output is a real, dimensioned drawing, not a sketch. Below is the kind of gate the tool draws; the live version carries the dimension lines, the title block, and the cut list. Open it and change a number to watch it redraw.
When you do still want full CAD
A configurator covers the shapes it knows: gates, fences, screens, balustrades, and panels. For genuine one-off geometry that does not fit any standard pattern, a full CAD package is still the tool. The honest split is simple. Repeatable parametric work goes through the configurator and comes out in minutes. Bespoke, never-again geometry goes through CAD. Most gate shops live almost entirely in the first column. For an aluminium gate to AS/NZS 1664, finished to AS 3715, the configurator does the lot.
Make a drawing now, free
Pick a model, type the sizes, and see the dimensioned drawing and cut list. No sign-up to draw and view. Start with one of these:
Browse the full catalogueQuestions people ask
Can I make fabrication drawings without CAD?
Yes. For a parametric job like a gate or fence you type the dimensions into a configurator and it produces a fully dimensioned shop drawing and a cut list. You skip the drafting entirely. CAD60 does exactly this, free to draw and view, with no AutoCAD, SolidWorks, or SketchUp needed.
Do I need AutoCAD or SolidWorks to draw a gate?
No, and for a gate shop they are usually overkill. Full CAD packages are built to draw anything, which means a steep learning curve and a licence fee to draw a rectangle with battens. A gate-specific tool already knows what a gate is, so you set sizes instead of drawing lines.
Is an online gate drawing tool accurate enough to build from?
It is built for it. The drawing is dimensioned to the metal face, carries a title block and a cut list, and the geometry is computed, not sketched, so every length is exact. A fabricator builds straight from the PDF. That is the whole point of a fabrication drawing.
How long does it take to make a drawing this way?
Minutes. Type the opening width and height, pick a style, set the frame and infill, fill the title block, and download. A drawing that takes an hour to draft by hand, or longer to learn to draft in full CAD, comes out in the time it takes to read the numbers off your tape.
Can I get a cut list as well as the drawing?
Yes. The cut list comes from the same numbers that draw the gate, so it is always consistent with the drawing. Every member, profile, and length is listed, which is what you price the quote from and cut the steel or aluminium against.
What does it cost?
Drawing and viewing a gate is free. You type sizes, see the dimensioned drawing and the 3D model, and read the cut list at no cost. A paid plan adds clean (un-watermarked) PDF and STEP downloads and your own branding on the title block, for shops that send drawings to clients.
Will the drawing carry my business details?
Yes. The title block takes your business name, contact, and logo, so the sheet that lands on a builder's desk reads as yours, not as a software brand. You set it once and it carries onto every drawing you produce.