@inproceedings{gong-etal-2026-toolcad,
title = "{TOOLCAD}: Exploring Tool-Using Large Language Models in Text-to-{CAD} Generation with Reinforcement Learning",
author = "Gong, Yifei and
Wu, Xing and
Liu, Wenda and
Tukang",
editor = "Liakata, Maria and
Moreira, Viviane P. and
Zhang, Jiajun and
Jurgens, David",
booktitle = "Findings of the {A}ssociation for {C}omputational {L}inguistics: {ACL} 2026",
month = jul,
year = "2026",
address = "San Diego, California, United States",
publisher = "Association for Computational Linguistics",
url = "https://aclanthology.org/2026.findings-acl.1160/",
pages = "23161--23188",
ISBN = "979-8-89176-395-1",
abstract = "Computer-Aided Design (CAD) is an expert-level task that relies on long-horizon reasoning and coherent modeling actions. Large Language Models (LLMs) have shown remarkable advancements in enabling language agents to tackle real-world tasks. Notably, there has been no investigation into how tool-using LLMs optimally interact with CAD engines, hindering the emergence of LLM-based agentic text-to-CAD modeling systems. We propose ToolCAD, a novel agentic CAD framework deploying LLMs as tool-using agents for text-to-CAD generation. Furthermore, we introduce an interactive CAD modeling gym to rollout reasoning and tool-augmented interaction trajectories with the CAD engine, incorporating hybrid feedback and human supervision. Meanwhile, an end-to-end post-training strategy is presented to enable the LLM agent to elicit refined CAD Modeling Chain of Thought (CAD-CoT) and evolve into proficient CAD tool-using agents via online curriculum reinforcement learning. Our findings demonstrate ToolCAD fills the gap in adopting and training open-source LLMs for CAD tool-using agents, enabling them to perform comparably to proprietary models, paving the way for more accessible and robust autonomous text-to-CAD modeling systems."
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<abstract>Computer-Aided Design (CAD) is an expert-level task that relies on long-horizon reasoning and coherent modeling actions. Large Language Models (LLMs) have shown remarkable advancements in enabling language agents to tackle real-world tasks. Notably, there has been no investigation into how tool-using LLMs optimally interact with CAD engines, hindering the emergence of LLM-based agentic text-to-CAD modeling systems. We propose ToolCAD, a novel agentic CAD framework deploying LLMs as tool-using agents for text-to-CAD generation. Furthermore, we introduce an interactive CAD modeling gym to rollout reasoning and tool-augmented interaction trajectories with the CAD engine, incorporating hybrid feedback and human supervision. Meanwhile, an end-to-end post-training strategy is presented to enable the LLM agent to elicit refined CAD Modeling Chain of Thought (CAD-CoT) and evolve into proficient CAD tool-using agents via online curriculum reinforcement learning. Our findings demonstrate ToolCAD fills the gap in adopting and training open-source LLMs for CAD tool-using agents, enabling them to perform comparably to proprietary models, paving the way for more accessible and robust autonomous text-to-CAD modeling systems.</abstract>
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%0 Conference Proceedings
%T TOOLCAD: Exploring Tool-Using Large Language Models in Text-to-CAD Generation with Reinforcement Learning
%A Gong, Yifei
%A Wu, Xing
%A Liu, Wenda
%Y Liakata, Maria
%Y Moreira, Viviane P.
%Y Zhang, Jiajun
%Y Jurgens, David
%A Tukang
%S Findings of the Association for Computational Linguistics: ACL 2026
%D 2026
%8 July
%I Association for Computational Linguistics
%C San Diego, California, United States
%@ 979-8-89176-395-1
%F gong-etal-2026-toolcad
%X Computer-Aided Design (CAD) is an expert-level task that relies on long-horizon reasoning and coherent modeling actions. Large Language Models (LLMs) have shown remarkable advancements in enabling language agents to tackle real-world tasks. Notably, there has been no investigation into how tool-using LLMs optimally interact with CAD engines, hindering the emergence of LLM-based agentic text-to-CAD modeling systems. We propose ToolCAD, a novel agentic CAD framework deploying LLMs as tool-using agents for text-to-CAD generation. Furthermore, we introduce an interactive CAD modeling gym to rollout reasoning and tool-augmented interaction trajectories with the CAD engine, incorporating hybrid feedback and human supervision. Meanwhile, an end-to-end post-training strategy is presented to enable the LLM agent to elicit refined CAD Modeling Chain of Thought (CAD-CoT) and evolve into proficient CAD tool-using agents via online curriculum reinforcement learning. Our findings demonstrate ToolCAD fills the gap in adopting and training open-source LLMs for CAD tool-using agents, enabling them to perform comparably to proprietary models, paving the way for more accessible and robust autonomous text-to-CAD modeling systems.
%U https://aclanthology.org/2026.findings-acl.1160/
%P 23161-23188
Markdown (Informal)
[TOOLCAD: Exploring Tool-Using Large Language Models in Text-to-CAD Generation with Reinforcement Learning](https://aclanthology.org/2026.findings-acl.1160/) (Gong et al., Findings 2026)
ACL