Transmashholding tested Russian CAD for Linux. Results

Transmashholding (TMH), the largest in Russia and one of the world's largest developers and manufacturers of rolling stock for railway and urban rail transport, conducted large-scale testing of Compass-3D on Linux. In November 2025, at an industry conference where TAdviser visited, the company reported its first results.

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Фото: TMX Press Service

Artyom Sudakov, head of the design and technological training systems department of the TMH information and digital technologies directorate, said that the company has been using the Compass-3D solution for more than two years in a wide perimeter - more than 50 companies design rolling stock within the group.

Now the question has arisen of using Compass-3D for Linux-based operating systems. The prerequisites for this were the departure of foreign vendors of operating systems from the Russian market, the risk of loss of manageability of the IT landscape security. There is also a risk of a decrease in the quality of applied software products of domestic vendors due to the lack of full access to documentation and support for departed OS vendors and the risk of increasing the pressure of regulators to expand the contour of critical information infrastructure (CII) facilities.

The TMX was based on the Astra Linux OS, on which the beta version of Compass-3D was deployed. And compared the results with the use of "Compass-3D" on Windows 10. Testing was carried out on a large-scale assembly of the product - about 4.5 thousand components at all levels and almost 4 thousand parts, cited data by Artyom Sudakov.

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Фото: Presentation by Artyom Sudakov

During testing, both the functionality and performance of the Astra Linux and Windows solution were evaluated. We tested, for example, working with part and assembly models: creating, filling with components, etc. Work was also carried out with models of parts and assemblies developed in Windows OS - the models were driven back and forth under two operating systems. Work was also carried out with drawings of parts and assemblies.

Artyom Sudakov notes that at the same time, first of all, it was important for the company to check the functionality of the system, cross-platform work.

The obtained indicators in the company are assessed as quite good. Thus, the performance in terms of the time of operations and the consumption of PC resources under Astra Linux turned out to be comparable, and in some operations ahead of Windows.

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Фото: Presentation by Artyom Sudakov

The graphics and display quality of 3D models in Linux and Windows are also comparable, there is no deterioration in graphics. All functions of Compass-3D on Windows are taken into account and functional in Compass-3D on Linux, says Artyom Sudakov.

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Фото: Presentation by Artyom Sudakov

At the same time, in the future, the company plans to conduct "tougher tests" on time characteristics on absolutely the same platforms and further testing, taking into account work with the PLM system.

It is worth noting that support for Linux in Compass-3D CAD has long been expected on the market and has become even more relevant due to the sharply increased need of Russian organizations in import substitution of software in 2022. The fact that Compass-3D still worked only under Windows can be called one of the factors that slow down the transition to this CAD.

At the end of 2025, it is planned to release a commercial version of Compass-3D for Linux. And in October, ASCON, the developer of Compass-3D, launched open testing of its beta version. TMH became the first major customer who has already managed to carry out full-scale testing and publicly presented the results.