The Open Design Alliance is a nonprofit organization of over 1,200 members in 50 countries which develops Teigha©, a software development platform used to create engineering applications including CAD. The main idea is to make core graphics technology accessible to software developers allowing them to focus on application development.

The ODA is developing Teigha for two main file formats:

• Teigha for .dwg files is a development platform available using C++, .NET, and ActiveX that is used with .dwg
  .dwg
  DWG is a binary file format used for storing two and three dimensional design data and metadata. It is the native format for several CAD packages including AutoCAD, IntelliCAD and Caddie. In addition, DWG is supported non-natively by many other CAD applications...
  
  , and .dxf files and other graphics files (old names: OpenDWG and DWGdirect).
• Teigha for .dgn files is a development platform available using C++ that is used with .dgn
  DGN
  DGN is the name used for CAD file formats supported by Bentley Systems' MicroStation and Intergraph's Interactive Graphics Design System CAD programs.There are two versions of DGN:...
  
   files and other graphics files (old name: DGNdirect).
• Teigha for Architecture is a development platform available using C++ that is used in conjunction with Teigha for .dwg files to additionally support custom architecture objects.

History

• The Alliance was formed in February 1998 as the OpenDWG Alliance.
• In 2002, the OpenDWG library was renamed to DWGdirect.
• In October 2003 the alliance was renamed to Open Design Alliance.
• On 22nd November 2006, Autodesk
  Autodesk
  Autodesk, Inc. is an American multinational corporation that focuses on 3D design software for use in the architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media and entertainment industries. The company was founded in 1982 by John Walker, a coauthor of the first versions of the company's...
  
   sued the Open Design Alliance alleging that its DWGdirect libraries infringed Autodesk's trademark for the word "Autodesk", by writing the TrustedDWG code (including the word "AutoCAD") into DWG files it created. In April 2007, the suit was dropped, with Autodesk modifying the warning message in AutoCAD 2008 (to make it more benign), and the Open Design Alliance removing support for the TrustedDWG code from its DWGdirect libraries.
• In 2008, support was added for .dgn files with DGNdirect.
• In April 2010, DWGdirect was renamed to Teigha for .dwg files, OpenDWG was renamed to Teigha Classic and DGNdirect was renamed to Teigha for .dgn files.

Members of the Alliance (not exhaustive)

• 20-20 Technologies
• Adobe Systems
  Adobe Systems
  Adobe Systems Incorporated is an American computer software company founded in 1982 and headquartered in San Jose, California, United States...
  
  
• Advanced Computer Solutions
• Bentley Systems
  Bentley Systems
  Bentley Systems, Incorporated is a software company that produces solutions for the design, construction and operation of infrastructure. The company’s software serves the building, plant, civil, and geospatial vertical markets in the areas of architecture, engineering, construction and operations...
  
  
• Bricsys
• Civiltech SA
• CADian Software
• GreatStar Software
• Cadwork Informatik
  Cadwork
  cadwork is a computer aided design software, created in 1980 by the CSEM, and followed in 1982 by the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , before it came a Swiss society in 1988 ....
  
  
• ESRI
  ESRI
  Esri is a software development and services company providing Geographic Information System software and geodatabase management applications. The headquarters of Esri is in Redlands, California....
  
  
• Foresoft
• IntelliCAD Technology Consortium
• Intergraph
  Intergraph
  Intergraph Corporation is an American software development and services company. It provides enterprise engineering and geospatially powered software to businesses, governments, and organizations around the world. Intergraph operates through two divisions: Process, Power & Marine and Security,...
  
  
• Nemetschek
  Nemetschek
  The Nemetschek group is world leading vendor of software for architects, engineers and the construction industry. The company develops and distributes solutions for designing, building and managing buildings and real estate as well as multimedia. According to Nemetschek, the company with all of...
  
  
• Siemens
  Siemens
  Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
  
  
• SolidWorks
  SolidWorks
  SolidWorks is a 3D mechanical CAD program that runs on Microsoft Windows and is being developed by Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., a subsidiary of Dassault Systèmes, S. A. . SolidWorks is currently used by over 1.3 million engineers and designers at more than 130,000 companies worldwide...
  
  
• Tekla Corporation
• ZwCAD Software
• Jacobs Engineering
  Jacobs Engineering Group
  Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., a publicly traded company with over 50,000 employees and 2010 revenues of nearly $10 billion, provides technical, professional, and construction services globally. Headquartered in Pasadena, California, it was founded in 1947 by Dr. Joseph J. Jacobs. Jacobs offers...
  
  
• 4M SA