{"id":29287,"date":"2017-02-14T03:05:59","date_gmt":"2017-02-14T08:05:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/?p=29287"},"modified":"2017-08-10T15:49:48","modified_gmt":"2017-08-10T19:49:48","slug":"tutorial-tuesday-4-using-openscad-to-design-with-code","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/tutorial-tuesday-4-using-openscad-to-design-with-code","title":{"rendered":"Tutorial Tuesday 4: Using OpenSCAD to Design With Code"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to Tutorial Tuesday! This week, we speak to the geeks. Did you know that you can create 3D-printable designs with code \u2014 no 3D modeling required? OpenSCAD is a programming language for solid modeling, specifically built for creating designs that are exportable as triangular meshes for 3D printing. In this post, we\u2019ll walk you through the basics and show off some Shapeways designs created with this powerful parametric modeling software.<\/p>\n

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Getting Started With OpenSCAD<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re an experienced programmer, then you\u2019re going to love this. But even if you\u2019ve never written a line of code before in your life, you\u2019ll be able to learn the basics of OpenSCAD and get started modeling right away! Start by downloading a free copy of OpenSCAD<\/a> and bookmarking the very useful OpenSCAD User Manual<\/a> and OpenSCAD Cheat Sheet<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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For a quick start, check out the <\/span>Hello OpenSCAD<\/a> one-page starter document with <\/span>OpenSCAD sample files<\/a>. For extensive documentation and examples, see the Thingiverse <\/span>OpenSCAD Jumpstart page<\/a> and <\/span>OpenSCAD discussion group<\/a>. Or, get started in less than 10 minutes by watching and playing along with the video <\/span>PolyBowls – A simple OpenSCAD code walk-through<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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If you like learning by video, then you should also check out Patrick Conner\u2019s video playlist of OpenSCAD tutorials<\/a>. This playlist is how I initially learned about OpenSCAD and the videos are very clear, simple, and easy to follow.<\/p>\n

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OpenSCAD Models on Shapeways<\/b><\/h3>\n

OpenSCAD is particularly good for creating models based on equations or data, or that are procedurally generated. Here are four beautiful jewelry models on Shapeways that were designed with OpenSCAD:<\/p>\n