{"id":709,"date":"2011-01-12T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-01-12T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/archives\/709-script-based-modeling-with-openscad.html"},"modified":"2022-09-28T14:11:39","modified_gmt":"2022-09-28T18:11:39","slug":"script-based-modeling-with-openscad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/script-based-modeling-with-openscad","title":{"rendered":"Script-based modeling with OpenSCAD"},"content":{"rendered":"

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OpenSCAD is a 3D modeling tool with a twist: it doesn’t use an interactive 3D interface for its modeling, but a scripting language.<\/p>\n

You’ll use text commands to add basic shapes, move and scale them and apply operations to them. This may sound cumbersome, but I’ve found it’s a lot of fun to work with. Changing your model is as easy as going back to your script, editing it and hitting ‘render’. Done!<\/p>\n

OpenSCAD uses ‘constructive solid geometric modeling’ – you’ll use operations such as ‘union’, ‘difference’ and ‘intersection’ to combine objects into new ones. And the good part is: your models are always printable! (Well, if the size and wall thickness are ok, that is).<\/p>\n

You can load external (STL) objects in your file and work with them, so you can always do the modeling of more complex shapes in other software.<\/p>\n

Did I mention yet that OpenSCAD it open source, and free? I’ve added a bunch of links below to get you started. Enjoy!<\/p>\n

Links<\/strong><\/p>\n