Introduction

OpenSCAD is an opensource application for modelling and animating Solid CAD objects in three dimensions.

It is offered as free software and is available for several platforms.

OpenSCAD provides a functional descriptive language that may be used to numerically describe a 3D object using primitive shapes assembled and combined using 3D boolean operations. It is well suited to Computer-aided design tasks that will lead to production using CNC machining or 3D Printing processes.

OpenSCAD is not an interactive modelling tool in the way that Blender or AutoCAD's apps are. Rather it uses a compiler to generate a run-time process to draw the 3D shapes specified by the instructions in an OpenSCAD file. Its user interface does offer a feature rich editing panel for the .scad programs currently loaded, an on-screen preview, a rendering engine to produce images, and a limited animation function.

OpenSCAD renders in two modes, Preview and Render.

Older versions of openSCAD use OpenCSG and OpenGL to perform fast, frame buffer based rendering for the on-screen preview. More recent versions of the Development Snapshot have switched to Manifold for preview rendering. This change lifts several limitations, not least of which are artifacts that occur on convoluted surfaces.

Another rendering engine is used to fully tessellate a model into a polygon mesh that is then used to create an image. The tessellation stage is preformed using the CGAL geometry engine.

OpenSCAD is available via the common distribution methods as listed on the downloads page.

Participation

Information about OpenSCAD development is available on GitHub.

The ways to participate in the community include the mailing list, and chatting on IRC.

Suggestions for features, feedback and bug reports may be written using GitHub Issues, but please read the preferred Way of Work before submitting.

Operations Manual

These pages were originally created as part of the OpenSCAD User Manual, now in the process of being restructured.

A printable version of OpenSCAD User Manual is available. OpenSCAD_User_Manual (edit it)

1. First Steps
2. The OpenSCAD User Interface
3. Input Devices
4. Customizer
5. Import
6. SVG Import
7. Export
8. Paths
9. Using an external Editor with OpenSCAD
10. Integration with other applications
11. Using OpenSCAD in a command line environment
12. Libraries

The OpenSCAD Language Reference

A printable version of OpenSCAD User Manual is available. The_OpenSCAD_Language (edit it)

1. The OpenSCAD Language
   1. General - READ THIS FIRST - comments, values and data types, variables, vectors, objects, getting input
2. 3D objects -
   1. 3D Primitive Solids - cube, sphere, cylinder, polyhedron
   2. 3D to 2D Projection
3. 2D Objects
   1. 2D Primitives - square, circle, polygon
   2. Text - Generate text using installed or user supplied font files; functions to retrieve text metrics.
   3. 2D to 3D - linear_extrude, rotate_extrude
4. Transform
   1. color
   2. rotate, translate, mirror, multmatrix
   3. scale, resize
   4. offset, minkowski, hull
   5. Combining transformations
5. Boolean combination
   1. union, difference, intersection, render
6. Other Functions and Operators
   1. Conditional and Iterator Functions - for, intersection_for, if, conditional ? :, assign, let
   2. Mathematical Operators - General, Vectors, Matrix multiplication
   3. Mathematical Functions
      1. Trigonometric (cos sin tan acos asin atan atan2)
      2. Other (abs ceil concat cross exp floor ln len let log lookup max min norm pow rands round sign sqrt)
   4. String Functions - str, chr, ord
   5. Type Test Functions - is_undef, is_bool, is_num, is_string, is_list, is_object
   6. List Comprehensions
   7. Other Language Features - Special '$' variables, echo, render, surface, search , version(), version_num(), parent_module(n) and $parent_modules, assert
7. User-Defined Functions and Modules - Functions, Modules, Children
8. Debugging aids -  % # ! * echo
9. External libraries and code files
   1. include - SCAD, CSG
   2. use - SCAD
   3. import - STL, OFF, DXF
      1. import_dxf - Deprecated
      2. import_stl - Deprecated
   4. export - STL, OFF, AMF, 3MF, DXF, SVG, PNG, CSG
   5. surface - PNG

Examples

1. Example Projects
2. Strandbeest

Build Manual

1. Building OpenSCAD from Sources
   1. Building on Linux/UNIX
   2. Cross-compiling for Windows on Linux or Mac OS X
   3. Building on Windows (Outdated)
   4. Building on Windows (New)
   5. Building on Mac OS X

Additional Resources

1. Command Glossary - Very short name and syntax reference
2. Frequently Asked Questions
3. Tips and Tricks

A clear guided introduction to using OpenSCAD and to the OpenSCAD language is available in the OpenSCAD Tutorial.

For Teachers: a basic 25-slide presentation from 2014 is available under GNUFDL to walk your students through the process of using OpenSCAD here.

Fablab Lannion (France) edited a nice French-language interactive tutorial that you might appreciate.

A "cheat sheet" is a useful quick reference for the OpenSCAD language, with each item linking back to this Wikibook.

A list of books can be found here.

Work in progress

This section contains documentation about ongoing work which is available as experimental features in snapshot versions of OpenSCAD or not yet integrated at all and pending in a branch or pull-request at the OpenSCAD github repository.

• Work in progress Category:Alphabetical/O Category:Book:OpenSCAD User Manual#%20 Category:Subject:3D graphics software#OpenSCAD%20User%20Manual