I been thinking an openscad->cura pipeline would be cool. This post is very similar and inspiring. Imagine running a custom action or pipeline and getting a physical object pop out in the shed. Pretty awesome. I also like the idea as git as the way to share and remix 3d printing instead of (as well as) the various STL sites.
I once tried to do something like that, but I stopped when trying to deal with the CuraEngine CLI...
I don't know if other slicers have a better CLI, or even if they have a CLI...
I'm really happy to see OpenSCAD stuff here in HN. Of course it has some downsides (not being able to measure an object is the main one...), but it is an underrated tool.
I'm using it as my main 3D modeling tool for three years, and I even gave I course about it last year. No regrets, and I never felt that I needed to learn Fusion or similar
I'm really happy to see OpenSCAD stuff here in HN. Of course it has some downsides (not being able to measure an object is the main one...), but it is an underrated tool. I'm using it as my main 3D modeling tool for three years, and I even gave I course about it last year. No regrets, and I never felt that I needed to learn Fusion or similar
Depends on the use-case, but openscad can be useful for simple parametric designs prone to deformation during manufacturing (we use it for printing off-axis parabolas.)
FreeCAD supports the openscad language plugin, and can generate proper solids. Many classic CAD/CAM users often see the parametric design workflow as baffling... not an entirely undeserved reputation.
I been thinking an openscad->cura pipeline would be cool. This post is very similar and inspiring. Imagine running a custom action or pipeline and getting a physical object pop out in the shed. Pretty awesome. I also like the idea as git as the way to share and remix 3d printing instead of (as well as) the various STL sites.
Keep in mind some OpenSCAD designs use complex library dependencies, and baked source geometry.
The simple language IDE preview pane sometimes chokes on the surfaces that are compiled, and on rare occasion must be done via command line. Thus, some complex designs may take hours to generate a model.
The slicers are meant to be more CAM tool than CAD utility, but people are mixing features as use-cases increase in complexity.
> "The strength comes from the tightening/wedging effect when pulling the join apart. If the dovetail is tapered, the join can also tighten when it aligns too – this is highly desirable for gluing, as it means the glue will not be scraped away." While true, dovetail and other traditional woodworking joints borrow their strength from using the wood grain to support the joint. I don't know a lot about 3D printing but I…
Grain direction in woodworking has many similarities to layer lines in 3d printing. That makes techniques from woodworking often more directly transferable than techniques from CNC machined, cast, or injection molded parts.
I been thinking an openscad->cura pipeline would be cool. This post is very similar and inspiring. Imagine running a custom action or pipeline and getting a physical object pop out in the shed. Pretty awesome. I also like the idea as git as the way to share and remix 3d printing instead of (as well as) the various STL sites.
I once tried to do something like that, but I stopped when trying to deal with the CuraEngine CLI... I don't know if other slicers have a better CLI, or even if they have a CLI...
Orca Slicer might be a good candidate. The cli is a bit rudimentary. I assume it was built by Bambu Labs for slicing ready-made print profiles for printing from the mobile app. Or maybe it's inherited from PrusaSlicer (Orca Slicer is the open-source fork of Bambu Studio, which was forked from PrusaSlicer, which was forked from Slic3r). But as long as you only want to apply print settings, filament settings, load an stl, run auto-layout and get gcode out, it should do the trick with minimal effort.
I'm really happy to see OpenSCAD stuff here in HN. Of course it has some downsides (not being able to measure an object is the main one...), but it is an underrated tool. I'm using it as my main 3D modeling tool for three years, and I even gave I course about it last year. No regrets, and I never felt that I needed to learn Fusion or similar
For me, the big problem with OpenSCAD and the reason I let go of it quickly is the lack of constraint-based modeling. For example, if I want to design a cup and I want my handle to have a 30mm round hole that is tangent to the walls of the cup, I want to be able to adjust the thickness of the handle and the size and shape of the cup while keeping these properties. And I don't what do do the maths myself if I can avoid it.
OpenSCAD does very little to help me with these maths as it doesn't have a solver. Not to my knowledge at least.