I've been using the OpenSCAD version of this for a while. This new release is a big upgrade! I wish it worked with my preferred CAD, FreeCAD. But this is neat!
Launch HN: Adam (YC W25) – Open-Source AI CAD
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Re: Launch HN: Adam (YC W25) – Open-Source AI CAD
#72Congrats! I like the code-based CAD paradigm, but one question about that: why did you choose OpenSCAD instead of more powerful alternatives like CadQuery?
Most of our users on CADAM are makers/tinkerers. Their #1 usecase is to generate a printable stl file for which openSCAD is ideal (LLMs are very good at generating it)
For professional workflows you can use https://adam.new/ which can work natively in your CAD software and generate .STEP via build123d
Re: Launch HN: Adam (YC W25) – Open-Source AI CAD
#73I've been using the OpenSCAD version of this for a while. This new release is a big upgrade! I wish it worked with my preferred CAD, FreeCAD. But this is neat!
Sweet!
Re: Launch HN: Adam (YC W25) – Open-Source AI CAD
#74What exactly is the use case for this? Just making pretty little 3d models? There are so many reasons why I, as an engineer, will never even attempt to use AI for mechanical design, that trying to list them all is about to give me an autistic screeching fit. Even if all I need is a simple little bracket or something, I can model that and know it's right much quicker than I can ask the AI to do it and then check it's…
This doesn’t seem to be for machining CAD but more like stuff you would 3D print at home
yep
Re: Launch HN: Adam (YC W25) – Open-Source AI CAD
#75What exactly is the use case for this? Just making pretty little 3d models? There are so many reasons why I, as an engineer, will never even attempt to use AI for mechanical design, that trying to list them all is about to give me an autistic screeching fit. Even if all I need is a simple little bracket or something, I can model that and know it's right much quicker than I can ask the AI to do it and then check it's…
This doesn’t seem to be for machining CAD but more like stuff you would 3D print at home
The stuff I 3D print at home uses machining CAD.
Making video game assets on the other hand I could see.
Re: Launch HN: Adam (YC W25) – Open-Source AI CAD
#76What exactly is the use case for this? Just making pretty little 3d models? There are so many reasons why I, as an engineer, will never even attempt to use AI for mechanical design, that trying to list them all is about to give me an autistic screeching fit. Even if all I need is a simple little bracket or something, I can model that and know it's right much quicker than I can ask the AI to do it and then check it's…
> I can model that and know it's right much quicker than I can ask the AI to do it and then check it's work.
For me, this is the issue with all the AI stuff. The real work in what I do is figuring out what I want (requirements, constraints, design aesthetics etc.) and once that’s done, the rest is easy.
Even for things like voice commands, I’d much rather use a computer than talk to it.
Re: Launch HN: Adam (YC W25) – Open-Source AI CAD
#77What exactly is the use case for this? Just making pretty little 3d models? There are so many reasons why I, as an engineer, will never even attempt to use AI for mechanical design, that trying to list them all is about to give me an autistic screeching fit. Even if all I need is a simple little bracket or something, I can model that and know it's right much quicker than I can ask the AI to do it and then check it's…
The most difficult thing about these projects is for me to consider why anyone would want to use words to describe a 3D object. How do you reference objects? Saying "Make the hole at the end of the bracket 3 mm and move it up" isn't going to cut it. How do you know which end of the bracket I mean, and which direction does up refer to? So then I'd have to be more precise in what I'm asking for, and structure my words carefully in order to....
In 3D CAD, you click on it. It's completely unambiguous and it also doesn't take 10 seconds to interpret your prompt (because I saw this tool can also read images, but takes time to do so).
Re: Launch HN: Adam (YC W25) – Open-Source AI CAD
#78Can it work from photos? I'm specifically thinking about stuff like this: https://www.tooltrace.ai/
Wow, that’s a solution to an oddly specific problem I didn’t know existed, but it looks kind of cool
Gridfinity is a bit of a tool organization rabbit hole verging on a cult in 3d printing circles.
Re: Launch HN: Adam (YC W25) – Open-Source AI CAD
#79It did a great job with this prompt. Got it done in about the time it would take me to login and load Fusion. I forgot to include the wire diameter but it made a reasonable assumption and included it in the params for edits
"Make a grommet seal for a hole in an aluminum pipe where a cable goes through. The hole is 0.48 inches in diameter. The wall of the pipe is .25 inches thick. Make the seal split so it can be installed with the cable in place. Make a circular cover lip that is .2 inches across on the outside, and an inner lip to secure it that is smaller. It will be printed in flexible tpu"
Re: Launch HN: Adam (YC W25) – Open-Source AI CAD
#80Just to self-promote, we've got a very early stage project with a lot of similar ideas at https://quidities.com/ - feel free to signup / reach out if you have real world use cases anywhere in this space - we've got a lot in the works already.