OpenSCAD

OpenSCAD is a programming language for solid CAD objects.

OpenSCAD is free software and available for GNU/Linux, MS Windows and Mac OSX. It provides two main modeling techniques: First, constructive solid geometry (CSG) and second, extrusion of 2D outlines. Autocad DXF files are used as the data exchange format for the 2D outlines. In addition to 2D paths for extrusion, it is also possible to read design parameters from DXF files. In addition to reading DXF files, OpenSCAD can also read and create 3D models in the STL file format, which is commonly used for 3D printing.

Getting Started with OpenSCAD:

  • Go to http://www.openscad.org/ and download OpenSCAD for your operating system. (In MacOSX, you may need to right-click on the application, in order to open it, as the executable is not signed.)
  • If you prefer not to install new software on your computer, alternatives exist which allow you, to a greater or lesser extent, to use OpenSCAD in your browser. Your mileage may vary, but if you wish, you may try the following: http://openscad.net | http://openjscad.org/.

Tutorials to Follow:

Key Resources for the OpenSCAD Language:

Also Noteworthy:
OpenSCAD has some particularly powerful functions that deserve your attention: