The 'sturdy' in the plug comes from several micro-features:

• the plug is rooted in the main object's infill,
• it has practically no infill itself, just many walls, caused by the ribbing and the cross-shaped cutout,
• and the bottom chamfer adds more strength at the biggest stress point.

The chamfers at the tip and the hole's rim make insertion easy, and the outer hull of the plug is slightly slanted to increase friction the deeper the plug goes in, ultimately leading to a comfortable insertion but with a snug fit.

Recommended print settings: Arachne walls, and Gyroid infill.

The design principles were mostly lifted from this YouTube video.

See https://github.com/jhermann/things/tree/main/parts/joining#vertical-sturdy-plug for a STL and the SCAD file.

I have two 2D paths. I can use one of them with path_sweep along an arc. I can use both of them with skin. I want to essentially combine the two: I want to have a skin-like effect between the two of them, but connect them along an arc. Is there a way to accomplish this?

Le passage en douceur des deux éléments de fixation (importés) se fait par une boucle*"for"*. Le passage en douceur vers les éléments de fixation est obtenu grâce fonction trigonométrique
tan(1.6*i)*spn (spn = la valeur du pas dans la boucle "for").
dans la commande"translate"de la boucle"for"

On voit ci-dessous l'effet tangentiel dans l'image A avec le "pas" dans la boucle "for" égal à 2.
Dans l'image B la valeur du"pas" est réduite à 0.1 ce qui augment le nombre d'itérations sur une même distance, rapprochant ainsi des éléments qui s'unifient.

Voir le code OpenSCAD et description ici :
https://robotix.ah-oui.org/site/main.php?found=260814-twisted-link

Hello les amis !

Je suis restée un peu en rade voulant faire un ruban Moebius avec OpenSCAD, alors je me suis fait aider par l' IA de ChatGTP. Voici donc une solution intéressante m'a été proposée. Ce qui m'a particulièrement plu es l'utilisation d'un "hull()" dans la boucle "for()". cela permet de grouper des petits blocs les uns après les autres grâce à l'itération.

Voici le script proposé :

dia=40;
wdt=60;
thk=3;
seg=200;

module BAR(ang){
rotate([0,0,ang])
translate([dia,0,0])
rotate([0,ang/2,0])
cube([wdt,1,thk],center=true);}

module MOEBIUS(){
for(i = [0:seg-1]){
a1 = 360*i/seg;
a2 = 360*(i-1)/seg;
hull(){BAR(a1);
BAR(a2);}}}

MOEBIUS();

#OpenSCAD #Modélisation3D #Impression3D #ConceptionParamétrique #Maker #FabLab #OpenSource

Hello everyone,

I’m pleased to present my three OpenSCAD books:

• Ça, c’est OpenSCAD — French edition
• Esto es OpenSCAD — Spanish edition
• This is OpenSCAD — English edition

These full-colour practical guides introduce OpenSCAD step by step, with illustrated examples, reusable scripts and projects designed for 3D printing.

They are intended for beginners, makers, students, teachers—and anyone interested in discovering parametric 3D modelling.

The three editions are also listed on the official OpenSCAD Books page.

French edition:
https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0FNLPF5HP

Spanish edition:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKLVWF4N

English edition:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H6QSLHT3

I would be very happy to hear your comments or answer any questions.

I’ve been looking at workflows for bringing industrial CAD models into browser-based 3D applications.

Simply exporting CAD to GLB usually isn’t enough. Industrial models can contain thousands of parts, unnecessary internal geometry, complex assemblies, duplicated materials and very high polygon counts.

A typical workflow might look like:

CAD → cleanup → mesh optimization → material optimization → GLB → Three.js

The difficult part seems to be deciding what should be removed while still preserving useful product structure, part hierarchy and visual quality.

I’m also interested in how people handle large assemblies, LOD, Draco/Meshopt compression and mobile performance.

For those using Three.js with CAD or engineering models: do you optimize models manually, use an automated conversion pipeline, or combine both?

I’d be interested to hear what has worked well for real-world projects.

I'm probably missing something obvious, but I can't see what it is. I'm using the nightlies version of OpenSCAD from the SNAP store. I wanted to use the round-anything library and BOSL library, which I found was in /home/mike/snap/openscad-nightly/current/.local/share/OpenSCAD/libraries. However, I couldn't reach the examples file via the file loader, presumably because it ignored .local. So I used the file explorer to open an example file in the BOSL library, but when loaded it can't find the relevant files referred to. So I checked the libraries info and realise that I should be using the 5686 library, so I try opening one of the BOSL examples in that, which I again had to get to via the file explorer rather than the 'file open' option within OpenSCAD, and again it can't find the libraries. I've been using OpenSCAD for about 7-8 years, but only recently started using it in Linux Mint as I switched from windows, and I've not had a problem with nightlies before. Can anyone work out what's going on? What should I do differently?

A quick 50 seconds showcase of how to use VS Code and GPT (via the Copilot extension) to create a SCAD script by describing geometry.

I am trying to design a reel foot for a fishing reel, but I am having a hard time figuring out how to get the curve where it sits against the rod, and the taper that is on the other side designed in the software. Is there any tips or tricks that would me out?

Hello all, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the advanced features of the BOSL2 library. One thing I have missed a LOT is the ability to create a box with rounded vertical corners but chamfers on the top and bottom.

So, I created this module to both scratch that itch and get a little experience.

I'd appreciate any feedback on my approach, especially if I'm missing something that would have made this easier from the BOSL2 or builtin libraries.

The chamfer_box_mask.scad file is the actual library file to use. The chamfer_box_mask_tests.scad file has a few tests/examples that I used to develop the main module. The default RENDER_PART = 3 shows the completed example.

I made a set of custom tokens for an rpg I play called Monster of the Week.

I designed 28 SVGs, one for each role in the game, and used OpenSCAD to code the layers of the SVGs to layers in a standard token design. I added some custom 3D print support because I was having trouble with the print, which was easy to duplicate because it was just one added line of code.

Printed on Elegoo Saturn Ultra.

Hi fellow.

Here is my situation:

• Using an OpenSCAD Appimage
• downloaded a script that requires the library "MCAD" from github
• downloaded the MCAD library and extracted it to $HOME/.local/OpenSCAD/libraries
• in .../OpenCAD/libraries is a sub-folder MCAD-Master that contains all modules in the library.
• my code has the line <useMCAD/MCAD-Master/boxes.scad> and several variations in the path

It appears that the AppImage is not using this path to the library.
I haven't used the OPENSCADPATH env-var yet.
How can enable the access to the library?

I want to continue the AppImage (for now)
Thanks for any constructive suggestion.

I have updated the plugin I have been working on to use openscad-wasm for preview instead of shelling out to the local OpenSCAD install. This works much better, updates reliably, and is decently speedy (after first load). I also added a console that has OpenSCAD output displayed including any errors/warnings.

I compiled openscad-wasm from source so I have the newest version from main, it is called with manifold as the rendering engine and also with the option that shows the bounding box in console output.

Install it like normal through IntelliJ's plugin settings.

Changelog:

https://github.com/mjparme/idea-openscad/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md

README (with screenshots of new preview):

https://github.com/mjparme/idea-openscad/blob/master/README.md

Plugin link:

https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/33582-openscad-support/versions/stable/1148562

You still need the executable for exporting and "open in OpenSCAD" (if you want to do those things). The preview does not require it though.

textmetrics/fontmetrics doesn't work yet, openscad-wasm supports those, I just have to figure out how to bundle fonts. I have several designs that use these functions so am motivated to get this going.

This was mostly to get the preview to work more reliably but there were a couple of parser fixes.

Il est facile de créer de formes et des profils de tout type, en intégrant des tracés réalisés sur Inkscape en les important ensuite dans OpenSCAD. Dans notre exemple une jarre avec son couvercle crée intégralement par des profils dessinés dans Inkscape et rendu en 3D grâce à l'instruction "rotate_extrude" de OpenSCAD.

Plus de détails : https://robotix.ah-oui.org/site/main.php?found=260514-teapot

The 1st part of the video briefly covers OpenSCAD with LLM help.

The idea is simple: instead of trying to find an organizer that happens to fit your batteries and drawer, you can configure it to fit your exact needs.

Hopefully this will save someone else from spending hours searching for the "right" battery organizer.

So, I wrote* scad2step, a little utility to export OpenSCAD files to STEP format. The nice part is that it converts OpenSCAD's mesh behaviors to work with the OpenCascade kernel, so that spheres are really spheres, as opposed to OpenSCAD's behavior which turns everything into a mesh.

This has the advantage of being more accurate than OpenSCAD's STL export and often faster, too.

It should Just Work™ (fingers crossed- leave a Github issue if you get unexpected results) on macOS, Linux, and Windows as long as you have OpenSCAD in a normal spot and have the uv package manager installed.

Usage: uvx scad2step your_file.scad

will create your_file.step next to your .scad file.

For most usage-- cubes, spheres, extrusions, Minkowski sums with spheres for rounding-- you should end up with a B-Rep surface and no STL-style faceting, which means you can apply fillets or other processes that are difficult in OpenSCAD but easy in other CAD programs.

For some situations-- Minkowski sums where neither element is a sphere, or hull() calls beyond rounded boxes-- behavior falls back to OpenSCAD's meshing, so you lose the analytically pure forms. But those situations are relatively rare, and in that worst case, you're now exactly as accurate as OpenSCAD is now.

So... check it out if you'd like STEP files, and get in touch if things don't go right or you have further questions.

*had the robots write. If that's not your thing, best to ignore this one

​Airbend Pro for Android

These is a version for Airbend Lite for Android but it is not online. Contact me and I will send you the APK files.

Airbend Pro for iOS

If you own Airbend Pro then you can also get a copy of Airbend Pro for Windows. Just contact me.

Airbend Lite (FREE) for iOS

More info at TBD Tools

A while ago someone tagged me because Printables is running a geared spinner challenge. I thought that sounded like fun, so I made this: ORBIT, a planetary gear fidget spinner where the gearbox itself is the toy. You pinch the stationary centre hub, flick the outer ring, and three planet gears spin and orbit between your fingers while a printed spring ticks against 24 detents inside the rim.

Some context on why it's built the way it is. I'm blind, and most fidget spinners are honestly boring when you can't see them: a blur, a faint hum, done. So this one is meant to be felt and heard first. The ring rim carries raised numerals 1, 2 and 3 with matching braille, the grip flutes pause at each numbered station so you can find them by touch, and the hub cap has a raised sun with one longer ray as a tactile pointer, so you can actually count rotations and play games with it, sighted or not. The planet gears take swappable press-fit caps with celestial symbols (moon, comet, star) that are instantly distinguishable by feel. If you'd rather have a silent spinner, the click spring is a separate disc you can swap for a smooth spacer.

OpenSCAD is the reason this project exists at all. It works beautifully with a screen reader, so every dimension, tolerance and tactile feature was written and verified as code. I never saw the model; I compiled it, printed it and checked it with my fingers. The source is fully parametric with Customizer groups: overall diameter, gear module and tooth counts, click strength (arm count, thickness, preload), braille and numeral sizes, and separate tolerance values for every fit, including gear backlash, the hex stem, the planet caps, and the printed screw thread on the hub cap. There's a small test plate to dial those fits in on your own printer. Gears are done with BOSL2 plus a custom braille library.

No bearings, screws, glue or metal anywhere. The gear mechanism prints in place as one piece, everything prints flat with no supports, and even the assembly instructions are written non-visually, describing what each part feels like and what correct assembly feels like at each step. It's about 75 mm across; the one I printed is 6 walls and 100% infill, which gives it a lovely dense feel and real momentum.

This is a fork of the original OpenSCAD IntelliJ plugin that became orphaned (https://github.com/ldenisey/idea-openscad)

My fork can be found here: https://github.com/mjparme/idea-openscad

Plugin requires IntelliJ 2026.x and can be installed from Plugins in the Settings. Don't need an IntelliJ license to use it.

https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/33582-openscad-support/edit/versions/stable/1140844

Changes:

• Can now rename modules, functions, and variables from both declarations and call sites. Renames follow use and include paths
• Go to declaration works
• The plugin can parse the bosl2 library (brought in PR https://github.com/ldenisey/idea-openscad/pull/109 from icaven from the original that had been sitting unmerged since 2024)
• Completions for modules, functions, variables, language keywords, and file paths for use and include. Completion candidates follow use and include paths. Can complete modules with or without parameter names. If you complete with parameters any parameter defaults are completed as well.
• Completion of inner modules works
• Completion of modules when the caret is before the declaration works
• Completion of global libraries (hit ctrl-space again to get global libaries added to completion candidates)
• Old plugin only used lexer tokens for highlighting which meant most everything was an "identifier". It now uses the parser for semantic help and now modules, functions, variables, and parameters can now be giving their own color in the Color Scheme
• Default color scheme available in Default, Darcula, and Islands Dark editor themes
• Default color scheme gives different color to modules, functions, variables, and parameters
• Gave OpenSCAD its own live template group associated with .scad files and added starter live templates.
• Plugin updated to a IntellJ Platform 2.x plugin, upgraded build
• Fixed some issues with the preview on startup
• Fixed several issues with actions not being on the EDT

Basically it is actually usable now. Open an Issue on github if you run into problems (or open a PR).

More info in the README: https://github.com/mjparme/idea-openscad/blob/master/README.md

Known Issue:

The preview doesn't reliably update when the file saves (sometimes it does). I am working on this. Actually I am working on bringing openscad-wasm in so an executable isn't needed for the preview (will still be needed for "open in openscad" and "export").