OpenSCAD customizer
I would like to make a suggestion if possible to please add an OpenSCAD customizer to Printables like the Thingiverse customizer, but more user-friendly, with a better UI and more features.
RE: OpenSCAD customizer
I agree! I just started learning OpenSCAD and I would love to be able to share designs with users without them having to install and learn OpenSCAD. But I will not get my hopes up.
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I would like to make a suggestion if possible to please add an OpenSCAD customizer to Printables like the Thingiverse customizer, but more user-friendly, with a better UI and more features.
Unfortunately Prusa doesn't really hang out here so I don't think it will get noticed. Would be nice to have that feature however.
I used to use OpenSCAD for all my designs, however I've since switched over to FreeCAD. So my latest designs wouldn't benefit from this. I guess my point is, wondering what percentage of designs are done in OpenSCAD still versus, Fusion360, TinkerCAD, FreeCAD etc
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I've posted a few OpenSCAD scripts (another one will come this week) which have been very successful even though it requires users to download OpenSCAD. Guess if the model is useful users will go through the effort.
I did make a point of providing explicit descriptions of how to download and install OpenSCAD and how to use the customizer. I would also suggest sticking with the default OpenSCAD version, not using libraries or relying on dev build capabilities if possible. Most people will simply download the last stable build--which dates back to the Dark Ages.
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- https://foxrun3d.com/
RE:
I've posted a few OpenSCAD scripts (another one will come this week) which have been very successful even though it requires users to download OpenSCAD. Guess if the model is useful users will go through the effort.
I did make a point of providing explicit descriptions of how to download and install OpenSCAD and how to use the customizer. I would also suggest sticking with the default OpenSCAD version, not using libraries or relying on dev build capabilities if possible. Most people will simply download the last stable build--which dates back to the Dark Ages.
Problem with OpenSCAD is that the "current" (4 year old) release version no longer runs on MacOS 11+ and requires downloading a development snapshot version. I still have a soft spot for OpenSCAD but I've since moved over to FreeCad. Plus FreeCad has support for OpenSCAD and I can import my models. Part of this is because I'm a professional software developer and the last thing I want to do after 9 hrs of work is more coding.
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Hi,
nobody asked for it, an opinion nonetheless: If you already decided to learn openSCAD, ditch it and go straight for freeCad with Python programming.
Otherwise I predict you'll be soon fighting the tool (extremely limited language, no user access to geometry data). FreeCad is also based on a more advanced geometry engine e.g. circles are carried through computations as analytical "circle" objects instead of rendering them to approximations right away.
Below a real-life example I'm "toying around" with at the moment, pun intended.
I implemented more or less the same in openSCAD first. And yes, it works, but it gets exponentially more difficult the further I plod on (arbitrary brick geometry? a programmable path for the rail?). In Python, infinitely scalable. Refactor, modularize, debug units individually.
RE: OpenSCAD customizer
Thank you very much everyone for your comments and great suggestions. I will definitely check them out.
I designed Parametric slides with OpenSCAD a little while ago and was hoping to upload them to Printables but unfortunately the OpenSCAD customizer's UI/UX is really not great; the rendering is slow and doesn't allow for uploading STLs.
This is a walkthrough of the design process with the OpenSCAD customizer:
I find Python unnecessarily verbose and, frankly, a bit clunky. I do however use perl to generate some tailored OpenSCAD scripts.
OpenSCAD is a reasonably straightforward compile, I used to do it on Raspberry Pi until the versions caught up so compiling for Mac won't be too hard.
The devs do have a slowish release schedule but work continues and another LT version will be along sometime soon-ish.
Cheerio,
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I find Python unnecessarily verbose and, frankly, a bit clunky. I do however use perl to generate some tailored OpenSCAD scripts.
OpenSCAD is a reasonably straightforward compile, I used to do it on Raspberry Pi until the versions caught up so compiling for Mac won't be too hard.
The devs do have a slowish release schedule but work continues and another LT version will be along sometime soon-ish.
Cheerio,
Only recent snapshot versions (not releases) of OpenSCAD are available for MacOS and Apple silicon. I just find OpenSCAD starts to get in the way the more complicated my designs get. When I was just gluing together or subtracting out 3D shapes it was straight-forward. I my designs got more complicated I started running into complications. I'm on a very beefy MacBook Pro (basically maxed out on everything) and rendering on OpenSCAD is painfully slow the more I add on to my models. Plus I code 8-10 hrs/day for a living (Java, Python, C++, MATLAB and others). Basically the last thing I want to do after work is more coding.
It's not a dig, but I did smile when you mentioned Python is clunky but you reach for Perl instead. It brings back memories of the nightmares I had dealing with Perl.
Thank you very much everyone for your comments and great suggestions. I will definitely check them out.
I designed Parametric slides with OpenSCAD a little while ago and was hoping to upload them to Printables but unfortunately the OpenSCAD customizer's UI/UX is really not great; the rendering is slow and doesn't allow for uploading STLs.
OpenSCAD can import STL's and you can modify then with OpenSCAD. I still use OpenSCAD when I want to do something simple like remix someone else's STL but stretching something or plugging a hole. Anything more extensive and I use FreeCAD instead.
RE: OpenSCAD customizer
Sorry that was poorly worded I can import a STL, I meant the user can't directly upload a STL from the customizer.
RE: OpenSCAD customizer
but I did smile when you mentioned Python is clunky
Laughing out loud. Yes I have this flying carpet in my garage but of course I will never been seen riding it in public because it's so clunky. Rationally, it's much slower than a jet airplane, it can't reach the moon and probably not even waterproof. Who would invent such useless things 🙂