OpenSCAD Cheat Sheet

Easy way to improve your 3D design productivity

The OpenSCAD cheat sheet surface() command — a great Christmas idea is to 3D print family pictures!

OpenSCAD is a great tool for creating many types of 3D printable objects, mostly because of its much different approach to interactive design. Its commands are easy to remember, especially with a good OpenSCAD cheat sheet, but making changes to a design is where OpenSCAD makes life so much more productive. Let me explain.

OpenSCAD is a full featured parametric 3D design program with a low angst factor.

The OpenSCAD Difference

Traditional CAD software lets you directly manipulate objects visually, with results parametrically stacked in a specific order. That sounds great, and it does work well, but when you backtrack to make a change in the design, the effects can ripple forward, causing havoc unless you know exactly what you’re doing. Tweaking one detail often results in having to tweak a whole chain of design details.

The OpenSCAD difference, on the other hand, is that it is script driven. Editing the text anywhere in the script carries exactly the same impact, with the rendered result instantly processed from the entire script. Reversing any changes you try is a no brainer, and tweaking your design carries much less angst. It’s a completely different design philosophy that a lot…