use-openscad

Use OpenSCAD

Design parametric 3D and 2D parts in OpenSCAD and compile them to fabrication outputs with the openscad CLI. OpenSCAD is a functional code-based CAD language — modules and functions, CSG booleans, extrusion — ideal for an agent to write and iterate.

Process

1. Understand what the user wants (a printable part, a laser-cut plate, a preview image, a mesh conversion) and pick the target format (STL/3MF/AMF for 3D printing, DXF/SVG for 2D cutting, PNG for preview).
2. Locate and verify the binary (see "Locating the binary"). Run openscad --version first to confirm it works.
3. Author the .scad model using references/language.md for syntax. Make dimensions -D variables when the user wants parametric control from the command line.
4. Compile with the right flags from references/cli.md. Use references/workflows.md for end-to-end recipes and references/design.md for printability rules.
5. After STL/3MF export, scan stderr for manifold warnings (see CRITICAL rules) before declaring success.

CRITICAL operating rules

• Mesh exports (STL/3MF/AMF/DXF/SVG) always get full CGAL geometry — --render is NOT needed for them. --render only affects PNG image export (without it, PNG uses OpenCSG preview). A plain openscad -o out.stl model.scad produces a complete mesh. For STL, explicitly pass --export-format binstl (ASCII is the current default; binary is the planned future default). After export, scan stderr for manifold warnings — see below.
• macOS binary is not on PATH. It lives at /Applications/OpenSCAD.app/Contents/MacOS/OpenSCAD. On Linux try openscad or openscad-nightly; on Windows invoke openscad.com (the wrapper, not openscad.exe). MUST confirm with openscad --version before building a pipeline.
• Exit codes are not officially documented. Empirically non-zero on compile/parse error, zero on success even with warnings; --hardwarnings makes the first warning fatal. Do NOT assume — for CI gating, run with --hardwarnings and treat any non-zero exit as failure. When unsure of a flag, run openscad --help and read the actual list.
• Variables are immutable within a scope. Reassigning in the same scope replaces-at-origin (the first assignment is never executed, a warning is emitted); braces create inner scopes that do not leak outward. Use is_undef(x), not x == undef. -D var=val constants from the CLI override top-level program values.
• use libraries, do not include them. include <lib.scad> is literal copy-paste that runs top-level geometry and confuses error line numbers; use <lib.scad> suppresses top-level geometry and exposes only functions/modules. Use use for any library file.
• String -D values need shell quoting. -D 'mode="parts"' (bash) — the inner quotes are part of the OpenSCAD expression. Numeric -D w=60 needs no quotes.
• Scan stderr after mesh export. Capture 2>&1 and grep for manifold, self-intersect, degenerate, warning — OpenSCAD prints mesh problems to stderr even when the exit code is zero. See references/workflows.md.

Command map

Locating the binary

OPENSCAD="/Applications/OpenSCAD.app/Contents/MacOS/OpenSCAD"
if [[ ! -x "$OPENSCAD" ]]; then
  command -v openscad >/dev/null && OPENSCAD="openscad" || OPENSCAD="openscad-nightly"
fi
"$OPENSCAD" --version

If none works, tell the user OpenSCAD is not installed or ask for the install path.

References

• references/language.md — OpenSCAD syntax: modules/functions, variables and scope, control flow, CSG booleans, primitives, transforms, extrusion and projection, import/include/use.
• references/cli.md — full openscad CLI: output and format flags, -D variables, rendering modes, image/camera options, diagnostics, --enable features, headless notes.
• references/design.md — printability heuristics (min wall, overhangs, bridges, clearance, manifold) and 2D-for-laser rules.
• references/workflows.md — end-to-end recipes (parametric STL, 2D DXF, preview PNG, batch variants, mesh conversion, stderr validation).