[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-572324-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":81,"doc-detail-572324-en":127},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","quick-introduction-to-openscad","Quick Introduction to OpenSCAD","","This document provides a concise and practical guide to getting started with OpenSCAD, a script-based 3D modeling tool. Authored by Joshua M. Pearce from Michigan Technological University, the text focuses on the core principles of parametric design, emphasizing how to transform simple primitive shapes into complex structures. Readers are introduced to essential OpenSCAD commands such as union, difference, hull, translate, and minkowski, which allow for efficient modeling, object manipulation, and the creation of rounded corners. By explaining how variables and descriptive naming conventions simplify the design process, the guide serves as a foundational resource for engineers and makers looking to master parametric 3D modeling for additive manufacturing applications, highlighting the importance of orienting primitives correctly for effective 3D printing.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/general/","General",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/quick-introduction-to-openscad/572324/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/quick-introduction-to-openscad/572324.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Aria","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-24","2026-10-13",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",7,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What is the primary advantage of using parametric design in OpenSCAD?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"Parametric design allows for later scaling and easy customization of models by using variables instead of hard-coded numbers for dimensions.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What is the purpose of the 'translate' command in OpenSCAD?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"The translate command is used to move objects to specific locations within the 3D space by defining their coordinates along the X, Y, and Z axes.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"How can you create rounded corners in OpenSCAD?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Rounded corners can be achieved using the 'minkowski' command, which performs a Minkowski sum to combine a cube with a cylinder shape.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},572324,1792087011,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,89,94,99,104,109,114,119,124],{"id":85,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":86,"show_sort_weight":87,"slug":88},11,"Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":90,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":91,"show_sort_weight":92,"slug":93},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":95,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":96,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":100,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":105,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":110,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":115,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":120,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":122,"slug":123},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":125,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":126},158,"general-158",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":128},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":129,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":130,"doc_module":22,"category_id":125,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":131,"file_id":132,"file_url":133,"file_type":134,"file_size":135,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":136,"language":137,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":138,"faqs":139,"seo_title":140,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":141,"read_time":85},2336464648322,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/2200025388227c56fec?_k=1778556882303663488","Quick Introduction to OpenSCAD  \nJoshua M. Pearce  \nDepartment of Materials Science & Engineering and  \nDepartment of Electrical & Computer Engineering,  \nMichigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USA  \nMake Everything Parametric  \nAllows later scaling, changing and newbie customization  \nAll numbers should be made variables Can use letters for simple designs // but comment  \n-advantages: simple equations  \n-disadvantage: big memory for large projects  \nCan use variable names describing it // box  length  \n-advantages: no comments, can read the code in English  \n-disadvantage: big messy equations  \nDesign Using Primitive Shapes and  \nCollecting Together  \nSimple → Complex  \nWhen Designing: Show X-Y-Z  \nHelps Orient Primitives  \nKnow which way is up for printing!  \nPrimitive Objects  \na=5;  \nb=10; c=20;  \ncube([a,b,c], center=true); sphere(a, $fn=c);//$fn is the resolution  \ncylinder(h = c, r1 = b, r2 = a, center = true);  \nUnion Combining Primitives  \n“Try before you Buy”=%  \nunion(){  \n%cube([a,b,c], center=true); sphere(a, $fn=c);  \n}  \nDifference-Subtraction  \ndifference(){  \ncube([a,b,c], center=true); sphere(a, $fn=c);  \n}  \nHull: Convex Hull of Child Nodes  \nhull(){  \ncube([a,b,c], center=true); sphere(a, $fn=c);  \n}  \nTranslate: Moving Stuff Around  \nunion(){  \ncube([a,b,c], center=true);  \ntranslate([0,0,b])sphere(a, $fn=c);}  \nRounded Corners: Minkowski  \n$fn=50;  \nminkowski() { cube([10,10,2]);// rounded corners cylinder(r=2,h=2);  \n}  \nMinkowski sums allow to add every element of A to every element of B.","cbCailIMnOscwmNd","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCailIMnOscwmNd","pdf",1417089,31,"English","# Parametric Design Principles\n## Using Variables and Naming Conventions\n# Primitive Objects and Modeling\n## Combining Objects with Union and Difference\n## Advanced Transformations: Hull and Minkowski\n## Moving Objects with Translate","[{\"question\":\"What is the primary advantage of using parametric design in OpenSCAD?\",\"answer\":\"Parametric design allows for later scaling and easy customization of models by using variables instead of hard-coded numbers for dimensions.\"},{\"question\":\"What is the purpose of the 'translate' command in OpenSCAD?\",\"answer\":\"The translate command is used to move objects to specific locations within the 3D space by defining their coordinates along the X, Y, and Z axes.\"},{\"question\":\"How can you create rounded corners in OpenSCAD?\",\"answer\":\"Rounded corners can be achieved using the 'minkowski' command, which performs a Minkowski sum to combine a cube with a cylinder shape.\"}]","Quick Introduction to OpenSCAD | PDF",1791926733]