Open SCAD has really helped me to get up and going quickly in 3D Printing (which is at the moment all I intend to use it for). I've plenty of other things to fill my time with. I was originally hesitant to get into 3DP because of all the new stuff I needed to understand (the steep earning curve) before I could actually be productive. It let's me make useful 3DP items quickly. I am also learning about 3D Print as I go - and the ability to copy and modify an existing 3DP design is a big advantage. I don't think this 'portability' would be quite so easy with other 3D CAD programmes? the variables that I needed to change) to get the end result I wanted.

I've done this with several Thingiverse designs which were simple enough for me to understand (e.g. Will have to have a play.Ĭolin - one of the great advantages of Open SCAD to my mind, is that you can download an existing design and modify it to suit your own specific needs. This gear one could be used for making patterns for casting hopefully.

Worked a dream to get the size cover I wanted with room for XLR connector for connection to stepper controller. Simple download, loaded the Thingiverse file. I had heard of OpenSCAD but never used it. I found one on Thingiverse which had been revised to work with OpenSCAD and was parameter driven.

Herringbone bevel gears (meshing pinion and idler)Ī week or so back I was looking for a rear cover for a NEMA23 stepper motor.

I haven't quite fathomed out the Customiser myself yet (I'm still a White Belt in SCAD terms) but I thought it was such a useful idea that I would publicise it here for others to take a look at. The equally clever folk at the G13DCircle spotted this on Thingiverse and highlighted it to it's subscribers. Someone clever has used this feature to write a 'Gear' generator which can produce a very wide range of gear types and sizes for 3D print.

A new feature of Open SAD is the 'Customiser' feature that essentially lets a user enter parameters via an on-screen form. However, this is clearly a very powerful design tool in the hands of others better qualified than myself. I am very much a learner in this field but have found SCAD to be something I can learn in very small steps (which in my case is absolutely necessary). I've been using Open SCAD to design and print simple adaptors and other useful parts (having failed dismally to get a grip of other popular 3D CAD programmes).

3d model gear generator