Why is this better than the scripting environment in other CAD systems? I'm particular, I looked a bit at https://openscad.org/ previously, though didn't make much headway modeling the thing I wanted.

Why is a language-level approach better than just an API in an existing, popular language?

[–] django@discuss.tchncs.de 10 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

They mention openscad in the book:

We loved it too and created many “thingies” with it. However, as experienced software engineers, we also had a few points of critique. While OpenSCAD is easy to learn and has a syntax reminiscent of C, we felt the language could be improved in several ways:

more specialization for creating graphics,

better support for modular programming,

strict typing and unit handling,

a syntax closer to Rust than to C,

a solid library system,

plugin support for other programming languages,

and a more powerful visualization concept.

[–] CorneliusTalmadge@lemmy.world 8 points 4 months ago (2 children)

“As experienced software engineers” highlights the problem with many CAD solutions. People who design physical “thingies” professionally are generally not software engineers.

We of course need a viable solution as an open source product but a lot of this is recreating the wheel without any knowledge of how the wheel is being used or why it is even useful to begin with. So you essentially end up with a knock off version of the wheel that doesn’t work the way someone who is experienced with wheels expects it to work.

[–] grapemix@lemmy.ml 6 points 4 months ago

In general, I agree with your idea. But this time we are not talking about another todo app or YouTube clients which have so many similar projects. Open source community doesn't have new cad in the last 10 yrs (roughly in my memory) so I hope ppl can support them more. I hope they can interact with blender more.

[–] Damage@feddit.it 5 points 4 months ago

People who design physical thingies professionally do not use OpenSCAD. Maybe a handful do all over the world.

[–] anotherspinelessdem@lemmy.ml 6 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Also, I'm curious, can't Blender do a lot of this? Seems it'd be right up its alley

[–] skrlet13@feddit.cl 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

If you need precise measures, blender can't guarantee precision

[–] anotherspinelessdem@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

True but don't engineers have to label sizes of everything anyway?

[–] skrlet13@feddit.cl 1 points 3 months ago

Yes, but modeled results won't be accurate then. Scale and proportions will be messed up and won't be coherent with the measures, and that's unacceptable in some contexts.