Quick Start

Introduction

tscad is a CAD modeller for programmers. It is designed to provide a modern developer experience with a focus on TypeScript and JavaScript, allowing users to create parametric CAD models using familiar programming languages and modern tools.

Jump right in:

tscad models

A model usually consists of a single TypeScript or JavaScript module, which exports a model:

import { defineModel } from '@tscad/modeling';

export default defineModel({
  // model definition goes here
});

The model function

Each model needs a model function that returns the CAD geometry. You can use the built-in primitives and operations from tscad to create your model.

import { defineModel } from '@tscad/modeling';
import { cube } from '@tscad/modeling/primitives';

/** A simple model that renders as a cube */
export default defineModel({
  model: () => cube({ size: 10 }), 
});

Previewing models

The simplest way to preview your model is to use the online playground. Just copy-paste your code into the editor and see the result immediately.

Define model parameters

You can define parameters for your model using the defineModel function. This allows you to create parametric models that can be easily adjusted.

export default defineModel({
  parameters: { 
    width: { type: 'number', default: 10, min: 1, max: 100, step: 1 },
  },
  model: ...
});

Use model parameters

As soon as parameters are defined, you can use them in your model function:

export default defineModel({
  parameters: {
    width: { type: 'number', default: 10, min: 1, max: 100, step: 1 },
  },
  model: ({ width }) => cube({ size: width }), 
});

Next steps

🎉 Congratulations! You're ready to dive deeper into tscad!