For reference, here's the documentation related to make/Makefile/dependency support built into (command-line) OpenSCAD: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Using_OpenSCAD_in_a_command_line_environment#Makefile_example Andrew. G. Wade Johnson wrote > I actually solved this issue for my own projects using 'make'. But, > since you said you aren't a programmer I wasn't going to mention it. > > I often do multi-part projects, sometimes in separate files. > > The make programming tool was designed for exactly this problem. But, > it's yet another thing to learn. > > G. Wade > > On Mon, 7 Dec 2015 10:13:29 -0700 (MST) > jpmendes < > jpmendes54@ > > wrote: > >> I know that. However imagine a 30 different part object! Every time >> you start a session you loose 2 or more hours just to see the >> assembled object? Obviously I can render each module save it as an >> STL file. Then I can be editing a sub-part in one OpenSCAD instance >> and have another instance of OpenSCAD opened consisting mainly of a >> list of imports, rotations and translations, just to see, place and >> adjust the position of the parts in the assembled set. It is possible >> yes but not practical from my point of view. >> >> Maybe this should be the right way. The professional designer/builder >> have to obey to more strict rules and procedures than an occasional >> designer/builder like me. >> >> Thanks guys >> jpmendes >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> View this message in context: >> http://forum.openscad.org/How-to-check-if-a-file-exist-Why-not-export-from-code-tp14982p15013.html >> Sent from the OpenSCAD mailing list archive at Nabble.com. >> >> _______________________________________________ >> OpenSCAD mailing list >> > Discuss@.openscad >> http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org > > > -- > Against logic there is no armor like ignorance. > -- Laurence J. Peter > > _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > Discuss@.openscad > http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org -- View this message in context: http://forum.openscad.org/How-to-check-if-a-file-exist-Why-not-export-from-code-tp14982p15031.html Sent from the OpenSCAD mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

The 'make' approach is not very user friendly, or easy to use. Sure, developers can figure it out, but even developers have IDEs nowadays. If I was designing a user friendly alternative to the 'make dependency' feature of OpenSCAD, I'd consider something like a variant of the render() operation, with a filename specified. OpenSCAD would cache the rendered node in the file system as an STL file, and write out a deps file with the same base name. The deps would be used to determine if the STL file is out of date, the first time it is referenced during a session. On 8 December 2015 at 11:00, clothbot <andrew@plumb.org> wrote: > For reference, here's the documentation related to make/Makefile/dependency > support built into (command-line) OpenSCAD: > > > https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Using_OpenSCAD_in_a_command_line_environment#Makefile_example > > Andrew. > > > G. Wade Johnson wrote > > I actually solved this issue for my own projects using 'make'. But, > > since you said you aren't a programmer I wasn't going to mention it. > > > > I often do multi-part projects, sometimes in separate files. > > > > The make programming tool was designed for exactly this problem. But, > > it's yet another thing to learn. > > > > G. Wade > > > > On Mon, 7 Dec 2015 10:13:29 -0700 (MST) > > jpmendes &lt; > > > jpmendes54@ > > > &gt; wrote: > > > >> I know that. However imagine a 30 different part object! Every time > >> you start a session you loose 2 or more hours just to see the > >> assembled object? Obviously I can render each module save it as an > >> STL file. Then I can be editing a sub-part in one OpenSCAD instance > >> and have another instance of OpenSCAD opened consisting mainly of a > >> list of imports, rotations and translations, just to see, place and > >> adjust the position of the parts in the assembled set. It is possible > >> yes but not practical from my point of view. > >> > >> Maybe this should be the right way. The professional designer/builder > >> have to obey to more strict rules and procedures than an occasional > >> designer/builder like me. > >> > >> Thanks guys > >> jpmendes > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> -- > >> View this message in context: > >> > http://forum.openscad.org/How-to-check-if-a-file-exist-Why-not-export-from-code-tp14982p15013.html > >> Sent from the OpenSCAD mailing list archive at Nabble.com. > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> OpenSCAD mailing list > >> > > > Discuss@.openscad > > >> http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org > > > > > > -- > > Against logic there is no armor like ignorance. > > -- Laurence J. Peter > > > > _______________________________________________ > > OpenSCAD mailing list > > > Discuss@.openscad > > > http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org > > > > > > -- > View this message in context: > http://forum.openscad.org/How-to-check-if-a-file-exist-Why-not-export-from-code-tp14982p15031.html > Sent from the OpenSCAD mailing list archive at Nabble.com. > > _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > Discuss@lists.openscad.org > http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org > > >

Yes. See https://github.com/openscad/openscad/issues/1437 doug.moen wrote > The 'make' approach is not very user friendly, or easy to use. Sure, > developers can figure it out, but even developers have IDEs nowadays. > > If I was designing a user friendly alternative to the 'make dependency' > feature of OpenSCAD, I'd consider something like a variant of the render() > operation, with a filename specified. OpenSCAD would cache the rendered > node in the file system as an STL file, and write out a deps file with the > same base name. The deps would be used to determine if the STL file is out > of date, the first time it is referenced during a session. > > On 8 December 2015 at 11:00, clothbot &lt; > andrew@ > &gt; wrote: > >> For reference, here's the documentation related to >> make/Makefile/dependency >> support built into (command-line) OpenSCAD: >> >> >> https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Using_OpenSCAD_in_a_command_line_environment#Makefile_example >> >> Andrew. -- View this message in context: http://forum.openscad.org/How-to-check-if-a-file-exist-Why-not-export-from-code-tp14982p15034.html Sent from the OpenSCAD mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

Even simpler would be for OpenScad to just save its cache in a file and read it next time the same OpenScad file was opened. That would be entirely backwards compatible. On 8 December 2015 at 18:13, doug moen <doug@moens.org> wrote: > The 'make' approach is not very user friendly, or easy to use. Sure, > developers can figure it out, but even developers have IDEs nowadays. > > If I was designing a user friendly alternative to the 'make dependency' > feature of OpenSCAD, I'd consider something like a variant of the render() > operation, with a filename specified. OpenSCAD would cache the rendered > node in the file system as an STL file, and write out a deps file with the > same base name. The deps would be used to determine if the STL file is out > of date, the first time it is referenced during a session. > > On 8 December 2015 at 11:00, clothbot <andrew@plumb.org> wrote: > >> For reference, here's the documentation related to >> make/Makefile/dependency >> support built into (command-line) OpenSCAD: >> >> >> https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Using_OpenSCAD_in_a_command_line_environment#Makefile_example >> >> Andrew. >> >> >> G. Wade Johnson wrote >> > I actually solved this issue for my own projects using 'make'. But, >> > since you said you aren't a programmer I wasn't going to mention it. >> > >> > I often do multi-part projects, sometimes in separate files. >> > >> > The make programming tool was designed for exactly this problem. But, >> > it's yet another thing to learn. >> > >> > G. Wade >> > >> > On Mon, 7 Dec 2015 10:13:29 -0700 (MST) >> > jpmendes &lt; >> >> > jpmendes54@ >> >> > &gt; wrote: >> > >> >> I know that. However imagine a 30 different part object! Every time >> >> you start a session you loose 2 or more hours just to see the >> >> assembled object? Obviously I can render each module save it as an >> >> STL file. Then I can be editing a sub-part in one OpenSCAD instance >> >> and have another instance of OpenSCAD opened consisting mainly of a >> >> list of imports, rotations and translations, just to see, place and >> >> adjust the position of the parts in the assembled set. It is possible >> >> yes but not practical from my point of view. >> >> >> >> Maybe this should be the right way. The professional designer/builder >> >> have to obey to more strict rules and procedures than an occasional >> >> designer/builder like me. >> >> >> >> Thanks guys >> >> jpmendes >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> View this message in context: >> >> >> http://forum.openscad.org/How-to-check-if-a-file-exist-Why-not-export-from-code-tp14982p15013.html >> >> Sent from the OpenSCAD mailing list archive at Nabble.com. >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> >> OpenSCAD mailing list >> >> >> >> > Discuss@.openscad >> >> >> http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org >> > >> > >> > -- >> > Against logic there is no armor like ignorance. >> > -- Laurence J. Peter >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > OpenSCAD mailing list >> >> > Discuss@.openscad >> >> > http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> View this message in context: >> http://forum.openscad.org/How-to-check-if-a-file-exist-Why-not-export-from-code-tp14982p15031.html >> Sent from the OpenSCAD mailing list archive at Nabble.com. >> >> _______________________________________________ >> OpenSCAD mailing list >> Discuss@lists.openscad.org >> http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org >> >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > Discuss@lists.openscad.org > http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org > >

Yes saving the cache file is something I had been meaning to ask about. Right now my current project takes 8 minutes to render. -- View this message in context: http://forum.openscad.org/How-to-check-if-a-file-exist-Why-not-export-from-code-tp14982p15036.html Sent from the OpenSCAD mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

On Tue, 8 Dec 2015 09:00:40 -0700 (MST) clothbot <andrew@plumb.org> wrote: > For reference, here's the documentation related to > make/Makefile/dependency support built into (command-line) OpenSCAD: > > https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Using_OpenSCAD_in_a_command_line_environment#Makefile_example Oh, cool. I don't remember this being here when I started with OpenSCAD. G. Wade > Andrew. > > > G. Wade Johnson wrote > > I actually solved this issue for my own projects using 'make'. But, > > since you said you aren't a programmer I wasn't going to mention it. > > > > I often do multi-part projects, sometimes in separate files. > > > > The make programming tool was designed for exactly this problem. > > But, it's yet another thing to learn. > > > > G. Wade > > > > On Mon, 7 Dec 2015 10:13:29 -0700 (MST) > > jpmendes &lt; > > > jpmendes54@ > > > &gt; wrote: > > > >> I know that. However imagine a 30 different part object! Every time > >> you start a session you loose 2 or more hours just to see the > >> assembled object? Obviously I can render each module save it as an > >> STL file. Then I can be editing a sub-part in one OpenSCAD > >> instance and have another instance of OpenSCAD opened consisting > >> mainly of a list of imports, rotations and translations, just to > >> see, place and adjust the position of the parts in the assembled > >> set. It is possible yes but not practical from my point of view. > >> > >> Maybe this should be the right way. The professional > >> designer/builder have to obey to more strict rules and procedures > >> than an occasional designer/builder like me. > >> > >> Thanks guys > >> jpmendes > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> -- > >> View this message in context: > >> http://forum.openscad.org/How-to-check-if-a-file-exist-Why-not-export-from-code-tp14982p15013.html > >> Sent from the OpenSCAD mailing list archive at Nabble.com. > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> OpenSCAD mailing list > >> > > > Discuss@.openscad > > >> http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org > > > > > > -- > > Against logic there is no armor like ignorance. > > -- Laurence J. Peter > > > > _______________________________________________ > > OpenSCAD mailing list > > > Discuss@.openscad > > > http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org > > > > > > -- > View this message in context: > http://forum.openscad.org/How-to-check-if-a-file-exist-Why-not-export-from-code-tp14982p15031.html > Sent from the OpenSCAD mailing list archive at Nabble.com. > > _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > Discuss@lists.openscad.org > http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org -- Machines take me by surprise with great frequency. -- Alan Turing