I've asked this on the OpenSCAD subreddit, but this seems a bigger group to ask: I've been using OpenSCAD for a while for simple designs to 3D print, but I'm trying to move into more complex projects - multi-part mechanical assemblies and such. I ran across this framework: https://github.com/Axford/OpenSCADMachineDesignFramework which seems ideal, but it seems to have been abandoned. It was last updated two years ago, the tutorial/documentation is incomplete, and it doesn't run on Python 3 or on Windows. I've actually gone through and updated all the scripts (as far as I can tell) to work on Python 3 on my Win10 machine (fork here if anyone is interested: https://github.com/jgalak/OpenSCADMachineDesignFramework) but I can't figure it out well enough to really make use of it. My biggest issue is with the attachment functionality, which is based on this library: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:30136 but that itself isn't very well documented, at least in English. Has anyone used either of these two tools and can share examples of how they work? Especially the framework? Alternatively, does anyone have suggestions for other such libraries/frameworks for complex OpenSCAD designs? The framework, with its automated build scripts, good component management, and attachments (if they work) seems ideal, but.... Thanks. -- Juliean Galak jgalak@gmail.com

> the OpenSCAD subreddit There's a OpenSCAD subreddit? Re your question, others may come back with more positive thoughts, my view is there are a few critical language features required before OpenSCAD can transcend into a framework. These have been debated, but a lack of developers hinders the evolution of the language. One of the most impressive examples of assembly use, craftily using language features to there best, can be observed in Nophead's code for his Mendel https://github.com/nophead/Mendel90, his method is not documented (AFAIK), but it is worth a read of the source. ----- Admin - email* me if you need anything, or if I've done something stupid... * click on my MichaelAtOz label, there is a link to email me. Unless specifically shown otherwise above, my contribution is in the Public Domain; to the extent possible under law, I have waived all copyright and related or neighbouring rights to this work. Obviously inclusion of works of previous authors is not included in the above. The TPP is no simple “trade agreement.” Fight it! http://www.ourfairdeal.org/ time is running out! -- Sent from: http://forum.openscad.org/

On Tue, Jan 8, 2019 at 5:48 PM MichaelAtOz <oz.at.michael@gmail.com> wrote: > > the OpenSCAD subreddit > > There's a OpenSCAD subreddit? > https://www.reddit.com/r/openscad it's only about 700 people. > Re your question, others may come back with more positive thoughts, my view > is there are a few critical language features required before OpenSCAD can > transcend into a framework. These have been debated, but a lack of > developers hinders the evolution of the language. > > One of the most impressive examples of assembly use, craftily using > language > features to there best, can be observed in Nophead's code for his Mendel > https://github.com/nophead/Mendel90, his method is not documented (AFAIK), > but it is worth a read of the source. I'll have to check it out, thanks. Juliean.

I developed a more general library from the vitamins and utilities I used for Mendel90. I use it for all my projects in OpenSCAD. It generates, STL files, renders of all the parts, bills of materials, assembly views, etc and I am working on generating assembly instructions at the moment. I will be releasing it on GitHub under GPL so I can publish complete projects on my Blog, but it could be used as a library for other people's projects. It has an ever growing collection of vitamins and modules to make enclosures. [image: libtest.png] As well as 3D printers I make a lot of electronic bench instruments. [image: IMG_20180424_163454.jpg] I don't use an attachments library as I don't see a need for a framework for joining things together even when making a large assembly like a 3D printer. I just write modules that place their children() and each assembly is responsible for placing its sub-assemblies. Important positions on an assembly, like screw holes, have a module to place any item there. It isn't quite as polished as Axford's library but it does work on Python3. On Tue, 8 Jan 2019 at 23:35, Juliean Galak <jgalak@gmail.com> wrote: > On Tue, Jan 8, 2019 at 5:48 PM MichaelAtOz <oz.at.michael@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> > the OpenSCAD subreddit >> >> There's a OpenSCAD subreddit? >> > > https://www.reddit.com/r/openscad > > it's only about 700 people. > > >> Re your question, others may come back with more positive thoughts, my >> view >> is there are a few critical language features required before OpenSCAD can >> transcend into a framework. These have been debated, but a lack of >> developers hinders the evolution of the language. >> >> One of the most impressive examples of assembly use, craftily using >> language >> features to there best, can be observed in Nophead's code for his Mendel >> https://github.com/nophead/Mendel90, his method is not documented >> (AFAIK), >> but it is worth a read of the source. > > > I'll have to check it out, thanks. > > Juliean. > _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > Discuss@lists.openscad.org > http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org >

On Tue, Jan 8, 2019 at 7:43 PM nop head <nop.head@gmail.com> wrote: > I developed a more general library from the vitamins and utilities I used > for Mendel90. I use it for all my projects in OpenSCAD. It generates, STL > files, renders of all the parts, bills of materials, assembly views, etc > and I am working on generating assembly instructions at the moment. > > I will be releasing it on GitHub under GPL so I can publish complete > projects on my Blog, but it could be used as a library for other people's > projects. It has an ever growing collection of vitamins and modules to make > enclosures. > > Looking forward to seeing it when you've published. Sounds like exactly what I am looking for. > As well as 3D printers I make a lot of electronic bench instruments. > Cool. One of my main reasons to get a 3D printer in the first place was for making enclosures for electronics projects. > I don't use an attachments library as I don't see a need for a framework > for joining things together even when making a large assembly like a 3D > printer. I just write modules that place their children() and each assembly > is responsible for placing its sub-assemblies. Important positions on an > assembly, like screw holes, have a module to place any item there. > > It isn't quite as polished as Axford's library but it does work on Python3. > I did get it to work on Python3 (see the fork I linked in the OP), I just can't figure out ow to do I right... :). The attachment isn't critical, but it does seem nice. Maybe. So far, I've not gotten it to work... > > > On Tue, 8 Jan 2019 at 23:35, Juliean Galak <jgalak@gmail.com> wrote: > >> On Tue, Jan 8, 2019 at 5:48 PM MichaelAtOz <oz.at.michael@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >>> > the OpenSCAD subreddit >>> >>> There's a OpenSCAD subreddit? >>> >> >> https://www.reddit.com/r/openscad >> >> it's only about 700 people. >> >> >>> Re your question, others may come back with more positive thoughts, my >>> view >>> is there are a few critical language features required before OpenSCAD >>> can >>> transcend into a framework. These have been debated, but a lack of >>> developers hinders the evolution of the language. >>> >>> One of the most impressive examples of assembly use, craftily using >>> language >>> features to there best, can be observed in Nophead's code for his Mendel >>> https://github.com/nophead/Mendel90, his method is not documented >>> (AFAIK), >>> but it is worth a read of the source. >> >> >> I'll have to check it out, thanks. >> >> Juliean. >> _______________________________________________ >> 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 > -- Juliean Galak jgalak@gmail.com