It would be a fierce useful feature. I have a Python script that reads
.kicad_pcb files to find where the mount holes are. Works fine but if
OpenSCAD could read files I could possibly get rid of the python script.

On 21/09/2021 23:53, William F. Adams via Discuss wrote:

With some little helper bits (top & tail of a file) you can read any file via include<>.

e.g.

// read_file_main.scad

include <read_file_input.txt>

echo(read_file);

echo("_________________");

include <read_file_vec.txt>

echo(read_file_vec);

echo("_________________");

include <read_file_3vecs.txt>

echo(read_file_3vecs);

<read_file_input.txt>

// freeform text needs to be careful with '"' (make them ") and use '\n' for line breaks

// need an assignment first part, followed by data

read_file="

1-no-line-break

2\n

3\n

"; // then terminate the assignment

<read_file_vec.txt>

read_file_vec= [

1,

2,

3,

];

<read_file_3vecs.txt>

read_file_3vecs=[

[1,2,3],

[4,5,6],

[7,8,9]

];

I haven't bothered yet, but a tiny script could top/tail any file readily.

The freeform text input is a little more work with the '"' & '\n' newlines.

But in Notepad++ I can replace all '\n\r' with '\n\n\r' and '"' with '\"'.

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Forgot the output:

Compiling design (CSG Tree generation)...

ECHO: "1-no-line-break2

3

"

ECHO: "_________________"

ECHO: [1, 2, 3]

ECHO: "_________________"

ECHO: [[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6], [7, 8, 9]]

Compiling design (CSG Products generation)...

From: Michael Marx [mailto:michael@marx.id.au]
Sent: Thu, 23 Sep 2021 13:58
To: 'OpenSCAD general discussion'
Subject: [OpenSCAD] Re: text output

With some little helper bits (top & tail of a file) you can read any file via include<>.

e.g.

// read_file_main.scad

include <read_file_input.txt>

echo(read_file);

echo("_________________");

include <read_file_vec.txt>

echo(read_file_vec);

echo("_________________");

include <read_file_3vecs.txt>

echo(read_file_3vecs);

<read_file_input.txt>

// freeform text needs to be careful with '"' (make them ") and use '\n' for line breaks

// need an assignment first part, followed by data

read_file="

1-no-line-break

2\n

3\n

"; // then terminate the assignment

<read_file_vec.txt>

read_file_vec= [

1,

2,

3,

];

<read_file_3vecs.txt>

read_file_3vecs=[

[1,2,3],

[4,5,6],

[7,8,9]

];

I haven't bothered yet, but a tiny script could top/tail any file readily.

The freeform text input is a little more work with the '"' & '\n' newlines.

But in Notepad++ I can replace all '\n\r' with '\n\n\r' and '"' with '\"'.

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