Tried sending this before and it didn't go through.
Image of the design at: https://imgur.com/g9pQxS6
It was also discussed at:https://www.reddit.com/r/openscad/comments/i2do7a/managed_to_model_a_finger_joint_box_with_relieved/?If folks want to see the code it's at: https://community.carbide3d.com/uploads/short-url/cb4ilRtY2Hestsi1kbgdht9yM0Z.zip(and further discussion at: https://community.carbide3d.com/t/cnc-finger-joint-box/8880 )The problems are:

• performance at any reasonable quality level is glacial --- the app essentially becomes unusable
• the rounding is simply a straight-line move --- how do I get those numbers out of RapCAD or OpenSCAD and into a DXF or SVG? I'm not seeing a way to get these coordinates written out to a file or to put a non-closed path into a DXF or SVG

There simply isn't a way to export an open path in a DXF from OpenSCAD --- I don't want to use a rectangle since that may result in a doubling back on the cut and increased machine time.
Another consideration is I can't find a CAM tool which will model a radiused endmill such as: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Q8M1SRS
A simple work-around would be if OpenSCAD would allow opening a text file and writing out coordinate information --- this would be a lot easier than the parallel-coding I've used for simpler projects:

http://www.tug.org/TUGboat/tb40-2/tb125adams-3d.pdf
If that's not an option --- do any of the OpenSCAD alternatives allow writing out text files? I'm wondering if I shouldn't just try writing out G-Code directly.
Please don't tell me to just use Autodesk Fusion 360 --- I can't afford the bar bill that would require --- if someone has a suggestion for FreeCAD tutorials which would guide along this I'd be glad of them though.
William

If I could create the design as a polygon I'd start there --- maybe arguably that's the better route --- have a master program which writes out both an OpenSCAD file and a matching G-Code file --- but I'd really rather just do it from w/in OpenSCAD or a similar 3D modeling tool.
Toolpath Language isn't an option since it can't model radius endmills.
I've gone ahead and put in an issue w/ both OpenSCAD and RapCAD to add the ability to write out numbers from calculations to a text file --- that and some plain text would let one directly create G-Code which would allow either be a very powerful 3D CAM tool.
If there's some other scripted 3D modeling tool which allows writing out numbers from calculation and text already I'd be glad to hear of it.
William

Thanks!
Raised an issue on GitHub and had some really good discussion there:
https://github.com/openscad/openscad/issues/3400
Just adding a pair of menus to the File menu:
File | Save Console Text (Filtered) == only the text added in the .scad file programmatically using either echo or some new command
and 
Save Console Text (Complete) == all the text in the Console area
and having a command which would allow specifying the file extension (and name, though using the current filename would be fine for me) would work.
It would be a lot easier for me, and I think more expressive than the alternatives:
 - using a second programming language to write out a matched pair of .scad and .nc (G-Code) files - using a second programming language to capture the text output from the console and filter it to create the G-Code file
Thank you for taking the time to read and consider this.
William

Issue was closed, so continuing this at:
https://github.com/openscad/openscad/issues/2017

-----Original Message-----
From: William F. Adams via Discuss discuss@lists.openscad.org
To: discuss@lists.openscad.org discuss@lists.openscad.org
Cc: William F. Adams willadams@aol.com
Sent: Wed, Aug 12, 2020 8:31 am
Subject: Re: [OpenSCAD] Managed to model a finger joint box with relieved fingers --- now how to actually cut it? Allow OpenSCAD to write out files?

Thanks!
Raised an issue on GitHub and had some really good discussion there:
https://github.com/openscad/openscad/issues/3400
Just adding a pair of menus to the File menu:
File | Save Console Text (Filtered) == only the text added in the .scad file programmatically using either echo or some new command
and 
Save Console Text (Complete) == all the text in the Console area
and having a command which would allow specifying the file extension (and name, though using the current filename would be fine for me) would work.
It would be a lot easier for me, and I think more expressive than the alternatives:
 - using a second programming language to write out a matched pair of .scad and .nc (G-Code) files - using a second programming language to capture the text output from the console and filter it to create the G-Code file
Thank you for taking the time to read and consider this.
William

OpenSCAD mailing list
Discuss@lists.openscad.org
http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org

Still surprised this issue was closed with such little consideration.
Writing out text files from OpenSCAD could be quite useful (and apparently some folks are already using the Console output by filtering it --- allowing a bit more control over writing out files would make this far more workable).
Potential uses:
 - debugging - calculating coordinates to make specialized files such as polygons - B.O.M.s - assembly instructions and other documentation - doing CAM as raw G-Code
Just adding a parallel output where if one called echo() only that text was written out to a second file (with a user configurable file extension) would work --- no added menu entry, just a pair of configuration options:
[ ] write out echo text in separate file[ ] custom file extension, use ____ instead of .txt
would work for me.
William

If you want to experiment with writing other file types, it's not too
hard.  Use echo() and copy-paste the output, or run OpenSCAD from the
command line and capture the output.  You'd have to post-process it a
bit to remove the noise, but it wouldn't be terribly hard.  nop head
does this to generate BOMs.  I do it to generate lists of models from
multi-model files.

But make sure that you can actually do what you want before thinking
about adding new features.  Remember that nothing in the OpenSCAD
language has access to the coordinates.

translate([x,y,z]) {
    /* Nothing here has any way to access the the new origin in global coordinates. */
}

If you want access to the coordinates you'd have to do your own
transforms in parallel.

To answer your original question “how do I get those numbers out of RapCAD or
OpenSCAD and into a DXF or SVG?”
I took your 3d_Fingerjoint.scad file and exported it to an STL.  I imported
the STL file into AutoCAD and traced a POLYLINE around the boundary of the 4
pieces and then exported a DXF file of just the POLYLINES.  And imported
that into OpenSCAD.  I can understand why you choose not to use AutoCAD but
FreeCAD (according to their manual) can do the same thing.
http://forum.openscad.org/file/t1309/outline.jpg

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