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ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

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Robin2

ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

I've mentioned elsewhere on this Forum that I have been working on a simple
Python program that enables me to create OpenSCAD code without having to
type all the syntactical stuff.

I think the program has now advanced far enough to make it public for anyone
that might be interested. I do appreciate that it will probably be more
attractive for the occasional OpenSCAD user as compared to those who are a
great deal more expert with OpenSCAD than I am.

<http://forum.openscad.org/file/t2631/GetStartedBoth.png>

This short Youtube video should give you a flavour of how ClikScad is used.
The video is intended for illustration rather than education.
https://youtu.be/q1Sd0Fuppuw

The Python code and the documentation can be downloaded from Google Drive.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uBpil6TeYyaar_0l8Zm_17UvE-EOTza7?usp=sharing

...R

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tobject

Re: ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

Have you heard about https://graphscad.blogspot.com/ ?

On 10/12/19, Robin2 <[hidden email]> wrote:

> I've mentioned elsewhere on this Forum that I have been working on a simple
> Python program that enables me to create OpenSCAD code without having to
> type all the syntactical stuff.
>
> I think the program has now advanced far enough to make it public for
> anyone
> that might be interested. I do appreciate that it will probably be more
> attractive for the occasional OpenSCAD user as compared to those who are a
> great deal more expert with OpenSCAD than I am.
>
> <http://forum.openscad.org/file/t2631/GetStartedBoth.png>
>
> This short Youtube video should give you a flavour of how ClikScad is used.
> The video is intended for illustration rather than education.
> https://youtu.be/q1Sd0Fuppuw
>
> The Python code and the documentation can be downloaded from Google Drive.
> https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uBpil6TeYyaar_0l8Zm_17UvE-EOTza7?usp=sharing
>
> ...R
>
>
>
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Robin2

Re: ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

tobject wrote
> Have you heard about https://graphscad.blogspot.com/ ?

Yes. It's mentioned in my PDFs

...R

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OpenSCAD mailing list

Re: ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

In reply to this post by Robin2

On 12.10.19 17:01, Robin2 wrote:
> The Python code and the documentation can be downloaded from Google Drive.

Would you consider placing the code on Github or Gitlab (or something
along these lines)?

I'm interested in exploring this code further, but collaboration by way
of Google Drive is … painful.

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Robin2

Re: ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

OpenSCAD mailing list wrote
> Would you consider placing the code on Github or Gitlab (or something
> along these lines)?

I did but it's just too much trouble for me. It would mean completely
changing the way I work.

Feel free to put it on Github yourself if you wish.

...R

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lar3ry

Re: ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

In reply to this post by Robin2

I don't know if this is the proper place for it, but since it isn't on
github, I can't open an issue or ask questions there.

I ran clikscad.py, got the "listening" message, then opened OpenSCAD and
loaded GetStarted.scad, then in the ClikSCAD window on the browser, I loaded
GetStarted.clik

Nothing showed up in my OpenSCAD window. I tried rendering, and it showed
up, but when I made changes, nothing happened to anything in the OpenSCAD
window.

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MichaelAtOz

Re: ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

Administrator

I haven't used it but I presume it needs Auto-reload&Preview set.

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Unless specifically shown otherwise above, my contribution is in the Public Domain;
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Obviously inclusion of works of previous authors is not included in the above.

Robin2

Re: ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

MichaelAtOz wrote
> I haven't used it but I presume it needs Auto-reload&Preview set.

Yes - sorry - I had assumed that would be second nature for Openscad folks.

...R

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Robin2

Re: ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

This post was updated on .

In reply to this post by lar3ry

lar3ry wrote
> I don't know if this is the proper place for it, but since it isn't on
> github, I can't open an issue or ask questions there.

I have been assuming that people will comment here as it is essentially an
Openscad thing

You need to select Design/Auto-reload and preview - I have had that set for
so long I assumed it was the default.

Thanks for pointing this out, and sorry you had the trouble. I have updated the instructions.

...R

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OpenSCAD mailing list-2

Re: ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

In reply to this post by Robin2

I've been looking at this sort of thing for a while now.

- https://graphscad.blogspot.com/ --- this was neat in that it was a
desktop app, but the OpenSCAD code was much modified and I found that
confusing and problematic
- https://github.com/studiotc/NodeGraphInterface --- I have an irrational
mislike of Java, and I found setting up variables in this clunky
- https://www.blockscad3d.com/editor/# --- I've been using this quite a
bit, and greatly like it

I'd like to use OpenJSCAD, but I keep running into instances where code
doesn't seem to work.

Examples of my using BlockSCAD:

-
https://community.carbide3d.com/t/fitted-box-design-generator-underway/13437/12
-
https://community.carbide3d.com/t/design-into-3d-boxes-magazine-storage/16238/2

(there's some more on my GitHub)

I'd really like to see something which:

- had both a desktop and web version
- had robust support for the customizer (blockscad requires one finish up
coding it in OpenSCAD)
- allowed one to put projects up on a site where others could access them

I have a URL I'd like to use for that --- designinto3d.com but I'm kind of
mystified by the whole web server hosting thing. Even better would be if the
server could run TeX/LaTeX and serve up files thusly generated.

William

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Robin2

Re: ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

OpenSCAD mailing list-2 wrote
> I'd really like to see something which:
>
> - had both a desktop and web version,

Who is going to create it? I reckon the first thing that is needed is for
the OpenSCAD folks to acknowledge that a GUI front-end would be "a good
idea". At the moment there seems to be no "official" interest. (By the way I
don't mean that the OpenSCAD folks should write the program - just that they
would support it)

> - had robust support for the customizer (blockscad requires one finish up
> coding it in OpenSCAD)

I recently tried the customizer briefly and I was grossly under-whelmed - I
will not repeat the experience. It seems to me altogether the wrong solution
to simplification (or whatever it is trying to solve) - it certainly did not
simplify anything for me.

> - allowed one to put projects up on a site where others could access them
>
> William

People can do that now. There are lots of projects on Thingiverse and any
Cloud storage can make a file publicly available. There is nothing to
prevent someone creating a design with my ClikScad and posting that on the
Cloud somewhere.

...R

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Mikael at UL

Re: ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

IMHO, Openscad as it is works fine. Having used most major CAD systems for many years, for my own projects and for teaching, openscad is my preference.
My students learn a lot more by having to think about describing their geometries with “code” than pointing and clicking. It is also important for them for understanding the differences between a programming language and a descriptive language.

/mikael
University of Limerick, Ireland

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Sent from a mobile device.

> On 24 Oct 2019, at 21:28, "[hidden email]" <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>
> CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the University of Limerick. Do not click on links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender's email address and know the content is safe.
> OpenSCAD mailing list-2 wrote
>> I'd really like to see something which:
>>
>> - had both a desktop and web version,
>
> Who is going to create it? I reckon the first thing that is needed is for
> the OpenSCAD folks to acknowledge that a GUI front-end would be "a good
> idea". At the moment there seems to be no "official" interest. (By the way I
> don't mean that the OpenSCAD folks should write the program - just that they
> would support it)
>
>
>> - had robust support for the customizer (blockscad requires one finish up
>> coding it in OpenSCAD)
>
> I recently tried the customizer briefly and I was grossly under-whelmed - I
> will not repeat the experience. It seems to me altogether the wrong solution
> to simplification (or whatever it is trying to solve) - it certainly did not
> simplify anything for me.
>
>
>> - allowed one to put projects up on a site where others could access them
>>
>> William
>
> People can do that now. There are lots of projects on Thingiverse and any
> Cloud storage can make a file publicly available. There is nothing to
> prevent someone creating a design with my ClikScad and posting that on the
> Cloud somewhere.
>
>
> ...R
>
>
>
> --
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>
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tp3

Re: ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

In reply to this post by Robin2

On 24.10.19 22:38, Robin2 wrote:
> Who is going to create it? I reckon the first thing
> that is needed is for the OpenSCAD folks to acknowledge
> that a GUI front-end would be "a good idea". At the moment
> there seems to be no "official" interest. (By the way I
> don't mean that the OpenSCAD folks should write the
> program - just that they would support it)

Who would that be ("the OpenSCAD folks")?

And what would "support it" mean?

ciao,
Torsten.

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JordanBrown

Re: ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

In reply to this post by Robin2

On 10/24/2019 1:38 PM, Robin2 wrote:

I recently tried the customizer briefly and I was grossly under-whelmed - I
will not repeat the experience. It seems to me altogether the wrong solution
to simplification (or whatever it is trying to solve) - it certainly did not
simplify anything for me.

Were you trying it as a model designer, or as a model consumer wanting to customize somebody else's design?

It isn't intended to make things easier for the model designer. If anything, it makes things more complex.

It's intended for a consumer who wants a box that somebody else designed, but wants it in *these* dimensions, with *these* options. This (hypothetical?) user doesn't want to see OpenSCAD or make significant changes to the design, just pick options within the scope laid out by the designer.

For instance: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:421886
(Doesn't seem to work in Firefox, but seems to work in Edge.)

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OpenSCAD mailing list-2

Re: ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

In reply to this post by Robin2

It's frustrating to me that OpenJSCAD does have both a desktop and web
version, but doesn't work for me.

The customizer affords at least a basic interface for parametric design, and
for naïve users to customize designs. Things which I wish were possible in
it:

- unit conversion of customizer values when changing units --- so a design
which has a thickness of 1" would have a thicknes of 25.4mm when switched
from inches to mm
- selectively hide/show elements
- additional options for formatting the customizer window

The thing which is missing from Thingiverse and other project sharing sites
is integration --- I want folks to be able to customize a design in 3D using
OpenSCAD, then use Tool Path Language (tplang), or lualatex and metapost, or
some other tool to generate cut files.

Imagine if one could use: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3575705 and then
get the .c2d file from: http://chaunax.github.io/projects/twhl-box/twhl.html
without having to enter the values twice.

William

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Robin2

Re: ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

In reply to this post by tp3

tp3 wrote
> Who would that be ("the OpenSCAD folks")?
>
> And what would "support it" mean?

I don't know their names but I presume there are some people who act as the
"guardian" of the OpenSCAD project - for example in the way that Linus
Torvalds does for Linux. The people who decide what goes into the next
release and what doesn't.

All I mean by "support" is a statement of encouragement - "We believe XXX
would be a useful addition to OpenSCAD and we think it should have these
general features [or should not have these features]" And maybe "we will
bundle it with (or link to it from) OpenSCAD wen it is sufficiently
complete"

...R

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Robin2

Re: ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

In reply to this post by JordanBrown

JordanBrown wrote
> Were you trying it as a model designer, or as a model consumer wanting
> to customize somebody else's design?
>
> It isn't intended to make things easier for the model designer. If
> anything, it makes things more complex.
>
> It's intended for a consumer who wants a box that somebody else
> designed, but wants it in *these* dimensions, with *these* options.

I was looking at it as a designer because IIRC someone referred me to it as
an alternative to my proposed GUI.

From what you say I can see how it can allow a designer to turn his
creations into a "consumer item" - and I have no quibble with that.

My interest is in creating a simpler interface for newbie designers.

...R

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nophead

Re: ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

Not sure how a graphical representation is any simpler than text. It is exactly the same logical construction expressed in a different format. Do people really struggle much with syntax? The hard part is how to decompose and object into CSG operations and the trigonometry.

Using text is a major benefit of OpenSCAD because it can be pasted into emails and checked into source control. It is also fairly concise. I imagine the graphical representation of my typical designs would be an enormous tree.

On Fri, 25 Oct 2019 at 09:27, Robin2 <[hidden email]> wrote:

JordanBrown wrote
> Were you trying it as a model designer, or as a model consumer wanting
> to customize somebody else's design?
>
> It isn't intended to make things easier for the model designer. If
> anything, it makes things more complex.
>
> It's intended for a consumer who wants a box that somebody else
> designed, but wants it in *these* dimensions, with *these* options.

I was looking at it as a designer because IIRC someone referred me to it as
an alternative to my proposed GUI.

From what you say I can see how it can allow a designer to turn his
creations into a "consumer item" - and I have no quibble with that.

My interest is in creating a simpler interface for newbie designers.

...R

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OpenSCAD mailing list-2

Re: ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

In reply to this post by Robin2

Using the customizer forces one to use variables, and think about the model in those terms, which I believe helps.

The added complexity is worth it, though it would be nicer if it were more hierarchical.

William

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Robin2

Re: ClikScad - create OpenSCAD models without all the typing

In reply to this post by nophead

nophead wrote
> Not sure how a graphical representation is any simpler than text. It is
> exactly the same logical construction expressed in a different format.

I think you misunderstand what I have in mind. Have you had a look at my
very short video https://youtu.be/q1Sd0Fuppuw
<https://youtu.be/q1Sd0Fuppuw>

I have no plan to produce a graphical representation of a design - the
output of my program is regular OpenSCAD code.

What I do think would be a great value is a system that eliminates the need
to do all the typing that is currently an inherent part of OpenSCAD.

In fact yesterday and today I have been using my ClikScad to design a part
that I want to 3D print and (while I can see room for improvement in
ClikScad) there is no way that I will go back to typing OpenSCAD code by
hand.

...R

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1234