On Sat, 24 Dec 2016 00:14:00 -0500, "J. Clarke"
wrote:

In article qcvr5c9g5rgeh99cennk4bu8sld2m2a5ok@
4ax.com, says...

On Fri, 23 Dec 2016 23:09:06 -0500, "J. Clarke"
wrote:

In article 2isr5chr1ouvp3bfemuebt1140uovrhuk1@
4ax.com, says...

On Fri, 23 Dec 2016 18:55:48 -0800, Electric Comet
wrote:


have been trying out a program for making 3d models called openscad

What's wrong with Sketchup?

instead of clicking a mouse to create your object you define it
programatically

You can do that in Sketchup, too.

so far just playing with it to understand how it works

not sure how to generate dimension text

the syntax is not too abstract but it is an entirely new way to design
in 3d

Doesn't sound very useful to me.

If the "new thing" about it is "defining
programmatically", there's nothing new about
that. That's how Autocad has _always_ worked.

Autocad has not always been a "parametric cad" I believe it has only
been a fully parametric cad since Acad 2010 while design View, for
instance, has been a parametric cad since at least 1992 in 2D

Whatever "parametric cad" is, there was a time
when point and click was a new innovation that
was added to Autocad. You have always run it by
typing commands and after a while a programming
language was added.

That's "defining programmatically" in my book.
If he meant something else he should have said
it.
Parametric cad uses a database of dimensions and by redefining either
a linear measurement or an angle, the entire diagram is redrawn. You
can lengthen a part by 50 thou, or by 2 inches, or by 2 feet by simply
redefining a line segment. If a hole is defined as being centered to
that line segment, it is properly relocated. Just a few really basic
examples of a VERY powerful design tool..