build123d VS manim

I haven't tried Zoo (really, unique naming isn't THAT hard...), and afict I can't see the code so I prob never will, but I got perfect results with build123d recently. Admittedly it's python to cad, not AI text to cad, but it was a joy to use after getting over the initial learning curve. The users and devs hang out on the slack chan and are very helpful.

https://github.com/gumyr/build123d

Yes, absolutely.

It was where GIMP still is now, for artists.

It's definitely been idiosyncratic (if not solipsistic). And it still [0] has a core flaw that is being mitigated.

OpenSCAD is actually very limited in ways that don't become obvious until you get into a bRep CAD system at least. But it's how I also got into CAD.

If you like it, you might find Build123D [1] interesting: this is a Python (and very pythonic) environment built around the same kernel as FreeCAD.

I wanted to know there was at least something I'd be able to use for my own ideas, and the fact that OpenSCAD exists is definitely a blessing.

But I got from OpenSCAD to FreeCAD and I am very glad of it; it's an amazingly capable bit of software once you get past the pain (in the same way Blender is, I gather).

GIMP is not an amazingly capable bit of software for designers. It's broken and hobbled.

[0] the topological naming problem: being corrected in the core distribution at the moment as they head to 1.0

[1] https://github.com/gumyr/build123d

https://github.com/gumyr/build123d :

> Build123d is a python-based, parametric, boundary representation (BREP) modeling framework for 2D and 3D CAD. It's built on the Open Cascade geometric kernel and allows for the creation of complex models using a simple and intuitive python syntax. Build123d can be used to create models for 3D printing, CNC machining, laser cutting, and other manufacturing processes. Models can be exported to a wide variety of popular CAD tools such as FreeCAD and SolidWorks.

> Build123d could be considered as an evolution of CadQuery where the somewhat restrictive Fluent API (method chaining) is replaced with stateful context managers* - e.g. with blocks - thus enabling the full python toolbox: for loops, references to objects, object sorting and filtering, etc.*

"Build123d: A Python CAD programming library" (2023) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37576296

BREP: Boundary representation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_representation

Manim, Blender, PhysX, o3de, [FEM, CFD, [thermal, fluidic,] engineering]: https://github.com/ManimCommunity/manim/issues/3362

NURBS: Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-uniform_rational_B-spline

NURBS for COMPAS: https://github.com/gramaziokohler/compas_nurbs :

> This package is inspired by the NURBS-Python package, however uses a NumPy-based backend for better performance.

> Curve, and Surface are non-uniform non-rational B-Spline geometries (NUBS), RationalCurve, and RationalSurface are non-uniform rational B-Spline Geometries (NURBS). They all built upon the class BSpline. Coordinates have to be in 3D space (x, y, z)

test_curve.py, test_surface.py

https://github.com/compas-dev

compas_rhino, compas_blender

Blender docs > Modeling Surfaces; NURBs implementation, limits, challenges:

https://github.com/gumyr/build123d/blob/dev/examples/heat_ex...

github

Also check out community edition: https://www.manim.community

manim – A community-maintained Python framework for creating mathematical animations

I recently wanted to make something similar and I completely fell in love with https://www.manim.community/ created by 3B1B.

https://github.com/gumyr/build123d :

> Build123d is a python-based, parametric, boundary representation (BREP) modeling framework for 2D and 3D CAD. It's built on the Open Cascade geometric kernel and allows for the creation of complex models using a simple and intuitive python syntax. Build123d can be used to create models for 3D printing, CNC machining, laser cutting, and other manufacturing processes. Models can be exported to a wide variety of popular CAD tools such as FreeCAD and SolidWorks.

> Build123d could be considered as an evolution of CadQuery where the somewhat restrictive Fluent API (method chaining) is replaced with stateful context managers* - e.g. with blocks - thus enabling the full python toolbox: for loops, references to objects, object sorting and filtering, etc.*

"Build123d: A Python CAD programming library" (2023) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37576296

BREP: Boundary representation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_representation

Manim, Blender, PhysX, o3de, [FEM, CFD, [thermal, fluidic,] engineering]: https://github.com/ManimCommunity/manim/issues/3362

NURBS: Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-uniform_rational_B-spline

NURBS for COMPAS: https://github.com/gramaziokohler/compas_nurbs :

> This package is inspired by the NURBS-Python package, however uses a NumPy-based backend for better performance.

> Curve, and Surface are non-uniform non-rational B-Spline geometries (NUBS), RationalCurve, and RationalSurface are non-uniform rational B-Spline Geometries (NURBS). They all built upon the class BSpline. Coordinates have to be in 3D space (x, y, z)

test_curve.py, test_surface.py

https://github.com/compas-dev

compas_rhino, compas_blender

Blender docs > Modeling Surfaces; NURBs implementation, limits, challenges:

A template language that I wrote for generating HTML. Meant to be included as a C++ library. https://github.com/Ghoti-io/Tang

Plenty of other C++ code of mine is on Github (such as a bunch of utility stuff, a thread pool, and a HTTP server that I'm writing from scratch), even though I would only call myself an intermediate C++ programmer. I just happen to like the language.

Or, if I had to throw other stuff into the mix, a fairly recent patch to Manim (Python) that got accepted (https://github.com/ManimCommunity/manim/pull/3155).

If I were really pressed, I would dig up a lot of my Drupal (PHP) stuff that I did years ago.

I would love to have this https://github.com/manimCommunity/manim written in Rust. There have been previous attempts (bevy_manim and another one using nannou) but all of them are outdated