Building Parts with Cadbuildr: From Pawns to Complex Designs

Cadbuildr is an innovative platform that brings the power of programmatic CAD (Computer-Aided Design) to your fingertips. In this post, we'll explore how to build parts using Cadbuildr, starting with simple examples and progressing to more complex designs. We'll use the chess library as our primary example to illustrate key concepts.

Getting Started: The Playground

The playground is the perfect place to start your journey with Cadbuildr. It provides a visual interface for creating 3D models using the foundation library. You can sketch, extrude, and rotate shapes to build your designs, all within the convenience of your web browser.

When you load the playground, it comes with a few default example and tutorial parts.

Documentation and Tutorials

The foundation library also comes with a Documentation website to help you get started. It covers everything from your first Hello Cube to more in-depth tutorials on using Extrusion and Lathe operations, as well as creating a Sketch.

You can also find a tutorial on building a chess set from scratch here.

When beginning with Cadbuildr, it's best to start simple. The platform is designed to allow users to create individual parts before moving on to more complex assemblies. This approach helps in understanding the fundamental concepts and operations used in CAD design.

CAD Operations: The Building Blocks of 3D Design

Cadbuildr utilizes common CAD operations, making it intuitive for those familiar with traditional CAD software. The main operations you'll use frequently are:

1. Extrusion: Extending 2D shapes into 3D
2. Lathe: Rotating a 2D profile around an axis

Both of which use sketches as input. Sketches are 2D drawings that serve as the foundation for creating 3D models. You can create sketches using lines, arcs, and circles, among other shapes.

For instance, a chess pawn has a circular geometry which is easily created using the Lathe operation to generate the 3D model.

The Road Ahead: From Simple Parts to Complex Designs

While we've focused on simple chess pieces in this post, Cadbuildr's roadmap includes support for increasingly complex parts and assemblies. The platform is designed to grow with your skills, allowing you to tackle more challenging designs as you become more proficient.

You can already create a large variety of parts using the Lathe and Extrusion operations, but more complex features are on our roadmap.

Conclusion: Start Building Today

Whether you're a hobbyist looking to 3D print custom designs or an engineer prototyping new products, Cadbuildr provides the tools you need to bring your ideas to life and, most importantly, share them in an open format.

We look forward to seeing what you build with Cadbuildr!