OpenSCAD Assistive Forge

OpenSCAD Library Bundles

This customizer includes popular OpenSCAD library bundles that provide reusable components and advanced functions for your models.

Available Libraries

MCAD – Mechanical components like gears, screws, bearings, and fasteners
BOSL2 – Advanced geometry primitives, attachable parts, and complex shapes
NopSCADlib – Parts library for 3D printers and electronics projects
dotSCAD – Artistic patterns, designs, and creative geometry

How to Use Libraries

Include library modules in your OpenSCAD code:

use <MCAD/boxes.scad>;use <BOSL2/std.scad>;

The customizer automatically detects which libraries your model uses and marks them as "required". You can also manually enable any library from the 📚 Libraries panel.

This example demonstrates MCAD library usage with mechanical components.

Related Features

ZIP projects – Upload a .zip containing multiple .scad files and dependencies
File tree – View included files to confirm everything loaded correctly
Source viewer – Inspect the fully assembled source (Advanced tab)

Color Parameters

Add interactive color pickers to your models by using the [color] annotation in your OpenSCAD parameters.

Syntax

// Hex color with annotationbox_color = "FF6B35"; // [color]// RGB hex format (with or without #)primary_color = "#3498DB"; // [color]secondary_color = "E74C3C"; // [color]

How It Works

When you add the // [color] annotation to a string parameter, the customizer:

Displays a visual color picker instead of a text input
Shows a color preview swatch next to the parameter
Validates hex color values automatically
Updates the preview in real-time as you change colors

Using Colors in Your Model

Use your color parameter in OpenSCAD however you prefer (RGB arrays, named colors, or helper functions). The example below includes a working conversion helper.

This example shows how to use color parameters with a complete hex2rgb implementation.

Preview-Only Model Color

You can also change the model’s display color without changing your OpenSCAD file:

Preview Settings & Info → Model Color – affects the preview only
Reset – returns to the theme default display color

Designs (Presets)

Save and load your favourite design configurations to quickly switch between different variations of your model.

Saving Presets

Adjust your parameters to the desired values
Click the 💾 Save Preset button above the parameters
Enter a descriptive name for your preset
Your preset is saved locally in your browser

Loading Presets

Use the preset dropdown menu to quickly switch between saved configurations. The parameters will update automatically.

Managing Presets

Rename – Update preset names for clarity
Delete – Remove presets you no longer need
Export/Import – Share presets with others or back them up

Presets are stored per-file, so each model has its own set of saved configurations.

Sharing Your Configuration

Export Params (Actions menu) – Download your current settings as a JSON file

Sort Designs

Sort designs by name (A–Z or Z–A) or by date created/modified in the Manage Designs panel.
Sort preference is saved per browser session.

Import Modes

Merge — add imported designs to your existing ones (default).
Replace all — delete all existing designs for the current model, then import. Always asks for confirmation.

Export Naming

Single-design exports use the design name as the filename (e.g. iPad Pro 11 LAMP layout.json).

Compatibility Analysis

When loading a design, the app compares its parameters against the current model’s schema.
Hidden parameters are excluded from this check — no false “new” or “obsolete” warnings.

Advanced Features

Parameter Group Visibility

Each parameter group header has a Hide group (×) button. Click it to remove the group from view.
A Show all link appears at the bottom of the panel, showing how many groups are hidden.
Hidden groups are remembered per model in localStorage.
Keyboard: Tab to the × button and press Space/Enter; Tab to "Show all" to restore.

Parameter Search & Jump

Search parameters – Filter by name/description
Jump to group – Quickly navigate long parameter lists
Show all – Restore all parameters after a search

Output Formats

Export your customized models in multiple formats:

STL – Standard format for 3D printing (binary or ASCII)
OBJ – Common 3D model format with material support
OFF – Object File Format for geometry
AMF – Additive Manufacturing File Format
3MF – Modern 3D printing format with color support

Multi-File Projects

Upload ZIP files containing multiple OpenSCAD files. The customizer will:

Automatically detect the main file
Extract and mount all included files
Display a file tree showing the project structure
Support relative paths in include and use statements

A small ZIP project that demonstrates includes, modules, and the file tree.

Parameter Limits Override

By default, sliders and number inputs respect the limits defined in your OpenSCAD file. You can unlock parameter limits from the Advanced menu to enter custom values.

Source Code Viewer

View the complete OpenSCAD source code, including all included files, from the Advanced menu. This helps verify that multi-file projects are loaded correctly.

Current Parameters as JSON

Use Advanced → View Params JSON to copy or archive your current configuration (useful for clinics, classrooms, or troubleshooting).

Render Quality

Choose different quality levels for preview and exports:

Preview quality – Auto, Fidelity, Balanced, Fast
Export quality – Model default, Low, Medium, High
Complexity indicator – Shows a suggested quality tier based on your model

Workflow & Actions

Grid Size (Printer Bed)

Open Preview Settings and use the Grid size controls to match your printer bed dimensions.
Choose from common presets (Ender 3, Prusa MK4, CR-10, large format) or enter custom mm values.
The grid updates immediately and the setting is remembered across sessions.

Screenshot Reference Image

Include a screenshot.png in your ZIP project and it is automatically loaded as a reference overlay behind your keyguard in the 3D preview.
Choose a tablet from the Size to device dropdown to snap the overlay to known screen dimensions.
If your SCAD file has screen_width_mm and screen_height_mm parameters, the overlay resizes automatically when you load the model.

The app is designed around a simple, repeatable workflow. A progress indicator at the top shows where you are.

The 4-Step Flow

Upload – Load a .scad or .zip project
Customize – Adjust parameters, use presets, search/jump for large models
Generate – Create your output file (STL/OBJ/OFF/AMF/3MF)
Download – Download the generated file (or download the last file again)

Actions Menu

Open the Actions drawer to find power features:

Export Params – Download your configuration as JSON
Compare – Track and compare parameter changes
Queue – Batch multiple renders and process them later

Focus Mode

Use Full Screen (Focus Mode) to maximize the preview area when presenting or when working on smaller screens.

Accessibility Features

The UI is built to support keyboard-only use, screen readers, voice control, and low-vision needs.

Console Warnings for Missing Files

When a model uses include <file.txt> but the file is missing, the Console panel surfaces the warning immediately.
A badge count on the Console button updates, and a live region announces the warning to screen readers.
Filter by Warnings in the Console panel to see only relevant messages.

Live Region Announcements

Designs sorted: announced when sort order changes in the Manage panel.
Group hidden / shown: announced when parameter groups are hidden or shown.
Grid size updated: announced when the printer bed dimensions change.
Overlay sized: announced when the reference overlay is resized to a tablet device.

Keyboard & Focus

Skip link – Press Tab at the top to jump to main content
Undo / Redo – Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Shift+Z
Focus indicators – 3px visible outlines (4px in High Contrast mode)
Touch targets – Buttons meet a 44×44px minimum size

Screen Readers

Status announcements – Key operations are announced via live regions
Landmarks – Major sections are labeled as regions for quick navigation
Plain-language errors – Errors include clear titles and suggested fixes

Theme & Contrast

Theme toggle – Light / Dark
High Contrast (HC) – AAA-oriented contrast and thicker focus/borders
Forced colors – Works with Windows High Contrast / forced-colors mode
Reduced motion – Respects prefers-reduced-motion

📘 Full Accessibility Guide (opens in new tab)

Full details, including tested screen reader/browser combinations.

ASCII Render Mode (Alt View)

Alt View converts the 3D preview into character-based ASCII art. This hidden feature is unlocked via a special input sequence or developer bypass.

What is Alt View?

Purpose – ASCII art rendering mode that converts the 3D preview into character-based art
Location – Toggle button appears in the header next to the Theme toggle after unlock
Effect – Activates the mono UI theme variant and replaces the WebGL preview with ASCII character output
Session-only – The theme switch does not persist; closing the browser reverts to normal

ASCII Rendering Technology

The ASCII renderer uses a 6D shape-vector character model for glyph selection:

Each cell is sampled at 6 internal points to create a "shape signature"
Characters are matched by finding the glyph whose shape vector is closest
Per-cell and directional contrast enhancement improves edge definition
Based on research into shape-vector ASCII rendering (credited in THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md)

Controls Reference

Rotate D-pad

▲

◄

⟳

►

▼

Center: Auto-Rotate

Pan D-pad

▲

◄

⊕

►

▼

Center: Pan Adjust Toggle

When Pan Adjust is ON: ▲/▼ = Edge ±, ◄/► = Size ±

Auto-Rotate (Rotate D-pad center)

Toggles automatic model rotation around the Z-axis
Enabled by default when Alt View is activated
Click to pause/resume rotation

Pan Adjust Toggle (Pan D-pad center)

Switches the Pan D-pad between two modes:

OFF (default) – Normal pan behavior (moves the camera)
ON – Adjustment mode for Edge and Size parameters

Edge & Size Adjustment

When Pan Adjust is ON, the D-pad arrows control rendering parameters:

Up arrow – Increase Edge (sharper outlines, more contrast)
Down arrow – Decrease Edge (softer outlines, less contrast)
Right arrow – Increase Size (larger characters, fewer columns)
Left arrow – Decrease Size (smaller characters, more columns)

Edge range: 0.5–4.0 | Size range: 0.5–2.5 (defaults vary by device)

Status Bar

When Alt View is active, the status bar shows current Edge and Size values. Example: [ALT VIEW] Edge: 1.8 | Size: 1.0

Tips

Alt View auto-calibrates Edge and Size based on your viewport size and device type
Mobile devices default to larger characters for readability
High-DPI displays can handle more detail (smaller characters, sharper edges)
The sliders in the preview settings panel provide the same adjustments as the D-pad