Show HN: We wrote an open-source Text to CAD app
I'm Zach from Adam (https://adam.new/). We’re building an AI co-pilot for mechanical CAD software.
As part of our broader research, we built a browser-based Text-to-CAD app (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44182206) and are now open sourcing it. This is a React SPA with a Supabase backend.
What it does:
* Generates parametric 3D models from natural language descriptions, with support for both text prompts and image references
* Outputs OpenSCAD code with automatically extracted parameters that surface as interactive sliders for instant dimension tweaking
* Exports as .STL or .SCAD
Under the hood:
* Separate agents for conversation and code generation; simple parameter tweaks bypass AI entirely using deterministic regex-based updates
* Runs fully in-browser by compiling OpenSCAD to WebAssembly and integrating Three.js with React Three Fiber for 3D rendering
* Supports BOSL, BOSL2, MCAD libraries and custom font support (Geist) for text in models
We’ve seen many developers trying to replicate this kind of functionality, so we’re releasing this to give the community a solid foundation to build on.
Future improvements:
* Expand geometry support - Move beyond CSG primitives to support curved surfaces, fillets, lofts, and constraint-driven modeling through CadQuery/Build123D
* Better spatial context - UI for face/edge selection and viewport image integration to give LLMs spatial understanding
* Enhanced capabilities - RAG on documentation and integration with more OpenSCAD libraries for features like proper threading
You can clone the repo and run it locally! Contributions are welcome, and we’ll keep merging PRs as they come in.
P.S. We’re also working on a tool that allows mechanical engineers to use text, images, or mechanical drawings to generate feature-rich CAD models in their favorite platforms. If working on AI CAD sounds interesting to you, check out our careers page at https://adam.new/careers.
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