shapes.scad

Library File shapes.scad

Common useful shapes and structured objects. To use, add the following lines to the beginning of your file:

include <BOSL/constants.scad>
use <BOSL/shapes.scad>

---

Table of Contents

1. Cuboids

   • cuboid()
   • span_cube()
   • leftcube()
   • rightcube()
   • fwdcube()
   • backcube()
   • downcube()
   • upcube()

2. Prismoids

   • prismoid()
   • rounded_prismoid()
   • right_triangle()

3. Cylindroids

   • cyl()
   • downcyl()
   • xcyl()
   • ycyl()
   • zcyl()
   • tube()
   • torus()

4. Spheroids

   • staggered_sphere()

5. 3D Printing Shapes

   • teardrop2d()
   • teardrop()
   • onion()
   • narrowing_strut()
   • thinning_wall()
   • braced_thinning_wall()
   • thinning_triangle()
   • sparse_strut()
   • sparse_strut3d()
   • corrugated_wall()

6. Miscellaneous

   • nil()
   • noop()
   • pie_slice()
   • interior_fillet()
   • slot()
   • arced_slot()

7. Deprecations

   • cube2pt()
   • offsetcube()
   • chamfcube()
   • rrect()
   • rcube()
   • trapezoid()
   • pyramid()
   • prism()
   • chamferred_cylinder()
   • chamf_cyl()
   • filleted_cylinder()
   • rcylinder()
   • thinning_brace()

---

1. Cuboids

cuboid()

Description: Creates a cube or cuboid object, with optional chamfering or filleting/rounding.

Argument	What it does
size	The size of the cube.
chamfer	Size of chamfer, inset from sides. Default: No chamferring.
fillet	Radius of fillet for edge rounding. Default: No filleting.
edges	Edges to chamfer/fillet. Use EDGE constants from constants.scad. Default: EDGES_ALL
trimcorners	If true, rounds or chamfers corners where three chamferred/filleted edges meet. Default: true
p1	Align the cuboid's corner at p1, if given. Forces align=V_UP+V_BACK+V_RIGHT.
p2	If given with p1, defines the cornerpoints of the cuboid.
align	The side of the origin to align to. Use V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: V_CENTER
center	If given, overrides align. A true value sets align=V_CENTER, false sets align=V_UP+V_BACK+V_RIGHT.

Example 1: Simple regular cube.

cuboid(40);

Example 2: Cube with minimum cornerpoint given.

cuboid(20, p1=[10,0,0]);

Example 3: Rectangular cube, with given X, Y, and Z sizes.

cuboid([20,40,50]);

Example 4: Rectangular cube defined by opposing cornerpoints.

cuboid(p1=[0,10,0], p2=[20,30,30]);

Example 5: Rectangular cube with chamferred edges and corners.

cuboid([30,40,50], chamfer=5);

Example 6: Rectangular cube with chamferred edges, without trimmed corners.

cuboid([30,40,50], chamfer=5, trimcorners=false);

Example 7: Rectangular cube with rounded edges and corners.

cuboid([30,40,50], fillet=10);

Example 8: Rectangular cube with rounded edges, without trimmed corners.

cuboid([30,40,50], fillet=10, trimcorners=false);

Example 9: Rectangular cube with only some edges chamferred.

cuboid([30,40,50], chamfer=5, edges=EDGE_TOP_FR+EDGE_TOP_RT+EDGE_FR_RT, $fn=24);

Example 10: Rectangular cube with only some edges rounded.

cuboid([30,40,50], fillet=5, edges=EDGE_TOP_FR+EDGE_TOP_RT+EDGE_FR_RT, $fn=24);

---

span_cube()

Description: Creates a cube that spans the X, Y, and Z ranges given.

Argument	What it does
xspan	[min, max] X axis range.
yspan	[min, max] Y axis range.
zspan	[min, max] Z axis range.

Example:

span_cube([0,15], [5,10], [0, 10]);

---

leftcube()

Usage:

• leftcube(size);

Description: Makes a cube that is aligned on the left side of the origin.

Argument	What it does
size	The size of the cube to make.

Example:

leftcube([20,30,40]);

---

rightcube()

Usage:

• rightcube(size);

Description: Makes a cube that is aligned on the right side of the origin.

Argument	What it does
size	The size of the cube to make.

Example:

rightcube([20,30,40]);

---

fwdcube()

Usage:

• fwdcube(size);

Description: Makes a cube that is aligned on the front side of the origin.

Argument	What it does
size	The size of the cube to make.

Example:

fwdcube([20,30,40]);

---

backcube()

Usage:

• backcube(size);

Description: Makes a cube that is aligned on the front side of the origin.

Argument	What it does
size	The size of the cube to make.

Example:

backcube([20,30,40]);

---

downcube()

Usage:

• downcube(size);

Description: Makes a cube that is aligned on the bottom side of the origin.

Argument	What it does
size	The size of the cube to make.

Example:

downcube([20,30,40]);

---

upcube()

Usage:

• upcube(size);

Description: Makes a cube that is aligned on the top side of the origin.

Argument	What it does
size	The size of the cube to make.

Example:

upcube([20,30,40]);

---

2. Prismoids

prismoid()

Usage:

• prismoid(size1, size2, h, [shift], [orient], [align|center]);

Description: Creates a rectangular prismoid shape.

Argument	What it does
size1	[width, length] of the axis-negative end of the prism.
size2	[width, length] of the axis-positive end of the prism.
h	Height of the prism.
shift	[x, y] amount to shift the center of the top with respect to the center of the bottom.
orient	Orientation of the prismoid. Use the ORIENT_ constants from constants.scad. Default: ORIENT_Z.
align	Alignment of the prismoid by the axis-negative (size1) end. Use the V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: ALIGN_POS.
center	If given, overrides align. A true value sets align=V_CENTER, false sets align=ALIGN_POS.

Example 1: Rectangular Pyramid

prismoid(size1=[40,40], size2=[0,0], h=20);

Example 2: Prism

prismoid(size1=[40,40], size2=[0,40], h=20);

Example 3: Truncated Pyramid

prismoid(size1=[35,50], size2=[20,30], h=20);

Example 4: Wedge

prismoid(size1=[60,35], size2=[30,0], h=30);

Example 5: Truncated Tetrahedron

prismoid(size1=[10,40], size2=[40,10], h=40);

Example 6: Inverted Truncated Pyramid

prismoid(size1=[15,5], size2=[30,20], h=20);

Example 7: Right Prism

prismoid(size1=[30,60], size2=[0,60], shift=[-15,0], h=30);

Example 8: Shifting/Skewing

prismoid(size1=[50,30], size2=[20,20], h=20, shift=[15,5]);

---

rounded_prismoid()

Description: Creates a rectangular prismoid shape with rounded vertical edges.

Argument	What it does
size1	[width, length] of the bottom of the prism.
size2	[width, length] of the top of the prism.
h	Height of the prism.
r	radius of vertical edge fillets.
r1	radius of vertical edge fillets at bottom.
r2	radius of vertical edge fillets at top.
shift	[x, y] amount to shift the center of the top with respect to the center of the bottom.
orient	Orientation of the prismoid. Use the ORIENT_ constants from constants.scad. Default: ORIENT_Z.
align	Alignment of the prismoid by the axis-negative (size1) end. Use the V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: V_UP.
center	vertically center the prism. Overrides align.

Example 1: Rounded Pyramid

rounded_prismoid(size1=[40,40], size2=[0,0], h=25, r=5);

Example 2: Centered Rounded Pyramid

rounded_prismoid(size1=[40,40], size2=[0,0], h=25, r=5, center=true);

Example 3: Disparate Top and Bottom Radii

rounded_prismoid(size1=[40,60], size2=[40,60], h=20, r1=3, r2=10, $fn=24);

Example 4: Shifting/Skewing

rounded_prismoid(size1=[50,30], size2=[20,20], h=20, shift=[15,5], r=5);

---

right_triangle()

Usage:

• right_triangle(size, [orient], [align|center]);

Description: Creates a 3D right triangular prism.

Argument	What it does
size	[width, thickness, height]
orient	The axis to place the hypotenuse along. Only accepts ORIENT_X, ORIENT_Y, or ORIENT_Z from constants.scad. Default: ORIENT_Y.
align	The side of the origin to align to. Use V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: V_UP+V_BACK+V_RIGHT.
center	If given, overrides align. A true value sets align=V_CENTER, false sets align=V_UP+V_BACK+V_RIGHT.

Example 1: Centered

right_triangle([60, 10, 40], center=true);

Example 2: Non-Centered

right_triangle([60, 10, 40]);

---

3. Cylindroids

cyl()

Normal Cylinders:

• cyl(l|h, r|d, [circum], [realign], [orient], [align], [center]);
• cyl(l|h, r1|d1, r2/d2, [circum], [realign], [orient], [align], [center]);

Chamferred Cylinders:

• cyl(l|h, r|d, chamfer, [chamfang], [from_end], [circum], [realign], [orient], [align], [center]);
• cyl(l|h, r|d, chamfer1, [chamfang1], [from_end], [circum], [realign], [orient], [align], [center]);
• cyl(l|h, r|d, chamfer2, [chamfang2], [from_end], [circum], [realign], [orient], [align], [center]);
• cyl(l|h, r|d, chamfer1, chamfer2, [chamfang1], [chamfang2], [from_end], [circum], [realign], [orient], [align], [center]);

Rounded/Filleted Cylinders:

• cyl(l|h, r|d, fillet, [circum], [realign], [orient], [align], [center]);
• cyl(l|h, r|d, fillet1, [circum], [realign], [orient], [align], [center]);
• cyl(l|h, r|d, fillet2, [circum], [realign], [orient], [align], [center]);
• cyl(l|h, r|d, fillet1, fillet2, [circum], [realign], [orient], [align], [center]);

Description: Creates cylinders in various alignments and orientations, with optional fillets and chamfers. You can use r and l interchangably, and all variants allow specifying size by either r|d, or r1|d1 and r2|d2. Note that that chamfers and fillets cannot cross the midpoint of the cylinder's length.

Argument	What it does
l / h	Length of cylinder along oriented axis. (Default: 1.0)
r	Radius of cylinder.
r1	Radius of the negative (X-, Y-, Z-) end of cylinder.
r2	Radius of the positive (X+, Y+, Z+) end of cylinder.
d	Diameter of cylinder.
d1	Diameter of the negative (X-, Y-, Z-) end of cylinder.
d2	Diameter of the positive (X+, Y+, Z+) end of cylinder.
circum	If true, cylinder should circumscribe the circle of the given size. Otherwise inscribes. Default: false
chamfer	The size of the chamfers on the ends of the cylinder. Default: none.
chamfer1	The size of the chamfer on the axis-negative end of the cylinder. Default: none.
chamfer2	The size of the chamfer on the axis-positive end of the cylinder. Default: none.
chamfang	The angle in degrees of the chamfers on the ends of the cylinder.
chamfang1	The angle in degrees of the chamfer on the axis-negative end of the cylinder.
chamfang2	The angle in degrees of the chamfer on the axis-positive end of the cylinder.
from_end	If true, chamfer is measured from the end of the cylinder, instead of inset from the edge. Default: false.
fillet	The radius of the fillets on the ends of the cylinder. Default: none.
fillet1	The radius of the fillet on the axis-negative end of the cylinder.
fillet2	The radius of the fillet on the axis-positive end of the cylinder.
realign	If true, rotate the cylinder by half the angle of one face.
orient	Orientation of the cylinder. Use the ORIENT_ constants from constants.scad. Default: vertical.
align	Alignment of the cylinder. Use the V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: centered.
center	If given, overrides align. A true value sets align=V_CENTER, false sets align=ALIGN_POS.

Example 1: By Radius

xdistribute(30) {
    cyl(l=40, r=10);
    cyl(l=40, r1=10, r2=5);
}

Example 2: By Diameter

xdistribute(30) {
    cyl(l=40, d=25);
    cyl(l=40, d1=25, d2=10);
}

Example 3: Chamferring

xdistribute(60) {
    // Shown Left to right.
    cyl(l=40, d=40, chamfer=7);  // Default chamfang=45
    cyl(l=40, d=40, chamfer=7, chamfang=30, from_end=false);
    cyl(l=40, d=40, chamfer=7, chamfang=30, from_end=true);
}

Example 4: Rounding/Filleting

cyl(l=40, d=40, fillet=10);

Example 5: Heterogenous Chamfers and Fillets

ydistribute(80) {
    // Shown Front to Back.
    cyl(l=40, d=40, fillet1=15, orient=ORIENT_X);
    cyl(l=40, d=40, chamfer2=5, orient=ORIENT_X);
    cyl(l=40, d=40, chamfer1=12, fillet2=10, orient=ORIENT_X);
}

Example 6: Putting it all together

cyl(l=40, d1=25, d2=15, chamfer1=10, chamfang1=30, from_end=true, fillet2=5);

---

downcyl()

Usage:

• downcyl(l|h, r|d);
• downcyl(l|h, r1|d1, r2|d2);

Description: Creates a cylinder aligned below the origin.

Argument	What it does
l / h	Length of cylinder. (Default: 1.0)
r	Radius of cylinder.
r1	Bottom radius of cylinder.
r2	Top radius of cylinder.
d	Diameter of cylinder. (use instead of r)
d1	Bottom diameter of cylinder.
d2	Top diameter of cylinder.

Example 1: Cylinder

downcyl(r=20, h=40);

Example 2: Cone

downcyl(r1=10, r2=20, h=40);

---

xcyl()

Usage:

• xcyl(l|h, r|d, [align|center]);
• xcyl(l|h, r1|d1, r2|d2, [align|center]);

Description: Creates a cylinder oriented along the X axis.

Argument	What it does
l / h	Length of cylinder along oriented axis. (Default: 1.0)
r	Radius of cylinder.
r1	Optional radius of left (X-) end of cylinder.
r2	Optional radius of right (X+) end of cylinder.
d	Optional diameter of cylinder. (use instead of r)
d1	Optional diameter of left (X-) end of cylinder.
d2	Optional diameter of right (X+) end of cylinder.
align	The side of the origin to align to. Use V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: V_CENTER
center	If given, overrides align. A true value sets align=V_CENTER, false sets align=ALIGN_POS.

Example 1: By Radius

ydistribute(50) {
    xcyl(l=35, r=10);
    xcyl(l=35, r1=15, r2=5);
}

Example 2: By Diameter

ydistribute(50) {
    xcyl(l=35, d=20);
    xcyl(l=35, d1=30, d2=10);
}

---

ycyl()

Usage:

• ycyl(l|h, r|d, [align|center]);
• ycyl(l|h, r1|d1, r2|d2, [align|center]);

Description: Creates a cylinder oriented along the Y axis.

Argument	What it does
l / h	Length of cylinder along oriented axis. (Default: 1.0)
r	Radius of cylinder.
r1	Radius of front (Y-) end of cone.
r2	Radius of back (Y+) end of one.
d	Diameter of cylinder.
d1	Diameter of front (Y-) end of one.
d2	Diameter of back (Y+) end of one.
align	The side of the origin to align to. Use V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: V_CENTER
center	Overrides align if given. If true, align=V_CENTER, if false, align=ALIGN_POS.

Example 1: By Radius

xdistribute(50) {
    ycyl(l=35, r=10);
    ycyl(l=35, r1=15, r2=5);
}

Example 2: By Diameter

xdistribute(50) {
    ycyl(l=35, d=20);
    ycyl(l=35, d1=30, d2=10);
}

---

zcyl()

Usage:

• zcyl(l|h, r|d, [align|center]);
• zcyl(l|h, r1|d1, r2|d2, [align|center]);

Description: Creates a cylinder oriented along the Z axis.

Argument	What it does
l / h	Length of cylinder along oriented axis. (Default: 1.0)
r	Radius of cylinder.
r1	Radius of front (Y-) end of cone.
r2	Radius of back (Y+) end of one.
d	Diameter of cylinder.
d1	Diameter of front (Y-) end of one.
d2	Diameter of back (Y+) end of one.
align	The side of the origin to align to. Use V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: V_CENTER
center	Overrides align if given. If true, align=V_CENTER, if false, align=ALIGN_POS.

Example 1: By Radius

xdistribute(50) {
    zcyl(l=35, r=10);
    zcyl(l=35, r1=15, r2=5);
}

Example 2: By Diameter

xdistribute(50) {
    zcyl(l=35, d=20);
    zcyl(l=35, d1=30, d2=10);
}

---

tube()

Usage:

• tube(h, ir|id, wall, [realign], [orient], [align]);
• tube(h, or|od, wall, [realign], [orient], [align]);
• tube(h, ir|id, or|od, [realign], [orient], [align]);
• tube(h, ir1|id1, ir2|id2, wall, [realign], [orient], [align]);
• tube(h, or1|od1, or2|od2, wall, [realign], [orient], [align]);
• tube(h, ir1|id1, ir2|id2, or1|od1, or2|od2, [realign], [orient], [align]);

Description: Makes a hollow tube with the given outer size and wall thickness.

Argument	What it does
h	height of tube. (Default: 1)
or	Outer radius of tube.
or1	Outer radius of bottom of tube. (Default: value of r)
or2	Outer radius of top of tube. (Default: value of r)
od	Outer diameter of tube.
od1	Outer diameter of bottom of tube.
od2	Outer diameter of top of tube.
wall	horizontal thickness of tube wall. (Default 0.5)
ir	Inner radius of tube.
ir1	Inner radius of bottom of tube.
ir2	Inner radius of top of tube.
id	Inner diameter of tube.
id1	Inner diameter of bottom of tube.
id2	Inner diameter of top of tube.
realign	If true, rotate the tube by half the angle of one face.
orient	Orientation of the tube. Use the ORIENT_ constants from constants.scad. Default: vertical.
align	Alignment of the tube. Use the V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: ALIGN_POS.
center	Overrides align if given. If true, align=V_CENTER, if false, align=ALIGN_POS.

Example 1: These all Produce the Same Tube

tube(h=30, or=40, wall=5);
tube(h=30, ir=35, wall=5);
tube(h=30, or=40, ir=35);
tube(h=30, od=80, id=70);

Example 2: These all Produce the Same Conical Tube

tube(h=30, or1=40, or2=25, wall=5);
tube(h=30, ir1=35, or2=20, wall=5);
tube(h=30, or1=40, or2=25, ir1=35, ir2=20);

Example 3: Circular Wedge

tube(h=30, or1=40, or2=30, ir1=20, ir2=30);

---

torus()

Usage:

• torus(r|d, r2|d2, [orient], [align]);
• torus(or|od, ir|id, [orient], [align]);

Argument	What it does
r	major radius of torus ring. (use with of 'r2', or 'd2')
r2	minor radius of torus ring. (use with of 'r', or 'd')
d	major diameter of torus ring. (use with of 'r2', or 'd2')
d2	minor diameter of torus ring. (use with of 'r', or 'd')
or	outer radius of the torus. (use with 'ir', or 'id')
ir	inside radius of the torus. (use with 'or', or 'od')
od	outer diameter of the torus. (use with 'ir' or 'id')
id	inside diameter of the torus. (use with 'or' or 'od')
orient	Orientation of the torus. Use the ORIENT_ constants from constants.scad. Default: ORIENT_Z.
align	Alignment of the torus. Use the V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: V_CENTER.

Example:

// These all produce the same torus.
torus(r=22.5, r2=7.5);
torus(d=45, d2=15);
torus(or=30, ir=15);
torus(od=60, id=30);

---

4. Spheroids

staggered_sphere()

Usage:

• staggered_sphere(r|d, [circum])

Description: An alternate construction to the standard sphere() built-in, with different triangulation.

Argument	What it does
r	Radius of the sphere.
d	Diameter of the sphere.
circum	If true, circumscribes the perfect sphere of the given size.

Example:

staggered_sphere(d=100, circum=true, $fn=10);

---

5. 3D Printing Shapes

teardrop2d()

Usage:

• teardrop2d(r|d, [ang], [cap_h]);

Description: Makes a 2D teardrop shape. Useful for extruding into 3D printable holes.

Argument	What it does
r	radius of circular part of teardrop. (Default: 1)
d	diameter of spherical portion of bottom. (Use instead of r)
ang	angle of hat walls from the Y axis. (Default: 45 degrees)
cap_h	if given, height above center where the shape will be truncated.

Example 1: Typical Shape

teardrop2d(r=30, ang=30);

Example 2: Crop Cap

teardrop2d(r=30, ang=30, cap_h=40);

Example 3: Close Crop

teardrop2d(r=30, ang=30, cap_h=20);

---

teardrop()

Usage:

• teardrop(r|d, l|h, [ang], [cap_h], [orient], [align])

Description: Makes a teardrop shape in the XZ plane. Useful for 3D printable holes.

Argument	What it does
r	Radius of circular part of teardrop. (Default: 1)
d	Diameter of circular portion of bottom. (Use instead of r)
l	Thickness of teardrop. (Default: 1)
ang	Angle of hat walls from the Z axis. (Default: 45 degrees)
cap_h	If given, height above center where the shape will be truncated.
orient	Orientation of the shape. Use the ORIENT_ constants from constants.scad. Default: ORIENT_Y.
align	Alignment of the shape. Use the V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: V_CENTER.

Example 1: Typical Shape

teardrop(r=30, h=10, ang=30);

Example 2: Crop Cap

teardrop(r=30, h=10, ang=30, cap_h=40);

Example 3: Close Crop

teardrop(r=30, h=10, ang=30, cap_h=20);

---

onion()

Usage:

• onion(r|d, [maxang], [cap_h], [orient], [align]);

Description: Creates a sphere with a conical hat, to make a 3D teardrop.

Argument	What it does
r	radius of spherical portion of the bottom. (Default: 1)
d	diameter of spherical portion of bottom.
cap_h	height above sphere center to truncate teardrop shape.
maxang	angle of cone on top from vertical.
orient	Orientation of the shape. Use the ORIENT_ constants from constants.scad. Default: ORIENT_Y.
align	Alignment of the shape. Use the V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: V_CENTER.

Example 1: Typical Shape

onion(r=30, maxang=30);

Example 2: Crop Cap

onion(r=30, maxang=30, cap_h=40);

Example 3: Close Crop

onion(r=30, maxang=30, cap_h=20);

---

narrowing_strut()

Usage:

• narrowing_strut(w, l, wall, [ang], [orient], [align]);

Description: Makes a rectangular strut with the top side narrowing in a triangle. The shape created may be likened to an extruded home plate from baseball. This is useful for constructing parts that minimize the need to support overhangs.

Argument	What it does
w	Width (thickness) of the strut.
l	Length of the strut.
wall	height of rectangular portion of the strut.
ang	angle that the trianglar side will converge at.
orient	Orientation of the length axis of the shape. Use the ORIENT_ constants from constants.scad. Default: ORIENT_Y.
align	Alignment of the shape. Use the V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: V_CENTER.

Example:

narrowing_strut(w=10, l=100, wall=5, ang=30);

---

thinning_wall()

Usage:

• thinning_wall(h, l, thick, [ang], [strut], [wall], [orient], [align]);

Description: Makes a rectangular wall which thins to a smaller width in the center, with angled supports to prevent critical overhangs.

Argument	What it does
h	height of wall.
l	length of wall. If given as a vector of two numbers, specifies bottom and top lengths, respectively.
thick	thickness of wall.
ang	maximum overhang angle of diagonal brace.
strut	the width of the diagonal brace.
wall	the thickness of the thinned portion of the wall.
orient	Orientation of the length axis of the wall. Use the ORIENT_ constants from constants.scad. Default: ORIENT_X.
align	Alignment of the shape. Use the V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: V_CENTER.

Example 1: Typical Shape

thinning_wall(h=50, l=80, thick=4);

Example 2: Trapezoidal

thinning_wall(h=50, l=[80,50], thick=4);

---

braced_thinning_wall()

Usage:

• braced_thinning_wall(h, l, thick, [ang], [strut], [wall], [orient], [align]);

Description: Makes a rectangular wall with cross-bracing, which thins to a smaller width in the center, with angled supports to prevent critical overhangs.

Argument	What it does
h	height of wall.
l	length of wall.
thick	thickness of wall.
ang	maximum overhang angle of diagonal brace.
strut	the width of the diagonal brace.
wall	the thickness of the thinned portion of the wall.
orient	Orientation of the length axis of the wall. Use the ORIENT_ constants from constants.scad. Default: ORIENT_Y.
align	Alignment of the shape. Use the V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: V_CENTER.

Example: Typical Shape

braced_thinning_wall(h=50, l=100, thick=5);

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thinning_triangle()

Usage:

• thinning_triangle(h, l, thick, [ang], [strut], [wall], [diagonly], [orient], [align|center]);

Description: Makes a triangular wall with thick edges, which thins to a smaller width in the center, with angled supports to prevent critical overhangs.

Argument	What it does
h	height of wall.
l	length of wall.
thick	thickness of wall.
ang	maximum overhang angle of diagonal brace.
strut	the width of the diagonal brace.
wall	the thickness of the thinned portion of the wall.
diagonly	boolean, which denotes only the diagonal side (hypotenuse) should be thick.
orient	Orientation of the length axis of the shape. Use the ORIENT_ constants from constants.scad. Default: ORIENT_Y.
align	Alignment of the shape. Use the V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: V_CENTER.
center	If true, centers shape. If false, overrides align with V_UP+V_BACK.

Example 1: Centered

thinning_triangle(h=50, l=80, thick=4, ang=30, strut=5, wall=2, center=true);

Example 2: All Braces

thinning_triangle(h=50, l=80, thick=4, ang=30, strut=5, wall=2, center=false);

Example 3: Diagonal Brace Only

thinning_triangle(h=50, l=80, thick=4, ang=30, strut=5, wall=2, diagonly=true, center=false);

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sparse_strut()

Usage:

• sparse_strut(h, l, thick, [strut], [maxang], [max_bridge], [orient], [align])

Description: Makes an open rectangular strut with X-shaped cross-bracing, designed to reduce the need for support material in 3D printing.

Argument	What it does
h	height of strut wall.
l	length of strut wall.
thick	thickness of strut wall.
maxang	maximum overhang angle of cross-braces.
max_bridge	maximum bridging distance between cross-braces.
strut	the width of the cross-braces.
orient	Orientation of the length axis of the shape. Use the ORIENT_ constants from constants.scad. Default: ORIENT_Y.
align	Alignment of the shape. Use the V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: V_CENTER.

Example 1: Typical Shape

sparse_strut(h=40, l=100, thick=3);

Example 2: Thinner Strut

sparse_strut(h=40, l=100, thick=3, strut=2);

Example 3: Larger maxang

sparse_strut(h=40, l=100, thick=3, strut=2, maxang=45);

Example 4: Longer max_bridge

sparse_strut(h=40, l=100, thick=3, strut=2, maxang=45, max_bridge=30);

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sparse_strut3d()

Usage:

• sparse_strut3d(h, w, l, [thick], [maxang], [max_bridge], [strut], [orient], [align]);

Description: Makes an open rectangular strut with X-shaped cross-bracing, designed to reduce the need for support material in 3D printing.

Argument	What it does
h	Z size of strut.
w	X size of strut.
l	Y size of strut.
thick	thickness of strut walls.
maxang	maximum overhang angle of cross-braces.
max_bridge	maximum bridging distance between cross-braces.
strut	the width of the cross-braces.
orient	Orientation of the length axis of the shape. Use the ORIENT_ constants from constants.scad. Default: ORIENT_Y.
align	Alignment of the shape. Use the V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: V_CENTER.

Example 1: Typical Shape

sparse_strut3d(h=30, w=30, l=100);

Example 2: Thinner strut

sparse_strut3d(h=30, w=30, l=100, strut=2);

Example 3: Larger maxang

sparse_strut3d(h=30, w=30, l=100, strut=2, maxang=50);

Example 4: Smaller max_bridge

sparse_strut3d(h=30, w=30, l=100, strut=2, maxang=50, max_bridge=20);

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corrugated_wall()

Usage:

• corrugated_wall(h, l, thick, [strut], [wall], [orient], [align]);

Description: Makes a corrugated wall which relieves contraction stress while still providing support strength. Designed with 3D printing in mind.

Argument	What it does
h	height of strut wall.
l	length of strut wall.
thick	thickness of strut wall.
strut	the width of the cross-braces.
wall	thickness of corrugations.
orient	Orientation of the length axis of the shape. Use the ORIENT_ constants from constants.scad. Default: ORIENT_Y.
align	Alignment of the shape. Use the V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: V_CENTER.

Example 1: Typical Shape

corrugated_wall(h=50, l=100);

Example 2: Wider Strut

corrugated_wall(h=50, l=100, strut=8);

Example 3: Thicker Wall

corrugated_wall(h=50, l=100, strut=8, wall=3);

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6. Miscellaneous

nil()

Description: Useful when you MUST pass a child to a module, but you want it to be nothing.

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noop()

Description: Passes through the children passed to it, with no action at all. Useful while debugging when you want to replace a command.

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pie_slice()

Usage:

• pie_slice(ang, l|h, r|d, [orient], [align|center]);
• pie_slice(ang, l|h, r1|d1, r2|d2, [orient], [align|center]);

Description: Creates a pie slice shape.

Argument	What it does
ang	pie slice angle in degrees.
h	height of pie slice.
r	radius of pie slice.
r1	bottom radius of pie slice.
r2	top radius of pie slice.
d	diameter of pie slice.
d1	bottom diameter of pie slice.
d2	top diameter of pie slice.
orient	Orientation of the pie slice. Use the ORIENT_ constants from constants.scad. Default: ORIENT_Z.
align	Alignment of the pie slice. Use the V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: V_CENTER.
center	If given, overrides align. A true value sets align=V_CENTER, false sets align=ALIGN_POS.

Example 1: Cylindrical Pie Slice

pie_slice(ang=45, l=20, r=30);

Example 2: Conical Pie Slice

pie_slice(ang=60, l=20, d1=50, d2=70);

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interior_fillet()

Usage:

• interior_fillet(l, r, [ang], [overlap], [orient], [align]);

Description: Creates a shape that can be unioned into a concave joint between two faces, to fillet them. Center this part along the concave edge to be chamferred and union it in.

Argument	What it does
l	length of edge to fillet.
r	radius of fillet.
ang	angle between faces to fillet.
overlap	overlap size for unioning with faces.
orient	Orientation of the fillet. Use the ORIENT_ constants from constants.scad. Default: ORIENT_X.
align	Alignment of the fillet. Use the V_ or ALIGN_ constants from constants.scad. Default: V_CENTER.

Example 1:

union() {
    translate([0,2,-4]) upcube([20, 4, 24]);
    translate([0,-10,-4]) upcube([20, 20, 4]);
    color("green") interior_fillet(l=20, r=10, orient=ORIENT_XNEG);
}

Example 2:

interior_fillet(l=40, r=10, orient=ORIENT_Y_90);

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slot()

Usage:

• slot(h, l, r|d, [orient], [align|center]);
• slot(h, p1, p2, r|d, [orient], [align|center]);
• slot(h, l, r1|d1, r2|d2, [orient], [align|center]);
• slot(h, p1, p2, r1|d1, r2|d2, [orient], [align|center]);

Description: Makes a linear slot with rounded ends, appropriate for bolts to slide along.

Argument	What it does
p1	center of starting circle of slot.
p2	center of ending circle of slot.
l	distance between center points of starting and ending circle.
h	height of slot shape. (default: 10)
r	radius of slot circle. (default: 5)
r1	bottom radius of slot cone.
r2	top radius of slot cone.
d	diameter of slot circle.
d1	bottom diameter of slot cone.
d2	top diameter of slot cone.

Example 1: Between Two Points

slot([0,0,0], [50,50,0], r1=5, r2=10, h=5);

Example 2: By Length

slot(l=50, r1=5, r2=10, h=5);

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arced_slot()

Usage:

• arced_slot(h, r|d, sr|sd, [sa], [ea], [orient], [align|center], [$fn2]);
• arced_slot(h, r|d, sr1|sd1, sr2|sd2, [sa], [ea], [orient], [align|center], [$fn2]);

Description: Makes an arced slot, appropriate for bolts to slide along.

Argument	What it does
cp	centerpoint of slot arc. (default: [0, 0, 0])
h	height of slot arc shape. (default: 1.0)
r	radius of slot arc. (default: 0.5)
d	diameter of slot arc. (default: 1.0)
sr	radius of slot channel. (default: 0.5)
sd	diameter of slot channel. (default: 0.5)
sr1	bottom radius of slot channel cone. (use instead of sr)
sr2	top radius of slot channel cone. (use instead of sr)
sd1	bottom diameter of slot channel cone. (use instead of sd)
sd2	top diameter of slot channel cone. (use instead of sd)
sa	starting angle. (Default: 0.0)
ea	ending angle. (Default: 90.0)
orient	Orientation of the arced slot. Use the ORIENT_ constants from constants.scad. Default: ORIENT_Z.
align	Alignment of the arced slot. Use the V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: V_CENTER.
center	If true, centers vertically. If false, drops flush with XY plane. Overrides align.
$fn2	The $fn value to use on the small round endcaps. The major arcs are still based on $fn. Default: $fn

Example 1: Typical Arced Slot

arced_slot(d=60, h=5, sd=10, sa=60, ea=280);

Example 2: Conical Arced Slot

arced_slot(r=60, h=5, sd1=10, sd2=15, sa=45, ea=180);

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7. Deprecations

cube2pt()

DEPRECATED, use cuboid(p1,p2) instead.

Usage:

• cube2pt(p1,p2)

Description: Creates a cube between two points.

Argument	What it does
p1	Coordinate point of one cube corner.
p2	Coordinate point of opposite cube corner.

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offsetcube()

DEPRECATED, use cuboid(..., align) instead.

Description: Makes a cube that is offset along the given vector by half the cube's size. For example, if v=[-1,1,0], the cube's front right edge will be centered at the origin.

Argument	What it does
size	size of cube.
v	vector to offset along.

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chamfcube()

DEPRECATED, use cuboid(..., chamfer, edges, trimcorners) instead.

Description: Makes a cube with chamfered edges.

Argument	What it does
size	Size of cube [X,Y,Z]. (Default: [1,1,1])
chamfer	Chamfer inset along axis. (Default: 0.25)
chamfaxes	Array [X,Y,Z] of boolean values to specify which axis edges should be chamfered.
chamfcorners	Boolean to specify if corners should be flat chamferred.

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rrect()

DEPRECATED, use cuboid(..., fillet, edges) instead.

Description: Makes a cube with rounded (filletted) vertical edges. The r size will be limited to a maximum of half the length of the shortest XY side.

Argument	What it does
size	Size of cube [X,Y,Z]. (Default: [1,1,1])
r	Radius of edge/corner rounding. (Default: 0.25)
center	If true, object will be centered. If false, sits on top of XY plane.

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rcube()

DEPRECATED, use cuboid(..., fillet) instead.

Description: Makes a cube with rounded (filletted) edges and corners. The r size will be limited to a maximum of half the length of the shortest cube side.

Argument	What it does
size	Size of cube [X,Y,Z]. (Default: [1,1,1])
r	Radius of edge/corner rounding. (Default: 0.25)
center	If true, object will be centered. If false, sits on top of XY plane.

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trapezoid()

DEPRECATED, use prismoid() instead.

Usage:

• trapezoid(size1, size2, h, [shift], [orient], [align|center]);

Description: Creates a rectangular prismoid shape.

Argument	What it does
size1	[width, length] of the axis-negative end of the prism.
size2	[width, length] of the axis-positive end of the prism.
h	Height of the prism.
shift	[x, y] amount to shift the center of the top with respect to the center of the bottom.
orient	Orientation of the prismoid. Use the ORIENT_ constants from constants.scad. Default: ORIENT_Z.
align	Alignment of the prismoid by the axis-negative (size1) end. Use the V_ constants from constants.scad. Default: V_UP
center	If given, overrides align. A true value sets align=V_CENTER, false sets align=V_UP.

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pyramid()

DEPRECATED, use cyl(, r2=0, $fn=N) instead.

Usage:

• pyramid(n, h, l|r|d, [circum]);

Description: Creates a pyramidal prism with a given number of sides.

Argument	What it does
n	number of pyramid sides.
h	height of the pyramid.
l	length of one side of the pyramid. (optional)
r	radius of the base of the pyramid. (optional)
d	diameter of the base of the pyramid. (optional)
circum	base circumscribes the circle of the given radius or diam.

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prism()

DEPRECATED, use cyl(..., $fn=N) instead.

Usage:

• prism(n, h, l|r|d, [circum]);

Description: Creates a vertical prism with a given number of sides.

Argument	What it does
n	number of sides.
h	height of the prism.
l	length of one side of the prism. (optional)
r	radius of the prism. (optional)
d	diameter of the prism. (optional)
circum	prism circumscribes the circle of the given radius or diam.

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chamferred_cylinder()

DEPRECATED, use cyl(..., chamfer) instead.

Usage:

• chamferred_cylinder(h, r|d, chamfer|chamfedge, [top], [bottom], [center])

Description: Creates a cylinder with chamferred (bevelled) edges.

Argument	What it does
h	height of cylinder. (Default: 1.0)
r	radius of cylinder. (Default: 1.0)
d	diameter of cylinder. (use instead of r)
chamfer	radial inset of the edge chamfer. (Default: 0.25)
chamfedge	length of the chamfer edge. (Use instead of chamfer)
top	boolean. If true, chamfer the top edges. (Default: True)
bottom	boolean. If true, chamfer the bottom edges. (Default: True)
center	boolean. If true, cylinder is centered. (Default: false)

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chamf_cyl()

DEPRECATED, use cyl(..., chamfer) instead.

Usage:

• chamf_cyl(h, r|d, chamfer|chamfedge, [top], [bottom], [center])

Description: Creates a cylinder with chamferred (bevelled) edges. Basically a shortcut of chamferred_cylinder()

Argument	What it does
h	height of cylinder. (Default: 1.0)
r	radius of cylinder. (Default: 1.0)
d	diameter of cylinder. (use instead of r)
chamfer	radial inset of the edge chamfer. (Default: 0.25)
chamfedge	length of the chamfer edge. (Use instead of chamfer)
top	boolean. If true, chamfer the top edges. (Default: True)
bottom	boolean. If true, chamfer the bottom edges. (Default: True)
center	boolean. If true, cylinder is centered. (Default: false)

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filleted_cylinder()

DEPRECATED, use cyl(..., fillet) instead.

Usage:

• filleted_cylinder(h, r|d, fillet, [center]);

Description: Creates a cylinder with filletted (rounded) ends.

Argument	What it does
h	height of cylinder. (Default: 1.0)
r	radius of cylinder. (Default: 1.0)
d	diameter of cylinder. (Use instead of r)
fillet	radius of the edge filleting. (Default: 0.25)
center	boolean. If true, cylinder is centered. (Default: false)

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rcylinder()

DEPRECATED, use cyl(..., fillet) instead.

Usage:

• rcylinder(h, r|d, fillet, [center]);

Description: Creates a cylinder with filletted (rounded) ends. Basically a shortcut for filleted_cylinder().

Argument	What it does
h	height of cylinder. (Default: 1.0)
r	radius of cylinder. (Default: 1.0)
d	diameter of cylinder. (Use instead of r)
fillet	radius of the edge filleting. (Default: 0.25)
center	boolean. If true, cylinder is centered. (Default: false)

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thinning_brace()

DEPRECATED, use thinning_triangle(..., diagonly=true) instead.

Usage:

• thinning_brace(h, l, thick, [ang], [strut], [wall], [center])

Description: Makes a triangular wall which thins to a smaller width in the center, with angled supports to prevent critical overhangs. Basically an alias of thinning_triangle(), with diagonly=true.

Argument	What it does
h	height of wall.
l	length of wall.
thick	thickness of wall.
ang	maximum overhang angle of diagonal brace.
strut	the width of the diagonal brace.
wall	the thickness of the thinned portion of the wall.

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