Documentation

Write parametric 3D models as code, see live previews, and share via short URLs.

Guides

Build your first useful model

Go from zero to a printable parametric model in five minutes.

Designing for real-world fit

Tolerances, clearances, and print-ready dimensions.

Parameter design guidelines

How to choose ranges, steps, and defaults that make sense.

Common patterns

Screw holes, countersinks, fillets, arrays, and more.

From idea to printable STL

The full workflow: code, preview, export, slice, print.

PPSCAD vs OpenSCAD

A quick comparison for users coming from OpenSCAD.

Reference

PPSCAD Language Reference →

Complete documentation for the PPSCAD scripting language.

Quick example

// A box with a cylindrical hole through it
param width: float = 30 [10:100] "Width (mm)"
param height: float = 20 [5:50] "Height (mm)"
param depth: float = 10 [2:30] "Depth (mm)"
param hole_radius: float = 4 [1:15] "Hole radius (mm)"

difference {
  cube(width, height, depth)
  translate(width / 2, height / 2, -1)
    cylinder(h: depth + 2, r: hole_radius)
}

This creates a box with a cylindrical hole through it. The parameters appear as sliders in the parameter panel on the right.

PPSCAD at a glance

PPSCAD is inspired by OpenSCAD and JSCAD, with a clean modern syntax:

Primitives

cube(size) or cube(x, y, z)

Axis-aligned box. Single number creates a cube.

cylinder(h: 20, r: 5)

Cylinder. Use r1/r2 for a cone. Supports named or positional args.

sphere(r)

Sphere centered at the origin.

Boolean operations

union { ... }

Combine all children into one shape.

difference { ... }

First child minus all subsequent children.

intersection { ... }

Keep only the overlapping volume.

Transforms

translate(x, y, z) child

Move geometry. Takes a single child or { block }.

rotate(x, y, z) child

Rotate around each axis in degrees.

scale(factor) child

Scale uniformly or per axis.

2D to 3D

extrude(height) circle(r)

Linear extrusion of a 2D shape.

revolve() translate(15, 0) circle(3)

Rotational sweep around the Y axis.

Parameters

Parameters let users tweak your model without editing code. Declare them with the param keyword. When you change a slider, the model re-runs automatically.

Syntax

param name: type = default [min:max:step] "Label" "Description"

Parameter types

// Number with slider
param teeth: int = 20 [6:200] "Number of teeth"

// Float with custom step
param module: float = 2.0 [0.5:10:0.01] "Module (mm)"

// Boolean toggle (checkbox)
param chamfer: bool = true "Add chamfer"

// Dropdown select
param style: choice = round ["round", "square", "hex"] "Head style"

Sharing

Click Save to store your design and get a short URL. Anyone with the link can open your model, adjust the parameters, and download the STL.

Parameters can also be shared via URL query strings, e.g. ?width=50&height=30.

Start building →Full PPSCAD reference