OpenSCAD: 3D modelling with code instead of a mouse

Not every repository on my GitHub is a program. OpenSCADModles (sic — the name stuck) holds my OpenSCAD models: 3D objects described in a text language, compiled into STL files, and printed on a 3D printer.

Why code instead of CAD

OpenSCAD is "the programmer's 3D modeller". Instead of dragging shapes, you write:

difference() {
  cube([40, 20, 4], center = true);
  cylinder(h = 10, r = 3, $fn = 64);   // a hole through the plate
}

difference() subtracts shapes; union() and intersection() complete the boolean set. Because the model is text, you get everything programmers already know: version control, parameters, loops and reuse. Need the bracket 10% bigger? Change a variable and re-render.

What lives in this repository

Mounting brackets, clips, cases and adapters — the practical household hardware that a printer earns its keep with, plus the G-code exports used for printing. Each model is a .scad file with parameters at the top (thickness, hole diameter, clearance) so it can be re-sized for a different printer's tolerances.

Lessons that transfer back to software

• Tolerances are a parameter, not an afterthought. Real-world fits need 0.2–0.5 mm clearance; model it once as a variable.
• Iterate small. Print a 20 mm calibration piece before a 4-hour bracket, the same way you prototype a function before a module.
• Version everything. A printed part that works is worthless if you cannot reproduce or modify it — exactly like deployed software.

Repository: github.com/bobhuang1/OpenSCADModles