Book Review: Technical Modeling with OpenSCAD

OpenSCAD is a kind of 3D compiler that reads a script with code and converts it into a 3D model. Ready to start technical modeling?

3D printers have become a lot cheaper in recent years,

simplifying the ability to make all kinds of objects yourself. But designing those objects remains a skill that you will not master overnight. You need to learn how to use a 3D design program to make models that you can send to your 3D printer. Traditional 3D design programs target designers and artistic minds. For programmers and engineers, these programs provide a way of working that is opposite to their way of thinking. OpenSCAD has a different approach: it is not an interactive modeling program, but a kind of 3D compiler that reads a script with code and converts it into a 3D model.

Tam Hanna gives us an intensive insight into this approach in his book Technical Modeling with OpenSCAD (Elektor 2020). Over the course of the book, he explains how to model some practical objects in OpenSCAD, such as a knob for an oscilloscope, a cloth hanger for the wardrobe and a holder for a soap dispenser. The author is clearly well experienced with 3D modeling, as is evident from the in-depth explanation in which he often provides very concrete points for attention and solutions.

When I got to end of the book, I wondered if I would be able to work with OpenSCAD in a structured way. So here's a tip: the book provides many details, so read it carefully so you don't get lost, particularly because the author provides narrative and anecdotal summaries.

What you do get is a thorough explanation of all kinds of tools, including real-life examples that you can definitely use in your own 3D printing projects, such as rounded objects and cut-outs for screws and nuts. And although it is not a book about 3D printing, you also get some tips on how to make practical models that don't make it too difficult for your 3D printer. If you like programming and want to step out of the world of bits and bytes with your creations, this book is certainly the start of an exciting journey of discovery.