Getting Started

Two modes — toggle Build / Code in the top-right.

Build Mode (default, easiest):
1. Click a primitive in the toolbar (Cube, Sphere, Cylinder…)
2. Move your mouse over the 3D viewer — a translucent preview follows your cursor and snaps (orange marker) to the world origin and to face/edge/corner points of existing objects. Use the top-center snap of one shape to stack another on top.
3. Click to place it. Hold Shift while clicking to place multiple in a row.
4. Click any object to select it — a blue bounding box appears, drag handles for move / rotate / scale, and a small floating toolbar above the object.
5. Right-click anywhere for a context menu (Move / Rotate / Scale / Duplicate / Delete / Add Cube/Sphere here / New Sketch).
6. Double-click an object to frame the view on it.
7. The right panel shows precise X/Y/Z, rotation, dimension inputs, per-axis scale, and Alignment buttons (snap to world origin, or align Min/Center/Max/Top to another object).
8. W/E/R = move/rotate/scale gizmo. Del delete · Ctrl+D duplicate · Esc deselect.

Code Mode (advanced): Full OpenSCAD editor — write parametric code from scratch (gears, vases, brackets…), tweak the variables at the top with sliders in the right Params tab, or let the AI Agent write it for you. Press Ctrl+Enter to render.

AI Agent — the right AI Agent tab works in either mode. Describe what you want in plain English ("make a hex tray, 4×3 cells, 25mm wide") and it writes the OpenSCAD code for you.

Export — File → Export STL for 3D printing, or save the .scad source.

For the complete guide — AI CAD agent walkthrough, prompting templates, OpenSCAD reference, cheat sheet, examples — open the PrintPal Docs.