OpenSCAD - faster coding with shortcuts library and new primitives

thingiverse

Here is a rewritten text using the original text's tone, voice, and phrasing: OpenSCAD users know how time-consuming typing can be when working on complex designs. However, shortcuts.scad simplifies this process, reducing code complexity significantly. The latest version of this tool is now available for download, ensuring compatibility with current projects. Typing repetitive codes like 'difference()' can slow down the creative process. Instead, I created D(), a function that eliminates unnecessary typing and streamlines OpenSCAD workflows. With this library, I've saved over 70% of coding time and enjoy neat arrangements in my code. Libraries offer an engaging experience as they reveal advanced features of OpenSCAD language, including operators. The most significant shortcuts and logical operations can be found here: transformation abbreviations for 'translate([x, y, z])' are T(x=0), Tx(y=0), Ty(z=0). Similarly, rotate() and scale() have simplified versions like R() and S() respectively. For logical operators like difference(), union(), and intersection(), we have D(), U(), I() respectively. Other common abbreviations include Cy(r,h) for cylinder, Cu(w,l,h) for cube, Sp(r,h) for sphere, and more. Additionally, this library offers a set of daily-used shortcuts such as ring(R), ring_half(Rh), circle_segment(Cis()) for ease in programming. Operators modules can arrange instances of operands into matrices and shapes. Want to explore the possibilities? Simply run help() which reveals an entire list of operators within shortcuts(). For OpenSCAD projects, place the shortcut.scad library file into your library folder or current project folder. You can also import it with "use" in your code for convenient usage. By utilizing this library daily, one can enhance coding speed without sacrificing usability. The trade-off is indeed higher re-readability during published code due to 'stenografic' format, which may sometimes prove cumbersome but not in practice. Nonetheless, as an OpenSCAD enthusiast I say - what fun awaits us? Let the challenge begin to expand our creative world with OpenSCAD.