Command Glossary

This is a Quick Reference; a short summary of all the commands without examples, just the basic syntax. The headings are links to the full chapters.

Please be warned: The Command Glossary is presently outdated (03 2015).

Please have a look at the Cheatsheet, instead:

http://www.openscad.org/cheatsheet/

Mathematical Operators

+
-   // also as unary negative
*
/
%  // this is mod

<
<=
==
!=
>=
>

&&   // logical and
||   // logical or
!    // logical not

<boolean> ? <valIfTrue> : <valIfFalse>

Mathematical Functions

abs ( <value> )

cos ( <degrees> )
sin ( <degrees> )
tan ( <degrees> )
asin ( <value> )
acos ( <value> )
atan ( <value> )
atan2 ( <y_value>, <x_value> )

pow( <base>, <exponent> )

len ( <string> )   len ( <vector> )   len ( <vector_of_vectors> ) 
min ( <value1>, <value2> ) 
max ( <value1>, <value2> )
sqrt ( <value> )
round ( <value> )
ceil ( <value> ) 
floor ( <value> ) 
lookup( <in_value>, <vector_of_vectors> )

String Functions

str(string, value, ...)

Primitive Solids

cube(size = <value or vector>, center = <boolean>);

sphere(r = <radius>);

cylinder(h = <height>, r1 = <bottomRadius>, r2 = <topRadius>, center = <boolean>);
cylinder(h = <height>, r = <radius>);

polyhedron(points = [[x, y, z], ... ], triangles = [[p1, p2, p3..], ... ], convexity = N);

Transformations

scale(v = [x, y, z]) { ... }

(In versions > 2013.03)
resize(newsize=[x,y,z], auto=(true|false) { ... }        
resize(newsize=[x,y,z], auto=[xaxis,yaxis,zaxis]) { ... }  // #axis is true|false
resize([x,y,z],[xaxis,yaxis,zaxis]) { ... }
resize([x,y,z]) { ... }

rotate(a = deg, v = [x, y, z]) { ... }
rotate(a=[x_deg,y_deg,z_deg]) { ... }

translate(v = [x, y, z]) { ... }

mirror([ 0, 1, 0 ]) { ... }

multmatrix(m = [tranformationMatrix]) { ... }

color([r, g, b, a]) { ... }
color([ R/255, G/255, B/255, a]) { ... }
color("blue",a) { ... }

Conditional and Iterator Functions

for (<loop_variable_name> = <vector> ) {...}

intersection_for (<loop_variable_name> = <vector_of_vectors>) {...}

if (<boolean condition>) {...} else {...}

assign (<var1>= <val1>, <var2>= <val2>, ...) {...}

CSG Modelling

union() {...}

difference() {...}

intersection() {...}

render(convexity = <value>) { ... }

Modifier Characters

! { ... } // Ignore the rest of the design and use this subtree as design root
* { ... } // Ignore this subtree
% { ... } // Ignore CSG of this subtree and draw it in transparent gray
# { ... } // Use this subtree as usual but draw it in transparent pink

Modules

module name(<var1>, <var2>, ...) { ...<module code>...}

Variables can be default initialized <var1>=<defaultvalue>

In module you can use children() to refer to all child nodes, or children(i) where i is between 0 and $children.

Include Statement

After 2010.02

include <filename.scad> (appends whole file)

use <filename.scad>  (appends ONLY modules and functions)

filename could use directory (with / char separator).

Prior to 2010.02

<filename.scad>

Other Language Features

$fa is the minimum angle for a fragment. The default value is 12 (degrees)

$fs is the minimum size of a fragment. The default value is 1.

$fn is the number of fragments. The default value is 0.

When $fa and $fs are used to determine the number of fragments for a circle, then OpenSCAD never uses less than 5 fragments.

$t

The $t variable is used for animation. If you enable the animation frame with view->animate and give a value for "FPS" and "Steps", the "Time" field shows the current value of $t.

function name(<var>) = f(<var>);

echo(<string>, <var>, ...);

render(convexity = <val>) {...}

surface(file = "filename.dat", center = <boolean>, convexity = <val>);

2D Primitives

square(size = <val>, center=<boolean>);
square(size = [x,y], center=<boolean>);

circle(r = <val>);

polygon(points = [[x, y], ... ], paths = [[p1, p2, p3..], ... ], convexity = N);

3D to 2D Projection

projection(cut = <boolean>)

2D to 3D Extrusion

linear_extrude(height = <val>, center = <boolean>, convexity = <val>, twist = <degrees>[, slices = <val>, $fn=...,$fs=...,$fa=...]){...}

rotate_extrude(convexity = <val>[, $fn = ...]){...}

DXF Extrusion

linear_extrude(height = <val>, center = <boolean>, convexity = <val>, twist = <degrees>[...])
import (file = "filename.dxf", layer = "layername")

rotate_extrude(origin = [x,y], convexity = <val>[, $fn = ...])
import (file = "filename.dxf", layer = "layername")

STL Import

import("filename.stl", convexity = <val>);