[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":291},["ShallowReactive",2],{"project-45140921":3},{"id":4,"name":5,"line":6,"line_source":7,"title":8,"url":9,"domain":10,"maker":11,"posted_at":12,"year":13,"points":14,"comments":15,"rank_in_year":16,"shown_in_year":17,"top":18,"tier":19,"category":20,"subcategory":21,"format":22,"keywords":23,"reception":28,"sentiment":29,"stance_mix":30,"scored_comments":34,"aspects":35,"strip":43,"post_text":45,"what":46,"said":86,"maker_in_thread":178,"shape":189,"grid":193,"attempts":254,"same_week":255,"maker_shows":31,"maker_hidden":283,"reader_version":284,"card":285},"45140921","CADAM","Open-sourcing our text-to-CAD app","title","Show HN: Open-sourcing our text-to-CAD app","https:\u002F\u002Fgithub.com\u002FAdam-CAD\u002FCADAM","github.com","zachdive",1757092175,2025,179,23,373,3837,10,"notable","dev_tools","cad modeling","web_app",[24,25,26,27],"text to cad","openscad","parametric modeling","stl export","mixed",-0.105,{"positive":31,"neutral":31,"mixed":32,"critical":33},4,3,7,18,{"idea":36,"execution":38,"docs":40,"performance":42},{"positive":37,"critical":37},2,{"positive":39,"critical":37},1,{"positive":41,"critical":41},0,{"positive":41,"critical":39},[39,44,32,39,32,41,44,32,39,41,39,41,44,41,32,39,32,32,41,32,39,44,39],5,"Hey HN! I'm Zach from Adam (https:\u002F\u002Fadam.new\u002F). We’re building an AI co-pilot for mechanical CAD software.\n\nAs part of our broader research, we built a browser-based Text-to-CAD app (https:\u002F\u002Fnews.ycombinator.com\u002Fitem?id=44182206) and are now open sourcing it. This is a React SPA with a Supabase backend.\n\nWhat it does:\n\n* Generates parametric 3D models from natural language descriptions, with support for both text prompts and image references\n\n* Outputs OpenSCAD code with automatically extracted parameters that surface as interactive sliders for instant dimension tweaking\n\n* Exports as .STL or ",{"problem":47,"audience":53,"pricing":53,"motivation":54,"time_to_build":53,"stack":58,"openness":83,"stage":84,"team_size":85},{"value":48,"source":49,"evidence":50},"Generating parametric 3D CAD models from natural language or image descriptions","maker",[51],{"id":52},"post",null,{"value":55,"source":49,"evidence":56},"Build a foundation for the community after many developers tried to replicate the functionality",[57],{"id":52},[59,63,67,71,75],{"value":60,"source":49,"evidence":61},"React",[62],{"id":52},{"value":64,"source":49,"evidence":65},"Supabase",[66],{"id":52},{"value":68,"source":49,"evidence":69},"OpenSCAD compiled to WebAssembly",[70],{"id":52},{"value":72,"source":49,"evidence":73},"Three.js with React Three Fiber",[74],{"id":52},{"value":76,"source":77,"evidence":78},"Anthropic API","commenter",[79],{"id":80,"by":81,"text":82},"45142127","jstanley","> CADAM uses ngrok to send image URLs to Anthropic FYI you can send base64 encoded PNGs, no need to mess about with ngrok.","open_source","launched","team",{"praise":87,"objections":102,"requests":129,"questions":157,"alternatives":169},[88,95],{"value":89,"source":77,"evidence":90},"Generated a parametric model from a detailed prompt that matched what was wanted",[91],{"id":92,"by":93,"text":94},"45152097","djfobbz","That's pretty freaking cool!!! Got exactly what I wanted with the following prompt: ``` Create a 200x100mm rectangle with depth of 12.7mm, 6mm filleted corners, a 25mm center…",{"value":96,"source":77,"evidence":97},"Parameter auto-extraction and sliders saved time versus manual CAD",[98],{"id":99,"by":100,"text":101},"45154420","sinuhe69","I like it! I had the idea of printing a gripper to carry heavy plastic bags. When I described the idea without specifying the size, it automatically created a model with…",[103,118,122],{"value":104,"source":77,"evidence":105},"Text-to-CAD prompts are harder than modelling directly for most CAD work",[106,110,114],{"id":107,"by":108,"text":109},"45145571","jacobr1","No, the tokens are evaluated on the image itself, once downloaded and resized. The same image sent as an encoded text payload and as url will cost the same. Now, if you are…",{"id":111,"by":112,"text":113},"45146681","alnwlsn","I continue to be skeptical of text to CAD, because to make it work, you're going to be doing a whole lot of this [0]. This is an extremely high bar to clear to be better than…",{"id":115,"by":116,"text":117},"45147759","zihotki","Keep in mind that OpenSCAD doesn't support exporting .step files. Ticket to add support has been open for a long time but it's a hard to implement.…",{"value":119,"source":77,"evidence":120},"OpenSCAD cannot export STEP files",[121],{"id":115,"by":116,"text":117},{"value":123,"source":77,"evidence":124},"Complex pitched-roof and assembly prompts produce broken geometry",[125],{"id":126,"by":127,"text":128},"45146149","yardshop","It would be helpful to have some examples that show the prompts needed to develop simple shapes, then how to iterate to add improvements. A video of you using it to create…",[130,142,146,153],{"value":131,"source":77,"evidence":132},"Examples, screenshots and video in the readme",[133,137,141],{"id":134,"by":135,"text":136},"45142297","mclau157","Readme could really use some pictures",{"id":138,"by":139,"text":140},"45143928","renecito","do you have examples or any getting started guide to know what can I expect ?",{"id":126,"by":127,"text":128},{"value":143,"source":77,"evidence":144},"Use CadQuery or STEP export support",[145],{"id":115,"by":116,"text":117},{"value":147,"source":77,"evidence":148},"Integration with 3D scans and image references",[149],{"id":150,"by":151,"text":152},"45147337","tarasglek","It would be killer to be able to integrate this with 3d scans. Eg \"make me a mount that hugs this shape\" where you can draw both render the scan and mark it with a 2d paint tool",{"value":154,"source":77,"evidence":155},"Send images as base64 instead of ngrok URLs",[156],{"id":80,"by":81,"text":82},[158,162],{"value":159,"source":77,"evidence":160},"Is there a getting started guide or examples of expected results",[161],{"id":138,"by":139,"text":140},{"value":163,"source":77,"evidence":164},"Has a partnership with print-as-a-service companies been considered",[165],{"id":166,"by":167,"text":168},"45175645","singlepaynews","Sick. The first feature I wanted to add was a \"Quote from xometry\" panel; I cloned\u002FGPT'd for a couple minutes and found that actually adding this would mean pulling tricks with…",[170,174],{"value":171,"source":77,"evidence":172},"Fusion, FreeCAD and CadQuery",[173],{"id":115,"by":116,"text":117},{"value":175,"source":77,"evidence":176},"3D Builder",[177],{"id":99,"by":100,"text":101},{"comments":31,"answered":37,"key":179},[180,183,186],{"id":181,"text":182},"45142991","will add some!",{"id":184,"text":185},"45143041","i agree",{"id":187,"text":188},"45144078","yes we did a bunch of experiments on this! we could get OS models up to but not beyond any of the best closed foundation models. Gemini 2.5\u002FClaude 4 most reliable as an api option",{"commenters":190,"max_depth":32,"maker_replies":31,"first_comment_mins":191,"lifespan_hours":192},20,95,79,[194,196,198,200,202,204,206,208,211,214,216,220,221,224,226,230,235,237,238,240,241,245,250],[111,41,39,195,112,41],"project\u002Fcritical\u002Fidea",[92,39,44,197,93,41],"project\u002Fpositive\u002Fexecution",[150,37,32,199,151,41],"project\u002Fneutral\u002Fidea",[115,32,39,201,116,41],"project\u002Fcritical\u002Fexecution",[134,31,32,203,135,41],"project\u002Fneutral\u002Fdocs",[181,31,41,205,11,39],"maker\u002Fneutral\u002Fdocs",[166,44,44,207,167,41],"project\u002Fpositive\u002Fidea",[80,209,32,210,81,41],6,"project\u002Fneutral\u002Fexecution",[212,209,39,201,213,41],"45142235","adenta",[184,209,41,215,11,39],"commenter\u002Fneutral\u002Fnone",[217,209,39,218,219,41],"45144987","project\u002Fcritical\u002Fperformance","simlevesque",[107,209,41,215,108,41],[222,33,44,207,223,41],"45142972","bilsbie",[187,33,41,225,11,39],"project\u002Fneutral\u002Fperformance",[227,33,32,228,229,41],"45144325","project\u002Fmixed\u002Fexecution","gerdesj",[231,232,39,233,234,41],"45147916",8,"project\u002Fcritical\u002Fnone","numpad0",[99,236,32,228,100,41],9,[138,18,32,203,139,41],[239,18,41,205,11,39],"45144036",[126,18,32,228,127,41],[242,243,39,195,244,41],"45145798",11,"bzmrgonz",[246,247,44,248,249,41],"45148395",12,"maker\u002Fpositive\u002Fnone","ndgold",[251,252,39,233,253,41],"45147364",13,"splitbrainhack",[],[256,260,265,270,274,279],{"id":257,"name":258,"points":259,"category":20},"45181535","Term.everything",1094,{"id":261,"name":262,"points":263,"category":264},"45154609","Mitch Ivin portfolio (Windows XP recreation)",1032,"productivity",{"id":266,"name":267,"points":268,"category":269},"45157020","molecheck",429,"learning_science",{"id":271,"name":272,"points":273,"category":269},"45152940","KanaDojo",288,{"id":275,"name":276,"points":277,"category":278},"45196945","Small Transfers",198,"web_saas",{"id":280,"name":281,"points":282,"category":264},"45188116","Vicinae",181,false,"v2",{"id":286,"name":5,"line":6,"ai":283,"cat":20,"year":13,"points":14,"comments":15,"rec":28,"s":287,"top":18,"kw":288,"maker":11,"domain":10,"tier":19,"attempts":41,"strip":289,"url":9,"mix":290,"praise":89,"objection":104,"sub":21},45140921,-0.1,[24,25,26,27],"15313053101050313303151",[31,31,32,33],1793991129315]