scad2step

Convert an OpenSCAD file to a STEP file, from the command line. No Python knowledge required.

uvx scad2step yourfile.scad -o out.step

STEP is the standard interchange format nearly every CAD program (Fusion 360, SolidWorks, FreeCAD) reads as a real solid body with exact curves — unlike OpenSCAD's own STL export, which is always a mesh of flat triangles. scad2step gets this by handing your file to the real OpenSCAD program (so every language feature and library works exactly as it always has) and rebuilding the result on build123d's OpenCASCADE kernel instead of a mesh — see scad123d, which does the actual conversion work, for the details and the Python API.

Requirements

• The OpenSCAD program installed. scad2step looks for it on your $PATH and in the usual install locations automatically; if it's somewhere else, set $SCAD123D_OPENSCAD to point at it directly.
• Python 3.10+ (already satisfied if you're running this via uv/uvx).

Usage

uvx scad2step yourfile.scad -o out.step

Leave out -o and the output defaults to the input filename with a .step extension:

uvx scad2step yourfile.scad   # writes yourfile.step

Pass variable overrides the same way OpenSCAD's own -D flag does, if your file has top-level variables you want to set from the command line (a -D name=value for each one):

uvx scad2step yourfile.scad -o out.step -D width=40 -D holes=6

Run uvx scad2step --help for the rest of the options (mesh fallback behavior, timeout, etc.) — the defaults are right for almost everyone.

Installing it permanently

uvx runs scad2step without installing anything persistent. If you'd rather have the command always available:

uv tool install scad2step

License

MIT