SolidView

SolidView is a Python package that provides seamless 3D visualization of objects created with SolidPython2 in Jupyter notebooks. It leverages OpenSCAD for rendering and JupyterSCAD for interactive visualization.

Features

• 🎯 Easy Integration: Simple API for viewing SolidPython2 objects
• 🖥️ Cross-Platform: Automatic OpenSCAD detection on Windows, macOS, and Linux
• 📱 Interactive Viewing: Powered by JupyterSCAD for smooth 3D interaction
• 💾 STL Export: Built-in functionality to save objects as STL files
• 🧹 Smart Cleanup: Automatic temporary file management
• 🎨 Customizable: Configurable viewer dimensions and rendering options

Installation

Prerequisites

1. OpenSCAD: Download and install from https://openscad.org/
2. Python 3.8+: Make sure you have Python 3.8 or higher installed

Install SolidView

pip install solidview

Or install from source:

git clone https://github.com/mr-kam/solidview.git
cd solidview
pip install -e .

Development Installation

For development, install with additional dependencies:

pip install -e ".[dev]"

Quick Start

Basic Usage

from solid2 import *
from solidview import view3d

# Create a simple object
cube_obj = cube([10, 10, 10])
sphere_obj = sphere(8)
combined = cube_obj + translate([15, 0, 0])(sphere_obj)

# View it in Jupyter
view3d(combined)

Using the SolidViewer Class

For more control and better performance with multiple objects:

from solidview import SolidViewer
from solid2 import *

# Create a viewer instance
viewer = SolidViewer()

# Create and view multiple objects
for i in range(3):
    obj = translate([i * 20, 0, 0])(cube([10, 10, 10]))
    viewer.view(obj, width=800, height=600)

# Save an object as STL
viewer.save_stl(combined, "my_object.stl")

Custom OpenSCAD Path

If OpenSCAD is installed in a custom location:

from solidview import SolidViewer

viewer = SolidViewer(openscad_exec="/path/to/your/openscad")
viewer.view(your_object)

API Reference

view3d(obj, width=600, height=600, openscad_exec=None)

Convenience function for quick 3D visualization.

Parameters:

• obj: SolidPython2 object to render
• width (int): Viewer width in pixels (default: 600)
• height (int): Viewer height in pixels (default: 600)
• openscad_exec (str, optional): Path to OpenSCAD executable

Returns: JupyterSCAD viewer widget

SolidViewer Class

__init__(openscad_exec=None)

Initialize a SolidViewer instance.

Parameters:

• openscad_exec (str, optional): Path to OpenSCAD executable

view(obj, width=600, height=600, cleanup=True)

Render and display a 3D object.

Parameters:

• obj: SolidPython2 object to render
• width (int): Viewer width in pixels
• height (int): Viewer height in pixels
• cleanup (bool): Whether to clean up temporary files

Returns: JupyterSCAD viewer widget

save_stl(obj, output_path, overwrite=False)

Render an object and save as STL file.

Parameters:

• obj: SolidPython2 object to render
• output_path (str): Path for output STL file
• overwrite (bool): Whether to overwrite existing files

Returns: Path to saved STL file

Examples

Complex Object with Multiple Operations

from solid2 import *
from solidview import view3d

# Create a complex object
base = cube([30, 30, 5])
post = translate([15, 15, 5])(cylinder(r=3, h=20))
hole = translate([15, 15, -1])(cylinder(r=1, h=27))

final_object = base + post - hole

# View with custom dimensions
view3d(final_object, width=800, height=600)

Batch Processing

from solidview import SolidViewer
from solid2 import *

viewer = SolidViewer()

objects = []
for i in range(5):
    obj = translate([i * 15, 0, 0])(
        rotate([0, 0, i * 45])(
            cube([10, 5, 8])
        )
    )
    objects.append(obj)
  
# View each object
for i, obj in enumerate(objects):
    print(f"Object {i+1}:")
    viewer.view(obj)
  
    # Optionally save each one
    viewer.save_stl(obj, f"object_{i+1}.stl")

Troubleshooting

OpenSCAD Not Found

If you get an error about OpenSCAD not being found:

1. Check Installation: Make sure OpenSCAD is properly installed
2. Path Issues: On Windows, ensure OpenSCAD is in one of these locations:
   • C:\\Program Files\\OpenSCAD\\openscad.exe
   • C:\\Program Files (x86)\\OpenSCAD\\openscad.exe
3. Manual Path: Specify the path manually:

   viewer = SolidViewer(openscad_exec="C:\\path\\to\\openscad.exe")
   

Import Errors

If you encounter import errors:

pip install solidpython2 jupyterscad

Rendering Issues

• Memory: Large objects may require more memory
• Complexity: Highly complex objects may take longer to render
• Temporary Files: If cleanup fails, manually delete temp files in your system's temp directory

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our Contributing Guide for details.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• SolidPython2 for the excellent Python → OpenSCAD interface
• JupyterSCAD for Jupyter notebook integration
• OpenSCAD for the powerful 3D modeling capabilities

Changelog

Version 0.1.0

• Initial release
• Basic 3D visualization functionality
• Cross-platform OpenSCAD detection
• STL export capability
• Comprehensive documentation and examples