Design Real-World Objects In Python With CadQuery

Summary

Virtually everything that you interact with on a daily basis and many other things that make modern life possible were designed and modeled in software called CAD or Computer-Aided Design. These programs are advanced suites with graphical editing environments tailored to domain experts in areas such as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, architecture, etc. While the UI-driven workflow is more accessible, it isn’t scalable which opens the door to code-driven workflows. In this episode Jeremy Wright discusses the design, uses, and benefits of the CadQuery framework for building 3D CAD models entirely in Python.

Announcements

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• Your host as usual is Tobias Macey and today I’m interviewing Jeremy Wright about CadQuery, an easy-to-use Python module for building parametric 3D CAD models

Interview

• Introductions
• How did you get introduced to Python?
• Can you start by explaining what CAD is and some of the real-world applications of it?
• Can you describe what CadQuery is and the story behind it?
  • How did you get involved with it and what keeps you motivated?
  • What are the different methods that are in common use for building CAD models?
  • Are there approaches that are more common for models used in different industries?
• What was missing in other projects for programmatically generating CAD models that motivated you to build CadQuery?
• Can you describe how the CadQuery library is implemented?
  • How have the design and goals of the project changed or evolved since you started working on it?
  • How would you characterize the rate of change/evolution in the CAD ecosystem, and how has that factored into your work on CadQuery?
• How did you approach the process of API design?
  • How do you balance accessibility for non-professionals with domain-related nomenclature?
• Can you describe some example workflows for going from idea to finished product with CadQuery?
• How are you using CadQuery in your own work?
• What are the most interesting, innovative, or unexpected ways that you have seen CadQuery used?
• What are the most interesting, unexpected, or challenging lessons that you have learned while working on CadQuery?
• When is CadQuery the wrong choice?
• What do you have planned for the future of CadQuery?

Keep In Touch

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Picks

• Tobias
  • Doctor Strange: In The Multiverse of Madness
• Jeremy
  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Closing Announcements

• Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to check out our other shows. The Data Engineering Podcast covers the latest on modern data management. The Machine Learning Podcast helps you go from idea to production with machine learning.
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Links

• CadQuery
• CAD == Computer Assisted Design
• 3D Printer
• Jeremy’s CNC Router
• jQuery
• Blender
• Fusion 360
• Open Cascade (OCCT)
• Fluent API
• FreeCAD
• KiCAD
• Semblage
• cq-editor
• jupyter-cadquery
• cq-kit
• FX Bricks
• Voxels
• cq_warehouse

The intro and outro music is from Requiem for a Fish The Freak Fandango Orchestra / CC BY-SA