There are many programs and models out there that can be used directly on a 3D printer without writing a single line of code... however, if the underlying plan is to make our own objects with more specific parameters, we inevitably have to cross swords with advanced tools. Many see OpenSCAD as a kind of standard for these cases, but ImplicitCAD presents itself as an interesting alternative.
In my personal experience, I always try to make recommendations aimed at beginner users, but the truth is that no one stays in that position for long. This is particularly true in 3D printing. Some printer models and their dedicated software try to simplify everything as much as possible, sacrificing flexibility. I have no doubt that this strategy helps a huge number of users, but at the end of the day, it becomes a problem.
3D printing reaches its maximum potential when it is not limited, and once we enter that special territory of custom objects and strange measurements, "visual creation" must give way to a resource such as programmatic CAD. Even the term itself is intimidating, but the ImplicitCAD project wants to change that a little.
How Can We Describe ImplicitCAD?
From every point of view it is a programming language, with the difference that the result is not a binary, but an object ready to be printed in 3D. Its development began in 2012, it is completely open source, and its official page has several samples of what it can do. Viewing the code and the rendered object side by side is nothing new, but it is the online profile that attracts the most attention. Once the object is finished, you have the possibility to download it in STL, OBJ, SVG, and G-Code.
According to the words of its creators, ImplicitCAD is born from the need to design objects that interact with precision with each other. Many times we not only want to design an object, but a class of objects whose parameters are established by variables. There are objects that do not need code, but... what if we need to design a key based on a list of numbers that describe the heights of each pin in the lock? The ImplicitCAD developers assure that "we need programming for that". In short, ImplicitCAD is a project dedicated to using the power of mathematics and computer science to clear away "the stupid design problems" on our way to the 3D printing revolution.
Does it have problems? Yes, local installation is quite complicated, and it has several dependencies if the plan is to work outside Linux. But the potential of ImplicitCAD is great despite the presence of very powerful alternatives like OpenSCAD, and if you consider yourself an advanced user in the world of 3D printing, why not try it?
