significant changes in the Wikibooks OpenSCAD User Mnaual
Hi folks
your self-appointed editor has made some significant changes to the online docs. Once the changes are completely rolled out i will apply them to create the print version
I invite comment on anything that has been missed, misunderstood, or done in a new way
There are some specific parts i would especially like to get feedback on
-
The First Steps section had <Prev Next> links on its 5 pages .. i applied a template to show a navigation panel to replace the ad hoc pointers and updated the text where needed
-
the Rendering page is supposed to be a compendium of rendering information .. is it all correct? is there any rendering related topic that should be added
-
The new Sections on 2D Modelling and 3D Modelling are also functionally focused so again … is it all correct? is there anything that should be added?
-
The Section on Operators has been revised but not all of the examples have been checked
-
if you have any example scripts to share please post them here or write up an enhancement issue on GitHUb
Thanks
Jeff Hayes == bitbasher == vulcan_ in different places
Ummm.... I just clicked on the cheat sheet link for rotate_extrude() and it
did NOT take directly to the rotate_extrude() topic. Instead, it took me
to the top of the Two Dimensional Modelling section. I hope that is a
mistake. Personally, I do not like that. When I click on a cheat sheet
link, I'm usually in a hurry or in the zone and I fully expect to be taken
straight to the description of that function/module post haste.
Thanks! Len
On Thu, Jul 31, 2025 at 6:31 PM vulcan_--- via Discuss <
discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote:
Hi folks
your self-appointed editor has made some significant changes to the online
docs. Once the changes are completely rolled out i will apply them to
create the print version
I invite comment on anything that has been missed, misunderstood, or done
in a new way
There are some specific parts i would especially like to get feedback on
1.
The First Steps
<https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/First_Steps>
section had <Prev Next> links on its 5 pages .. i applied a template to
show a navigation panel to replace the ad hoc pointers and updated the text
where needed
2.
the Rendering page is supposed to be a compendium of rendering
information .. is it all correct? is there any rendering related topic that
should be added
3.
The new Sections on 2D Modelling
<https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Using_the_2D_Subsystem>
and 3D Modelling
<https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/3D_Modelling> are
also functionally focused so again … is it all correct? is there anything
that should be added?
4.
The Section on Operators has been revised but not all of the examples
have been checked
5.
if you have any example scripts to share please post them here or
write up an enhancement issue on GitHUb
Thanks
Jeff Hayes == bitbasher == vulcan_ in different places
OpenSCAD mailing list
To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org
Some nitpicks:
- In
https://en.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Rendering#Render_Mode:_$preview,
I don't understand what you mean by
> The render() module operates differently from either rendering
mode. The value of $preview is undetermined in this snippet:
because the value of $preview is well-determined when I echo that, and
the results of F5 preview and F6 render is very different when I tested
it in the latest master.
-
Render module: I am not sure if you want to say it is used to force
tessellation. And you don't have syntactic modules section in the "Other
language features" page. In the linked page, you can also say that
render() helps with preview performance as well, which I think was
discussed in the thread about the render operator. -
In
https://en.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/3D_Modelling#Debugging_Polyhedra,
we have
The first rule eliminates polyhedra like two cubes with a common edge
and not watertight models; the second excludes polyhedra like two cubes
with a common vertex
which are no longer true with the Manifold backend. Manifold allows
duplicating vertices to solve this issue. And in general polyhedrons
should contain no self-intersections (well except the touching cases).
On 8/1/25 07:30, vulcan_--- via Discuss wrote:
Hi folks
your self-appointed editor has made some significant changes to the
online docs. Once the changes are completely rolled out i will apply
them to create the print version
I invite comment on anything that has been missed, misunderstood, or
done in a new way
There are some specific parts i would especially like to get feedback on
The First Steps
<https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/First_Steps>
section had <Prev Next> links on its 5 pages .. i applied a
template to show a navigation panel to replace the ad hoc pointers
and updated the text where needed
the Rendering page is supposed to be a compendium of rendering
information .. is it all correct? is there any rendering related
topic that should be added
The new Sections on 2D Modelling
<https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Using_the_2D_Subsystem>
and 3D Modelling
<https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/3D_Modelling>
are also functionally focused so again … is it all correct? is
there anything that should be added?
The Section on Operators has been revised but not all of the
examples have been checked
if you have any example scripts to share please post them here or
write up an enhancement issue on GitHUb
Thanks
Jeff Hayes == bitbasher == vulcan_ in different places
OpenSCAD mailing list
To unsubscribe send an email todiscuss-leave@lists.openscad.org
not a mistake just a mismatch between old (cheat sheet) and new .. some of the section names are changed in the new docs so links will default to the page.
i have not rolled out the revision of the Cheat Sheet that i am working on as that is in the repository for the website and needs more checking before i do a PR
but it is coming Real Soon Now
thanks for the feedback .. you have come across one of the weakest bits in the New Docs .. my understanding of render() module was incomplete and in some ways flawed .. but i have been enlightened.
Nop Head and Jordan Brown have patiently educated me on this topic (many thanks again guys!) and i will be revising that section Real Soon Now .. possibly today
You make some good points about readability that i will mix into the rewrite, so thanks!
Jeff,
I've only looked at the Reference Manual section. My thoughts so far are:
The topic grouping in the 3D Modelling section doesn't make sense to me.
Cube, sphere and cylinder are in a 'Primitive solids' section.
Polyhedron is grouped with linear_extrude and rotate_extrude as
'Constructed solids' even though polyhedron doesn't work like the
extrudes. The extrudes operate on something else e.g.
/linear_extrude(...) circle(...); /Polyhedron constructs a shape on its
own. I can write /polyhedron(...);/ which is directly analogous to
/cube(...);/ or to /sphere(...);/ etc. In short, polyhedron belongs with
cube, sphere and cylinder. For comparison, I note that polygon is not
separated out from circle and square in the 2D Modelling section.
The document uses the terms 'object', 'geometry' and 'shape' for the
same concept. It would be good to converge on one term. With the arrival
of object variables, I reckon the terminology is going to get more
confusing, especially for folks who don't have much experience with this
kind of software. We'll need to keep the term object for the variable
thing. That would leave geometry or shape for the other meaning. The
term geometry prevalent in the manual so perhaps the inevitable choice
but 'shape' would be plain English and nicer for beginning users.
Strangely, the Import subsection of 3D Modelling covers 2D import and
data/JSON import. There is still a separate main section for importing
so perhaps just link to that (from both the 3D Modelling and the 2D
modelling sections) with no added description, reducing repetition.
Talking of repetition, linear_extrude and rotate_extrude are covered in
both the 3D Modelling and the 2D modelling sections. Perhaps repetition
isn't a bad thing, but then for consistency, the 3D modelling section
ought to cover 3D to 2D projection.
It would be nice to be able to return to the top level of the Reference
Manual using the side menu, especially as the links at the top of the
sections takes me back to the overall user manual rather than climbing
back up the document hierarchy.
But hey, you're doing all the good work. I appreciate that, and if you
take a pass on my thoughts, that's your prerogative.
Steve
On 2025-07-31 4:30 p.m., vulcan_--- via Discuss wrote:
Hi folks
your self-appointed editor has made some significant changes to the
online docs. Once the changes are completely rolled out i will apply
them to create the print version
I invite comment on anything that has been missed, misunderstood, or
done in a new way
There are some specific parts i would especially like to get feedback on
The First Steps
<https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/First_Steps>
section had <Prev Next> links on its 5 pages .. i applied a
template to show a navigation panel to replace the ad hoc pointers
and updated the text where needed
the Rendering page is supposed to be a compendium of rendering
information .. is it all correct? is there any rendering related
topic that should be added
The new Sections on 2D Modelling
<https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Using_the_2D_Subsystem>
and 3D Modelling
<https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/3D_Modelling>
are also functionally focused so again … is it all correct? is
there anything that should be added?
The Section on Operators has been revised but not all of the
examples have been checked
if you have any example scripts to share please post them here or
write up an enhancement issue on GitHUb
Thanks
Jeff Hayes == bitbasher == vulcan_ in different places
OpenSCAD mailing list
To unsubscribe send an email todiscuss-leave@lists.openscad.org
ok .. i hear you ..
on object/geometry/shape .. i have worked in a few diff places so i learned to use the language of the location
certainly i need to remove “object” except were it is about the new objects,
but then .. which do we all think is the best term to use out of “shape” or “geometry”?
and you have pointed out a flaw .. the import section needs to have some mistakes removed
Thanks for the feedback .. keep it coming please
Leonard Martin Struttmann wrote:
Ummm.... I just clicked on the cheat sheet link for rotate_extrude() and it
did NOT take directly to the rotate_extrude() topic.
all fixed now