CadQuery — a parametric 3D CAD modeling library made in Python and based on OpenCascade. It allows CAD models to be described as scripts, and on abstraction layers such as Workplane / Sketch / Assembly, it enables constraint-based design. It supports input/output of various industry-standard formats such as STEP / DXF / STL / glTF.
Directory structure
skills/cadquery/
SKILL.md
references/
getting-started/
README.md
concepts.md
design-principles.md
installation.md
introduction.md
quickstart.md
workplane/
README.md
2d-construction.md
3d-construction.md
chaining.md
construction-geometry.md
context-solid.md
iteration.md
overview.md
selectors.md
stack.md
sketch/
README.md
tutorial.md
workplane-integration.md
assemblies/
README.md
colors.md
constraints.md
locations.md
tutorial.md
free-function/
README.md
adding-features.md
boolean-operations.md
operations.md
parametric-mapping.md
placement.md
primitives.md
shape-construction.md
text.md
tutorial.md
visualization/
README.md
control-points.md
jupyter.md
pure-python.md
screenshots.md
styling.md
file-io/
README.md
exporting-amf-3mf.md
exporting-assemblies.md
exporting-dxf.md
exporting-gltf.md
exporting-other.md
exporting-stl.md
exporting-step.md
exporting-svg.md
exporting-tjs.md
exporting-vrml.md
importing-assemblies.md
importing-dxf.md
importing-step.md
introduction.md
scripts-and-output.md
examples/
README.md
advanced-techniques.md
basic-shapes.md
construction-geometry.md
full-projects.md
holes-and-fillets.md
mirroring.md
moving-points.md
shells-lofts-extrusion.md
workplanes.md
api/
README.md
assemblies-api.md
cheatsheet.md
file-management.md
iteration-methods.md
selectors-api.md
sketch-edges-constraints.md
sketch-faces.md
sketch-initialization.md
sketch-selection.md
stack-selector-methods.md
workplane-2d-operations.md
workplane-3d-non-2d.md
workplane-3d-operations.md
workplane-initialization.md
selectors/
README.md
combining.md
filtering-edges.md
filtering-faces.md
filtering-vertices.md
shape-and-sketch.md
special-methods.md
topological.md
user-directions.md
classes/
README.md
core.md
geometry.md
selectors.md
topological.md
cqgi/
README.md
complete-api.md
execution-environment.md
important-methods.md
overview.md
script-side.md
script-variables.md
stl-automation.md
extending/
README.md
coordinate-systems.md
example-plugins.md
helper-methods.md
linking.md
opencascade-methods.md
plugin-example.md
plugins.md
preserving-chain.md
special-methods.md
stack.md
misc/
README.md
citing.md
samples/
README.md
assembly-with-constraints.md
basic-box.md
export-step-stl.md
extruded-profile.md
mirroring.md
parametric-pillow-block.md
rectangular-array.md
shell-loft.md
sketch-api.md
tagging-and-splitting.md
workplane-operations.md
scripts/
README.md
cqgi.md
export.md
import.md
install.md
Exploration procedure
Draw a category from the task, and identify the target page in the category's README.md:
- Find the category corresponding to the task in the mapping table below
- of that category
references/{category}/README.mdRefer to this to identify the target page - Read the
.mdof the relevant page to check the details
Task → Category Mapping
| Task | Category | Reference README |
|---|---|---|
| Installation, design principles, conceptual understanding of BREP/Workplane/Selectors, first steps | getting-started | references/getting-started/README.md |
| 2D wire creation (lineTo, polyline, threePointArc), 3D extrusion (extrude, revolve, sweep, loft), Boolean operations (cut, union), fillet/shell, chain/stack | workplane | references/workplane/README.md |
| Constrained sketching (segment, arc, spline, constrain, solve), face construction (rect, circle, polygon, slot), integration with Workplane | sketch | references/sketch/README.md |
| Part assembly, Assembly tutorial, object placement (Location), 9 types of constraints (Point/Axis/Plane/Fixed, etc.), assembly colors | assemblies | references/assemblies/README.md |
| Functional API without using Workplane (box/sphere/cylinder, fuse/cut, fillet/chamfer, extrude/revolve/sweep/loft, text) | free-function | references/free-function/README.md |
| Visualization (show function, VTK integration, screenshots, Control Points, styling, Jupyter inline display) | visualization | references/visualization/README.md |
| File input/output (STEP/DXF/STL/glTF/SVG/AMF/3MF/TJS/VRML), Assembly export/import, show_object conventions | file-io | references/file-io/README.md |
| Modeling examples (Plate, Mirroring, Workplanes, Lofts, Holes, Bottle, Lego, Bearing, Enclosure, Braille, Cycloidal Gear, etc.) | examples | references/examples/README.md |
| API list (method signatures for Sketch / Workplane 2D/3D / File / Iteration / Stack / Selectors / Assemblies), Cheatsheet | api | references/api/README.md |
| Selector string syntax (">Z", "<<Y", "+Z", "|X", etc.), combination operators, Topological (ancestors/siblings) | selectors | references/selectors/README.md |
| Class hierarchy (Shape / Vertex / Edge / Wire / Face / Shell / Solid / Compound, Vector / Matrix / Plane / Location / BoundBox, Selector hierarchy) | classes | references/classes/README.md |
| Script execution environment, parameter-driven modeling, show_object/debug, BuildResult, CQModel | cqgi | references/cqgi/README.md |
| Plugin development, CadQuery extensions, direct OpenCascade calls, Stack operations, newObject/findSolid, map/apply/invoke | extending | references/extending/README.md |
| Citation information (academic use, Zenodo DOI) | misc | references/misc/README.md |
| Want to check typical usage with working code | samples | samples/README.md |
| Want to know installation, export, import, and CQGI execution commands | scripts | scripts/README.md |