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• HOWTO add an example Object to CaDoodle

  Kevin Harrington • 2 days ago • 0 comments

  I Absolutly want to have folks add more example shapes! The shapes pallet is defined by the contents of this repo: https://github.com/madhephaestus/CaDoodle-Example-Objects and cloned into ~/Documents/CaDoodle-workspace/gitcache/github.com/madhephaestus/CaDoodle-Example-Objects/

  If you wanted to experement, you can modify the existing .json files, or create your own to make a new menu item. Just close CaDoodle and open it up again to see your changes.

  The lines in the json

  "Cube":{

  "git":"https://github.com/madhephaestus/CaDoodle-Example-Objects.git",

  "file":"cube.groovy",

  "order":"2"

  },

  Is the URL to the git location of the file, and the file ke is the location of that file within the repository. The file can be any type supported for import. The order term is where the button should be in the grid of buttons.

  In the case of files you would like the uer to edit, just add the key:

  "copyFile":true

  This will make a copy of the source file into the users directory and provide an editor button in the UI for the user to edit the file. If you make a blender file you wan the user to sculpt on, then you would use that flag.

  If you would like to add your example shapes to the whole community, make a pull request with your updated https://github.com/madhephaestus/CaDoodle-Example-Objects

  Once I merge your PR, that object will be availible to the whole community as an example object.

  Supported file types are:

  BowlerStudio scripted cad (Groovy)

  FreeCAD files

  Blender Files

  Inkscape SVG's (where all objects are paths) for extrusion

  Inkscape SCG's as sweep inputs (rings, threads, spirals)

  OpenSCAD files (you need to wrap it in a groovy file to expose the parametrics)

  STL files

  OBJ Files

• Added threading to the BasicShapes

  Kevin Harrington • 4 days ago • 0 comments

  Based on a comment i decided to make Threading a BasicShape. It was always possible to use the Ring shape to turn it into threads, but this makes it a standard shape.
  

• CaDoodle Beta Release!

  Kevin Harrington • 5 days ago • 0 comments

  As of today, April 14th 2025, I have released CaDoodle as Beta release! I have achieved feature-complete with respect to the original TinkerCAD feature list. All modeling features and processes from Tinkercad can be replicated in CaDoodle. A Tinkercad user can use their skills and transfer their existing learning into CaDoodle.
  

  If you are a QE or have experience with QA please reach out. I am actively seeking Beta Testers.
  

  The main task now is a set of testing documents. I need to make procedures with expected behaviors for testers to run through. Anyone with experience making testing documents is especially encouraged to reach out! 
  

• I added a confirmation window for when you are about to erase your history

  Kevin Harrington • 6 days ago • 0 comments

  
  If you use Undo to go back in time, then change something CaDoodel has to do something with your future operations. This dialog lets you undo that change before it erases the future work from this step.
  

• Ruler tool is now working!

  Kevin Harrington • 04/12/2025 at 15:32 • 0 comments

  I finally added the Ruler tool! This tool lets you click on a surface and use that as the reference dimensions for the move operations. You can place the ruler on the ground, workplane or any surface of any part. it will remain orientated to the current workplane so your reference dimensions in the move handles

  will remain accurate.

• Project Progress July 2024-April 2025

  Kevin Harrington • 04/07/2025 at 15:47 • 0 comments

  As an elementary school technology teacher, TinkerCAD provided easy to use on-ramps for students as young as 2nd grade. I spent the 23/24 school year teaching with TinkerCAD and found myself increasingly upset by the limitations and constraints of TinkerCAD. First and foremost, the fact of the CAD models sources being entirely unavailable. The "Tinkercad source" is actually entries in the Autodesk servers database. With no option to access those actual sources, students are tied entirely to the tinkercad website.
  

  The first real problem came when a student made a model in 5th grade that was so complex that the Tinkercad site crashed. The model was not recoverable, and the student that had done all of that extra work to add detail to his model lost everything. This experience started me thinking about how this could be made better for the students.
  

  The next major problem came when another student wanted to do CAD work on her ride home (which due to bus schedules took over an hour each day). She wanted to keep designing things, but without an internet connection she was unable to do any work.
  

  Finally i began to contemplate the pedagogical damage being done by teaching students a skill that is only accessible to them as mediated by a company. I began to feel a deep sense of unease that the skills of my students were increasingly being trapped behind a paywall.
  

  My solution was to make a locally installed application, that used an open file format that is stored locally on the disk, and that had access to the full resources of the computer the application was running on.
  

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