The AI-powered 3D CAD IDE — edit code, visualize in 3D, and reshape your designs with natural language.

Vibe Code your 3D models!

⚠️ Early Prototype — Not all OpenSCAD code will compile correctly yet. Start with simple models and expect rough edges. Bug reports with code snippets that cause issues are very welcome!

▶ See it in action

A desktop 3D CAD application that combines an OpenSCAD code editor, a real-time 3D viewport, and an AI assistant. Write OpenSCAD code, compile it to 3D models, visualize them interactively, and use AI to modify your designs through natural language — including context from 3D click interactions.

Pre-built binaries for Linux, macOS (Apple Silicon & Intel), and Windows are available on the Releases page.

macOS users: Since SynapsCAD is not signed with an Apple Developer certificate, macOS will block the app on first launch. To fix this, run:

sudo xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine /path/to/SynapsCAD.app

We don't pay for an Apple Developer account at this point — if you prefer, you can always build from source instead.

• Rust (stable toolchain)
• An AI provider API key (e.g. ANTHROPIC_API_KEY) for the chat assistant

SynapsCAD uses the genai crate to connect to AI providers — including local models via Ollama for fully offline, private usage (no API key needed). Set the API key for your chosen cloud provider as an environment variable:

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-..."
cargo run

When an env var is set, the UI shows it as active. You can also enter or override the key in ⚙ AI Settings within the app.

This opens a window with a 3D viewport on the right and a side panel on the left containing the code editor and AI chat.

1. Write or edit OpenSCAD code in the editor panel
2. Click Compile — SynapsCAD parses and evaluates the code using scad-rs and renders CSG geometry via csgrs
3. Ask the AI assistant to modify your model — it sees your current code and part labels, and can update the code automatically

SynapsCAD is a single-binary Rust application built on three main pillars:

• Bevy owns the main thread. The Bevy app loop drives rendering and ECS systems. A separate Tokio runtime is stored as a Bevy Resource and used only for spawning async AI tasks.

• std::sync::mpsc bridges async to sync. Background tasks (compilation, AI streaming) send results through channels. Bevy systems poll with non-blocking try_recv() each frame, keeping the viewport responsive.

• Pure-Rust compilation pipeline. OpenSCAD code is parsed by scad-syntax, evaluated by a built-in AST walker, and rendered to triangle meshes via csgrs — no external tools or WASM required.

• Built-in mesh picking. Bevy 0.15's MeshPickingPlugin provides ray-cast picking via the observer pattern — no external picking crate needed.

ui_layout_system          — render egui side panel (editor + chat)
    ↓
trigger_compilation_system — if code is dirty, spawn compilation in a thread
    ↓
poll_compilation_system    — check if compilation finished, load mesh
    ↓
ai_send_system             — if chat submitted, spawn AI request on tokio
    ↓
ai_receive_system          — poll AI response, update chat + code
    ↓
adjust_camera_viewport     — resize 3D viewport to account for side panel
    ↓
orbit_camera_system        — process mouse/keyboard input for 3D navigation
    ↓
zoom_to_fit_system         — auto-frame model after compilation

SynapsCAD uses Blender-style camera controls:

@[email protected]

GPL v3