cadquery-server 0.3.2

A web server used to render 3d models from CadQuery code loaded dynamically.

CadQuery Server

A web server used to render 3d models from CadQuery code loaded dynamically.

Example usage with Kate on the left and Firefox on the right:

About CadQuery Server

Features

• fast response time
• multi-file support
• built-in file-watcher
• live-reload
• use your favorite text editor or IDE
• display model on an external monitor or other device
• compatible with VSCode built-in browser
• option to customize ui
• option to export to static html file

Functionning

CadQuery Server dynamically loads your CadQuery code and renders the model on the browser using three-cad-viewer (the same used in jupyter-cadquery). It includes a file watcher that reloads the Python code and updates the web page when the file is updated.

This approach allows users to work on any IDE, and render the model on any web browser. It also allow them to display the model in an other monitor, or even in an other computer on the same local network (for instance a tablet on your desktop).

The project was originally started for the VSCode extension, but since it doesn't depend on VSCode anymore, it's now a project as it own.

About CadQuery

From the CadQuery readme:

CadQuery is an intuitive, easy-to-use Python module for building parametric 3D CAD models. Using CadQuery, you can write short, simple scripts that produce high quality CAD models. It is easy to make many different objects using a single script that can be customized.

Read CadQuery documentation for more information about CadQuery and its usage.

Installation

Create a virtual environment (recommended)

python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate

Upgrade pip and setuptools

pip install --upgrade pip setuptools

Install with pip

If you already have CadQuery installed on your system:

pip install cadquery-server

If you want to install both cq-server and CadQuery:

pip install 'cadquery-server[cadquery]'

Install with Docker

docker pull cadquery/cadquery-server

Then add a volume and port when running the container. Typically:

docker run -p 5000:5000 -v $(pwd)/examples:/data cadquery/cadquery-server

Where examples is in your current directory and contains CadQuery scripts.

Install from sources

git clone https://github.com/roipoussiere/cadquery-server.git
cd cadquery-server

If you already have CadQuery installed on your system:

pip install .

If you want to install both cq-server and CadQuery:

pip install '.[cadquery]'

Usage

Starting the server

Once installed, the cq-server command should be available on your system (or on your virtual env).

It takes only one optional argument: the target, which can be a folder or a file. Defaults to the current directory (.).

Then the root endpoint (ie. http://127.0.0.1) will display:

• if target is a folder: an index page from which you can select a file to render;
• if target is a file: the root endpoint will render the corresponding file.

CLI options

Use cq-server -h to list all available options.

General

• -V, --version: Print CadQuery Server version and exit.
• -l, --list: List available modules for the current target and exit.

Server

• -p, --port: Server port (default: 5000).
• -d, --dead: Disable live reloading.

Export

• -e [FILE], --export [FILE]: Export a static html file that work without server (default: "<module_name>.html").
• -m, --minify: Minify output when exporting to html.

Note 1: The html endpoint could eventually be used to export a model to html from a running CadQueryServer instance (see below).

Note 2. Order of parameters might be important when using -e:

• cq-server ./examples --list is similar to cq-server ./examples --list;
• but cq-server ./examples --export is not similar to cq-server --export ./examples.

In this last case, the target will be the current folder and the file will be stored as examples.

User interface

Other cli options are available to change the UI appearence:

• --ui-hide: a comma-separated list of buttons to disable, among: axes, axes0, grid, ortho, more, help and all;
• --ui-glass: activate tree view glass mode;
• --ui-theme: set ui theme, light or dark (default: browser config);
• --ui-trackball: set control mode to trackball instead orbit;
• --ui-perspective: set camera view to perspective instead orthogonal;
• --ui-grid: display a grid in specified axes (x, y, z, xy, etc.);
• --ui-transparent: make objects semi-transparent;
• --ui-black-edges: make edges black.

Writing a CadQuery code

CadQuery Server renders the model defined in the show_object() function (like in CadQuery Editor).

You must import it before from the cq_server.ui module, among with the UI class, which is used by the server to load the model.

Minimal working example:

import cadquery as cq
from cq_server.ui import UI, show_object

show_object(cq.Workplane('XY').box(1, 2, 3))

Please read the CadQuery documentation for more details about the CadQuery library.

Using with the web server

Once the server is started, go to its url (ie. http://127.0.0.1).

Other endpoints:

• /json: returns the model as a threejs json object. Used internally to retrieve the model;
• /html: returns a static html page that doesn't require the CadQuery Server running.

Optional url parameters, available for all listed endpoints:

• m: name of module to load (if target is a folder)

Examples: /?m=box, /json?m=box, /html?m=box.

Using with VSCode

The web page can be displayed within VSCode IDE using LivePreview extension:

1. install the LivePreview VSCode extension;
2. hit ctrl+shift+P -> Simple Browser: Show;
3. update the url according to your running CadQuery server instance (ie. 127.0.0.1:5000).

About

• contact:
  • ping user @roipoussiere on channel other-gui in the CadQuery Discord;
  • Mastodon;
• license: MIT;
• source: both on Framagit (Gitlab instance) and Github;
• issue tracker: both on Framagit and Github