CadQuery Modeling

CadQuery is a Python library for building parametric 3D CAD models programmatically.

Installation

pip install cadquery-ocp

Basic Workflow

import cadquery as cq

# Create a parametric box with a hole
result = (
    cq.Workplane("XY")
    .box(10, 10, 5)
    .faces(">Z")
    .workplane()
    .hole(2)
)

# Export to STEP
cq.exporters.export(result, "part.step")

# Export to STL
cq.exporters.export(result, "part.stl")

Common Operations

Workplanes and Sketching

# Start on XY plane
wp = cq.Workplane("XY")

# Create rectangle and extrude
part = wp.rect(20, 10).extrude(5)

# Select face and add features
part = part.faces(">Z").workplane().circle(3).cutThrough()

Boolean Operations

# Union
combined = part1.union(part2)

# Subtract
result = base.cut(tool)

# Intersect
common = part1.intersect(part2)

Assemblies

# Create assembly
assy = cq.Assembly()
assy.add(base_part, name="base", color=cq.Color("gray"))
assy.add(bolt, name="bolt", loc=cq.Location((5, 0, 10)))

# Export assembly
assy.save("assembly.step")

Face Selection

# Select by direction
part.faces(">Z")   # Top face
part.faces("<Z")   # Bottom face
part.faces(">X")   # Right face

# Select by index
part.faces().item(0)

# Select multiple
part.faces("|Z")   # All faces parallel to Z

Export Formats

• STEP: cq.exporters.export(obj, "file.step")
• STL: cq.exporters.export(obj, "file.stl")
• DXF: cq.exporters.exportDXF(obj, "file.dxf")
• SVG: cq.exporters.export(obj, "file.svg")