January 27, 2026
Screw it, code your bolts
Parametric CAD in Rust
Write your robot parts like code — fans cheer, purists cry "not real CAD"
TLDR: vcad lets you design robot parts by writing code in Rust, then auto‑export previews and 3D prints. Comments split between fans hyped about AI-assisted design and skeptics saying its triangle-based engine isn’t pro-grade CAD; others point to OpenSCAD and GhostSCAD as friendly alternatives.
A Rust dev just dropped vcad, a write your parts like code tool where a minus sign literally carves holes and a plus glues shapes together. Change one number, regenerate a robot bracket, export shiny previews — all with tests, types, and the motto: “CAD files should be code.”
And the crowd? Spicy. The top skeptic declared it “no-go for serious CAD” because it uses the Manifold triangle‑mesh engine instead of the smooth, pro-grade curve math big shops love. Cue the 3D‑printing crowd yelling “good enough,” while purists clutch their blueprints. Meanwhile, AI fans asked if large language models can design parts; the author says vcad is built for agents, with Blender integration and bot‑made renders, so yes — your AI intern can crank out brackets.
Alternative camps rolled in: one commenter is learning OpenSCAD, and another is rocking GhostSCAD in Go — “not as typesafe,” but their happy place. A fan cheered “Amazing work!” as memes popped up about the minus sign being the new hole punch and “finally, Git commit for bolts.” Verdict: it’s a flashy showdown between code‑first makers and “real CAD” gatekeepers. Try it at vcad.io with cargo add vcad and see which side you land on.
Key Points
- •vcad is a Rust-based parametric CAD library enabling code-driven part design via CSG with operator overloading.
- •The library provides primitives, booleans, transforms, and pattern utilities, with exports to STL and glTF (GLB) using PBR materials defined in TOML.
- •vcad uses the manifold geometry engine (C++) to ensure watertight meshes and zero-cost Rust bindings to direct manifold calls.
- •The Rust toolchain supports reliability through cargo test (21 unit tests) and cargo clippy, with type safety reducing parameter errors.
- •vcad is designed for AI agent workflows, featuring Blender MCP integration; it is MIT-licensed, version 0.1, with planned features like fillets, chamfers, threads, and a web GUI.