ChatToSTL – AI text-to-CAD for 3D printing
Hey HN, I'm a beginner at CAD so I built an app that does it for me ;) Describe a part and ChatToSTL writes the OpenSCAD code, shows a live render with size sliders, then exports the STL/3MF file. Because the output is parametric, it's easy to modify (unlike mesh models like Shap-E or DreamFusion). Try it (needs your own OpenAI key): https://huggingface.co/spaces/flowfulai/ChatToSTL How it works: Text prompt → o4-mini generates OpenSCAD code → live render + sliders → refine in chat → export. Examples & Code: * Walkthrough + real prints (bowl, hook, box, door…
ChatToSTL – AI text-to-CAD for 3D printing launched on June 12, 2025 with 52 votes, #544 of 7,999 launches that month and more than 90% of that year's launches. The site was still online in September 2026, 1 year on.
In plain words
ChatToSTL converts text descriptions into 3D-printable CAD files for users without CAD experience. Users describe a part, and the tool generates OpenSCAD code, displays a live preview with adjustable size sliders, and exports STL or 3MF files. The parametric output allows easy refinement through chat before exporting. The tool requires an OpenAI API key and is designed for 3D printing hobbyists and beginners who want to create custom parts without learning traditional CAD software.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
This app displays an interactive web application built with Streamlit. Users can engage with various functionalities provided by the app, which could include data visualization, form inputs, and mo...
In the maker’s words, at launch
Hey HN, I'm a beginner at CAD so I built an app that does it for me ;) Describe a part and ChatToSTL writes the OpenSCAD code, shows a live render with size sliders, then exports the STL/3MF file. Because the output is parametric, it's easy to modify (unlike mesh models like Shap-E or DreamFusion). Try it (needs…
Does a similar job
all alternatives →
Open-sourcing our text-to-CAD app2025 · github.com · ▲179Hey HN! I'm Zach from Adam (https://adam.new/). We’re building an AI co-pilot for mechanical CAD software. As part of our broader research, we built a browser-based Text-to-CAD app (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44182206) and are now open sourcing it. This is a React SPA with a Supabase backend. What it does: * Generates parametric 3D models from natural language descriptions, with support for both text prompts and image references * Outputs OpenSCAD code with automatically extracted parameters that surface as interactive sliders for instant dimension…
Chatblade – A CLI Swiss Army Knife for ChatGPT2023 · github.com · ▲315integrate chatGPT into your scripts or terminal work. Supports piping text, saving prompts, estimating costs, and some basic json/yaml extraction. I've added some elaborate examples on the readme of how to use it with pictures, that may provide a better overview.
ChatAvatar2024 · hyper3d.ai · ▲386Most 3D AI tools force you to start from scratch every time you want to make a change. Anyone who’s used 3D AI has seen this: fix the hands, the toes break. Or you download a model and only need to tweak one part, not redo the entire asset. That’s the problem we’re trying to solve. We just launched an editing feature in our 3D AI tool, Rodin. It lets you edit existing 3D models by selecting an area and typing your prompt, without rebuilding everything. You can upload any model, or generate one from Rodin, and change only the part you want. For example: “Replace the head of this Gundam model…
How to use ChatGPT+ARKit to script experiences with natural language2022 · github.com · ▲54Video demonstration: https://youtu.be/bJFa5HOmhl4 I created a demo involving ChatGPT, OpenAI's Whisper running on-device for speech-to-text (because why not?), and ARKit. By defining a custom JavaScript environment with JavaScriptCore and describing it to ChatGPT, I was able to get it to produce functioning scripts that instantiate and manipulate 3D objects. Sketchfab is used to import 3D assets on the fly. Google Poly had a much better catalog of assets for this sort of thing but sadly, it's no longer available. The README.md describes how it all works but the gist of it is…
More ai this month
the category →
Paintings by AI models: programs run through a simulation of oil paint.
AI · 22d ago · stillwet.art
FastRouter.ai▲364Route requests to the right LLM for cost, latency & quality
AI · 23d ago · fastrouter.ai
Source: Show HN post ↗ · launch text quoted in part
Launched alongside, June 2025
the whole month →- IM
Hey HN! Pilots everywhere are required to keep a logbook of all their flying hours, aircraft, airports, and so on. Since I track everything digitally (some people still just use paper logbooks!), I put together some data visualizations and a few 3D globes to show my flying history. This globe is probably my favourite so far: https://jameshard.ing/pilot/globes/all If you’ve got ideas for other graphs or ways to show this kind of data, I’d love to hear them!
Life & fun · 2025 · jameshard.ing
Stunning presentations with AI. No design skills required.
AI · 2025 · chroniclehq.com
Build native mobile apps for iOS and Android without code.
Dev tools · 2025 · bble.io
All your connections, across all your socials.
AI · 2025 · pally.com
I was the main contributor to workout.lol, an open-source fitness app to easily build a workout routine. The project had traction (1.4k GitHub stars, 95 forks, ~20K visits/month), but was eventually sold due to video licensing hurdles. The new owner stopped maintaining it, and the repo went abandoned. Over the next 9 months, I sent 15 emails to try to save it : no replies. Feature requests & issues were ignored. The community was left with a "broken" tool let's say. I couldn't just let it die So I built the new version from scratch with the same open-source spirit, but a better…
Dev tools · 2025 · github.com