@moicad/cli

Command-line interface for moicad - Modern JavaScript CAD Platform.

Provides a local web UI, headless build tools, and API server for CAD operations.

Installation

Global Install (Recommended)

npm install -g @moicad/cli
# or
bun add -g @moicad/cli

Local Install

npm install @moicad/cli
# or
bun add @moicad/cli

Quick Start

# Launch web UI (opens browser at localhost:42069)
moicad

# Start server without opening browser
moicad serve

# Compile a file to JSON
moicad build model.scad

# Export to STL
moicad export model.scad -f stl

# Initialize new project
moicad init my-project

Commands

moicad or moicad launch [file]

Starts the local web server and opens the browser.

# Launch with default file
moicad

# Open specific file
moicad launch cube.scad

# Custom port
moicad launch --port 3000

Options:

• --port, -p <number> - Server port (default: 42069)
• --host <string> - Bind host (default: localhost)
• --no-open - Don't open browser automatically

moicad serve

Starts the API server without opening a browser. Useful for:

• Running as a background service
• Using with external tools
• API-only mode

# Start server on default port
moicad serve

# Custom port and host
moicad serve --port 8080 --host 0.0.0.0

Options:

• --port, -p <number> - Server port (default: 42069)
• --host <string> - Bind host (default: localhost)

moicad build <file> [options]

Compiles OpenSCAD or JavaScript code to geometry JSON (headless).

# Build to stdout
moicad build model.scad

# Save to file
moicad build model.scad -o output.json

# JavaScript file
moicad build model.js

# With animation (specify time value)
moicad build animation.scad -t 0.5

Options:

• -o, --output <file> - Output file path
• -t, --time <number> - Animation time value (0-1)
• --pretty - Pretty-print JSON output
• --stats - Include geometry statistics

Output Format:

{
  "geometry": {
    "vertices": [...],
    "indices": [...],
    "normals": [...],
    "bounds": { "min": [x,y,z], "max": [x,y,z] },
    "stats": {
      "vertexCount": 1234,
      "faceCount": 567,
      "volume": 1000.5
    }
  },
  "success": true,
  "executionTime": 45.2
}

moicad export <file> [options]

Exports geometry to STL, OBJ, or other formats.

# Export to STL
moicad export model.scad -f stl

# Custom output filename
moicad export model.scad -f stl -o custom-name.stl

# Export to OBJ
moicad export model.js -f obj

# Animation frame export
moicad export animation.scad -f stl -t 0.5 -o frame-50.stl

Options:

• -f, --format <format> - Output format (stl, obj) [required]
• -o, --output <file> - Output filename
• -t, --time <number> - Animation time value (0-1)
• --ascii - Use ASCII STL format (default: binary)

moicad init [name]

Creates a new moicad project with starter files.

# Create project in current directory
moicad init

# Create project in new directory
moicad init my-cad-project

# With template
moicad init my-project --template javascript

Options:

• --template <name> - Project template (openscad, javascript, typescript)
• --no-install - Skip dependency installation

Generated Structure:

my-project/
├── package.json
├── README.md
├── models/
│   ├── example.scad
│   └── example.js
└── .gitignore

moicad --version

Shows version information.

moicad --version
# moicad CLI v0.1.0
# SDK v0.1.10

moicad --update

Updates moicad to the latest version.

moicad --update

API Server

When running moicad launch or moicad serve, a local API server starts with these endpoints:

POST /api/evaluate

Evaluates OpenSCAD or JavaScript code to geometry.

Request:

{
  "code": "cube(10);",
  "language": "openscad",
  "t": 0.5  // Optional: animation time (0-1)
}

Response:

{
  "geometry": { /* ... */ },
  "success": true,
  "errors": [],
  "executionTime": 45.2
}

POST /api/parse

Parses OpenSCAD code to AST.

Request:

{
  "code": "sphere(5);"
}

Response:

{
  "ast": [ /* ... */ ],
  "success": true,
  "errors": []
}

POST /api/export

Exports geometry to STL/OBJ format.

Request:

{
  "geometry": { /* ... */ },
  "format": "stl"
}

Response: Binary file (application/octet-stream)

GET /health

Health check endpoint.

Response:

{
  "status": "ok",
  "timestamp": 1234567890
}

Configuration

Environment Variables

# Server port
MOICAD_PORT=42069

# Server host
MOICAD_HOST=localhost

# Log level
MOICAD_LOG_LEVEL=info

Config File

Create .moicadrc.json in your project:

{
  "port": 42069,
  "host": "localhost",
  "autoOpen": true,
  "editor": {
    "defaultLanguage": "openscad",
    "theme": "vs-dark"
  }
}

Programmatic Usage

Use the CLI as a library in your Node/Bun scripts:

import { createServer, evaluateFile, exportFile } from '@moicad/cli';

// Start server programmatically
const server = createServer({ port: 42069 });

// Evaluate file
const result = await evaluateFile('model.scad');
console.log(result.geometry);

// Export file
await exportFile('model.scad', 'output.stl', { format: 'stl' });

Integration

VS Code

Add to .vscode/tasks.json:

{
  "label": "moicad: Build",
  "type": "shell",
  "command": "moicad build ${file}",
  "problemMatcher": []
}

GitHub Actions

- name: Install moicad
  run: npm install -g @moicad/cli

- name: Build models
  run: moicad build models/*.scad

Docker

FROM oven/bun:latest
RUN bun add -g @moicad/cli
EXPOSE 42069
CMD ["moicad", "serve", "--host", "0.0.0.0"]

Troubleshooting

Port Already in Use

# Use a different port
moicad launch --port 3000

Permission Denied (Global Install)

# Use sudo (macOS/Linux)
sudo npm install -g @moicad/cli

# Or use local install
npm install @moicad/cli
npx moicad launch

GUI Features

The CLI loads the full-featured @moicad/gui CADEditor component via CDN. Features include:

• Monaco Code Editor - Syntax highlighting for OpenSCAD and JavaScript
• 3D Viewport - Real-time rendering with orbit controls
• File Manager - Save/load models to browser storage
• Top Menu - File, Edit, View, and Help menus
• Printer Settings - 3D printer bed presets (Ender 3, Prusa i3, etc.)
• Animation Export - Export animated models as GIF/WebM
• Geometry Stats - Vertex count, face count, volume calculations
• Error Display - Detailed error messages with syntax highlighting

All dependencies (React, Three.js, Monaco) are loaded from CDN, so the CLI binary stays lightweight.

Architecture

Web UI Integration

The CLI server (packages/cli/src/server.ts) serves a minimal HTML page that:

1. Loads dependencies from CDN (React, ReactDOM, Three.js, Monaco)
2. Dynamically imports @moicad/gui/components CADEditor from CDN
3. Renders the full-featured editor to the DOM
4. Proxies API calls to the local Bun server (/api/evaluate, /api/parse, /api/export)

This approach provides:

• Zero build complexity - Dependencies loaded from CDN at runtime
• Lightweight binary - CLI build is only ~1.75 MB
• Separation of concerns - GUI package managed independently in packages/gui
• Development flexibility - CADEditor can be updated in @moicad/gui without rebuilding CLI

WASM Serving

The CLI dynamically serves manifold.wasm from the @moicad/sdk package with proper caching headers:

• Primary path: node_modules/@moicad/sdk/../manifold-3d/manifold.wasm
• Fallback: node_modules/manifold-3d/manifold.wasm
• Cache-Control: public, max-age=31536000 (1 year)

Development

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/moikas/moicad.git
cd moicad

# Install dependencies
bun install

# Build CLI
cd packages/cli
bun run build

# Link for local development
bun link

# Test CLI
moicad --version

# Development mode (with live editing)
bun run dev:server  # Terminal 1
cd packages/gui && bun run dev  # Terminal 2 (optional, for GUI development)

System Requirements

• Node.js: >= 18.0.0 (or Bun >= 1.0.0)
• OS: macOS, Linux, Windows
• Memory: 512MB+ recommended
• Disk: 50MB for installation

License

MIT

Links

• GitHub Repository
• Documentation
• Web App
• @moicad/sdk - Core CAD engine
• @moicad/gui - React components
• Report Issues

Related

• OpenSCAD: Compatible with OpenSCAD syntax
• manifold-3d: CSG engine used internally
• Three.js: 3D rendering library