transforms.scad

Library File transforms.scad

This is the file that the most commonly used transformations, distributors, and mutator are in. To use, add the following lines to the beginning of your file:

include <BOSL/constants.scad>
use <BOSL/transforms.scad>

---

Table of Contents

1. Translations

   • move()
   • xmove()
   • ymove()
   • zmove()
   • left()
   • right()
   • fwd() / forward()
   • back()
   • down()
   • up()

2. Rotations

   • rot()
   • xrot()
   • yrot()
   • zrot()

3. Scaling and Mirroring

   • xscale()
   • yscale()
   • zscale()
   • xflip()
   • yflip()
   • zflip()

4. Skewing

   • skew_xy() / skew_z()
   • skew_yz() / skew_x()
   • skew_xz() / skew_y()

5. Translational Distributors

   • place_copies()
   • spread()
   • xspread()
   • yspread()
   • zspread()
   • distribute()
   • xdistribute()
   • ydistribute()
   • zdistribute()
   • grid2d()
   • grid3d()

6. Rotational Distributors

   • rot_copies()
   • xrot_copies()
   • yrot_copies()
   • zrot_copies()
   • xring()
   • yring()
   • zring()
   • arc_of()
   • ovoid_spread()

7. Reflectional Distributors

   • mirror_copy()
   • xflip_copy()
   • yflip_copy()
   • zflip_copy()

8. Mutators

   • half_of()
   • top_half()
   • bottom_half()
   • left_half()
   • right_half()
   • front_half()
   • back_half()
   • chain_hull()
   • extrude_arc()

9. 2D Mutators

   • round2d()
   • shell2d()

10. Miscellaneous

    • orient_and_align()

11. Deprecations

    • translate_copies()
    • line_of()
    • grid_of()

---

1. Translations

move()

Usage:

• move([x], [y], [z]) ...
• move([x,y,z]) ...

Description: Moves/translates children.

Argument	What it does
x	X axis translation.
y	Y axis translation.
z	Z axis translation.

Example 1:

#sphere(d=10);
move([0,20,30]) sphere(d=10);

Example 2:

#sphere(d=10);
move(y=20) sphere(d=10);

Example 3:

#sphere(d=10);
move(x=-10, y=-5) sphere(d=10);

---

xmove()

Usage:

• xmove(x) ...

Description: Moves/translates children the given amount along the X axis.

Argument	What it does
x	Amount to move right along the X axis. Negative values move left.

Example:

#sphere(d=10);
xmove(20) sphere(d=10);

---

ymove()

Usage:

• ymove(y) ...

Description: Moves/translates children the given amount along the Y axis.

Argument	What it does
y	Amount to move back along the Y axis. Negative values move forward.

Example:

#sphere(d=10);
ymove(20) sphere(d=10);

---

zmove()

Usage:

• zmove(z) ...

Description: Moves/translates children the given amount along the Z axis.

Argument	What it does
z	Amount to move up along the Z axis. Negative values move down.

Example:

#sphere(d=10);
zmove(20) sphere(d=10);

---

left()

Usage:

• left(x) ...

Description: Moves children left (in the X- direction) by the given amount.

Argument	What it does
x	Scalar amount to move left.

Example:

#sphere(d=10);
left(20) sphere(d=10);

---

right()

Usage:

• right(x) ...

Description: Moves children right (in the X+ direction) by the given amount.

Argument	What it does
x	Scalar amount to move right.

Example:

#sphere(d=10);
right(20) sphere(d=10);

---

fwd() / forward()

Usage:

• fwd(y) ...
• forward(y) ...

Description: Moves children forward (in the Y- direction) by the given amount.

Argument	What it does
y	Scalar amount to move forward.

Example:

#sphere(d=10);
fwd(20) sphere(d=10);

---

back()

Usage:

• back(y) ...

Description: Moves children back (in the Y+ direction) by the given amount.

Argument	What it does
y	Scalar amount to move back.

Example:

#sphere(d=10);
back(20) sphere(d=10);

---

down()

Usage:

• down(z) ...

Description: Moves children down (in the Z- direction) by the given amount.

Argument	What it does
z	Scalar amount to move down.

Example:

#sphere(d=10);
down(20) sphere(d=10);

---

up()

Usage:

• up(z) ...

Description: Moves children up (in the Z+ direction) by the given amount.

Argument	What it does
z	Scalar amount to move up.

Example:

#sphere(d=10);
up(20) sphere(d=10);

---

2. Rotations

rot()

Usage:

• rot(a, [cp], [reverse]) ...
• rot([X,Y,Z], [cp], [reverse]) ...
• rot(a, v, [cp], [reverse]) ...
• rot(from, to, [a], [reverse]) ...

Description: Rotates children around an arbitrary axis by the given number of degrees. Can be used as a drop-in replacement for rotate(), with extra features.

Argument	What it does
a	Scalar angle or vector of XYZ rotation angles to rotate by, in degrees.
v	vector for the axis of rotation. Default: [0,0,1] or V_UP
cp	centerpoint to rotate around. Default: [0,0,0]
from	Starting vector for vector-based rotations.
to	Target vector for vector-based rotations.
reverse	If true, exactly reverses the rotation, including axis rotation ordering. Default: false

Example 1:

#cube([2,4,9]);
rot([30,60,0], cp=[0,0,9]) cube([2,4,9]);

Example 2:

#cube([2,4,9]);
rot(30, v=[1,1,0], cp=[0,0,9]) cube([2,4,9]);

Example 3:

#cube([2,4,9]);
rot(from=V_UP, to=V_LEFT+V_BACK) cube([2,4,9]);

---

xrot()

Usage:

• xrot(a, [cp]) ...

Description: Rotates children around the X axis by the given number of degrees.

Argument	What it does
a	angle to rotate by in degrees.
cp	centerpoint to rotate around. Default: [0,0,0]

Example:

#cylinder(h=50, r=10, center=true);
xrot(90) cylinder(h=50, r=10, center=true);

---

yrot()

Usage:

• yrot(a, [cp]) ...

Description: Rotates children around the Y axis by the given number of degrees.

Argument	What it does
a	angle to rotate by in degrees.
cp	centerpoint to rotate around. Default: [0,0,0]

Example:

#cylinder(h=50, r=10, center=true);
yrot(90) cylinder(h=50, r=10, center=true);

---

zrot()

Usage:

• zrot(a, [cp]) ...

Description: Rotates children around the Z axis by the given number of degrees.

Argument	What it does
a	angle to rotate by in degrees.
cp	centerpoint to rotate around. Default: [0,0,0]

Example:

#cube(size=[60,20,40], center=true);
zrot(90) cube(size=[60,20,40], center=true);

---

3. Scaling and Mirroring

xscale()

Usage:

• xscale(x) ...

Description: Scales children by the given factor on the X axis.

Argument	What it does
x	Factor to scale by along the X axis.

Example:

xscale(3) sphere(r=10);

---

yscale()

Usage:

• yscale(y) ...

Description: Scales children by the given factor on the Y axis.

Argument	What it does
y	Factor to scale by along the Y axis.

Example:

yscale(3) sphere(r=10);

---

zscale()

Usage:

• zscale(z) ...

Description: Scales children by the given factor on the Z axis.

Argument	What it does
z	Factor to scale by along the Z axis.

Example:

zscale(3) sphere(r=10);

---

xflip()

Usage:

• xflip([cp]) ...

Description: Mirrors the children along the X axis, like mirror([1,0,0]) or xscale(-1)

Argument	What it does
cp	A point that lies on the plane of reflection.

Example 1:

xflip() yrot(90) cylinder(d1=10, d2=0, h=20);
color("blue", 0.25) cube([0.01,15,15], center=true);
color("red", 0.333) yrot(90) cylinder(d1=10, d2=0, h=20);

Example 2:

xflip(cp=[-5,0,0]) yrot(90) cylinder(d1=10, d2=0, h=20);
color("blue", 0.25) left(5) cube([0.01,15,15], center=true);
color("red", 0.333) yrot(90) cylinder(d1=10, d2=0, h=20);

---

yflip()

Usage:

• yflip([cp]) ...

Description: Mirrors the children along the Y axis, like mirror([0,1,0]) or yscale(-1)

Argument	What it does
cp	A point that lies on the plane of reflection.

Example 1:

yflip() xrot(90) cylinder(d1=10, d2=0, h=20);
color("blue", 0.25) cube([15,0.01,15], center=true);
color("red", 0.333) xrot(90) cylinder(d1=10, d2=0, h=20);

Example 2:

yflip(cp=[0,5,0]) xrot(90) cylinder(d1=10, d2=0, h=20);
color("blue", 0.25) back(5) cube([15,0.01,15], center=true);
color("red", 0.333) xrot(90) cylinder(d1=10, d2=0, h=20);

---

zflip()

Usage:

• zflip([cp]) ...

Description: Mirrors the children along the Z axis, like mirror([0,0,1]) or zscale(-1)

Argument	What it does
cp	A point that lies on the plane of reflection.

Example 1:

zflip() cylinder(d1=10, d2=0, h=20);
color("blue", 0.25) cube([15,15,0.01], center=true);
color("red", 0.333) cylinder(d1=10, d2=0, h=20);

Example 2:

zflip(cp=[0,0,-5]) cylinder(d1=10, d2=0, h=20);
color("blue", 0.25) down(5) cube([15,15,0.01], center=true);
color("red", 0.333) cylinder(d1=10, d2=0, h=20);

---

4. Skewing

skew_xy() / skew_z()

Usage:

• skew_xy([xa], [ya]) ...
• skew_z([xa], [ya]) ...

Description: Skews children on the X-Y plane, keeping constant in Z.

Argument	What it does
xa	skew angle towards the X direction.
ya	skew angle towards the Y direction.
planar	If true, this becomes a 2D operation.

Example 1:

#cube(size=10);
skew_xy(xa=30, ya=15) cube(size=10);

Example 2:

skew_xy(xa=15,ya=30,planar=true) square(30);

---

skew_yz() / skew_x()

Usage:

• skew_yz([ya], [za]) ...
• skew_x([ya], [za]) ...

Description: Skews children on the Y-Z plane, keeping constant in X.

Argument	What it does
ya	skew angle towards the Y direction.
za	skew angle towards the Z direction.

Example:

#cube(size=10);
skew_yz(ya=30, za=15) cube(size=10);

---

skew_xz() / skew_y()

Usage:

• skew_xz([xa], [za]) ...
• skew_y([xa], [za]) ...

Description: Skews children on the X-Z plane, keeping constant in Y.

Argument	What it does
xa	skew angle towards the X direction.
za	skew angle towards the Z direction.

Example:

#cube(size=10);
skew_xz(xa=15, za=-10) cube(size=10);

---

5. Translational Distributors

place_copies()

Usage:

• place_copies(a) ...

Description: Makes copies of the given children at each of the given offsets.

Argument	What it does
a	array of XYZ offset vectors. Default 0,0,0

Side Effects:

• $pos is set to the relative centerpoint of each child copy, and can be used to modify each child individually.

Example:

#sphere(r=10);
place_copies([[-25,-25,0], [25,-25,0], [0,0,50], [0,25,0]]) sphere(r=10);

---

spread()

Usage:

• spread(l, [n], [p1]) ...
• spread(l, spacing, [p1]) ...
• spread(spacing, [n], [p1]) ...
• spread(p1, p2, [n]) ...
• spread(p1, p2, spacing) ...

Description: Evenly distributes n copies of all children along a line. Copies every child at each position.

Argument	What it does
p1	Starting point of line.
p2	Ending point of line.
l	Length to spread copies over.
spacing	A 3D vector indicating which direction and distance to place each subsequent copy at.
n	Number of copies to distribute along the line. (Default: 2)

Side Effects:

• $pos is set to the relative centerpoint of each child copy, and can be used to modify each child individually.
• $idx is set to the index number of each child being copied.

Example 1:

spread([0,0,0], [5,5,20], n=6) cube(size=[3,2,1],center=true);

Example 2:

spread(l=40, n=6) cube(size=[3,2,1],center=true);

Example 3:

spread(l=[15,30], n=6) cube(size=[3,2,1],center=true);

Example 4:

spread(l=40, spacing=10) cube(size=[3,2,1],center=true);

Example 5:

spread(spacing=[5,5,0], n=5) cube(size=[3,2,1],center=true);

Example 6:

spread(l=20, n=3) {
    cube(size=[1,3,1],center=true);
    cube(size=[3,1,1],center=true);
}

---

xspread()

Usage:

• xspread(spacing, [n], [sp]) ...
• xspread(l, [n], [sp]) ...

Description: Spreads out n copies of the children along a line on the X axis.

Argument	What it does
spacing	spacing between copies. (Default: 1.0)
n	Number of copies to spread out. (Default: 2)
l	Length to spread copies over.
sp	If given, copies will be spread on a line to the right of starting position sp. If not given, copies will be spread along a line that is centered at [0,0,0].

Side Effects:

• $pos is set to the relative centerpoint of each child copy, and can be used to modify each child individually.
• $idx is set to the index number of each child being copied.

Example 1:

xspread(20) sphere(3);

Example 2:

xspread(20, n=3) sphere(3);

Example 3:

xspread(spacing=15, l=50) sphere(3);

Example 4:

xspread(n=4, l=30, sp=[0,10,0]) sphere(3);

Example 5:

xspread(10, n=3) {
    cube(size=[1,3,1],center=true);
    cube(size=[3,1,1],center=true);
}

---

yspread()

Usage:

• yspread(spacing, [n], [sp]) ...
• yspread(l, [n], [sp]) ...

Description: Spreads out n copies of the children along a line on the Y axis.

Argument	What it does
spacing	spacing between copies. (Default: 1.0)
n	Number of copies to spread out. (Default: 2)
l	Length to spread copies over.
sp	If given, copies will be spread on a line back from starting position sp. If not given, copies will be spread along a line that is centered at [0,0,0].

Side Effects:

• $pos is set to the relative centerpoint of each child copy, and can be used to modify each child individually.
• $idx is set to the index number of each child being copied.

Example 1:

yspread(20) sphere(3);

Example 2:

yspread(20, n=3) sphere(3);

Example 3:

yspread(spacing=15, l=50) sphere(3);

Example 4:

yspread(n=4, l=30, sp=[10,0,0]) sphere(3);

Example 5:

yspread(10, n=3) {
    cube(size=[1,3,1],center=true);
    cube(size=[3,1,1],center=true);
}

---

zspread()

Usage:

• zspread(spacing, [n], [sp]) ...
• zspread(l, [n], [sp]) ...

Description: Spreads out n copies of the children along a line on the Z axis.

Argument	What it does
spacing	spacing between copies. (Default: 1.0)
n	Number of copies to spread out. (Default: 2)
l	Length to spread copies over.
sp	If given, copies will be spread on a line up from starting position sp. If not given, copies will be spread along a line that is centered at [0,0,0].

Side Effects:

• $pos is set to the relative centerpoint of each child copy, and can be used to modify each child individually.
• $idx is set to the index number of each child being copied.

Example 1:

zspread(20) sphere(3);

Example 2:

zspread(20, n=3) sphere(3);

Example 3:

zspread(spacing=15, l=50) sphere(3);

Example 4:

zspread(n=4, l=30, sp=[10,0,0]) sphere(3);

Example 5:

zspread(10, n=3) {
    cube(size=[1,3,1],center=true);
    cube(size=[3,1,1],center=true);
}

---

distribute()

Usage:

• distribute(spacing, dir, [sizes]) ...
• distribute(l, dir, [sizes]) ...

Description: Spreads out each individual child along the direction dir. Every child is placed at a different position, in order. This is useful for laying out groups of disparate objects where you only really care about the spacing between them.

Argument	What it does
spacing	Spacing to add between each child. (Default: 10.0)
sizes	Array containing how much space each child will need.
dir	Vector direction to distribute copies along.
l	Length to distribute copies along.

Example:

distribute(sizes=[100, 30, 50], dir=V_UP) {
    sphere(r=50);
    cube([10,20,30], center=true);
    cylinder(d=30, h=50, center=true);
}

---

xdistribute()

Usage:

• xdistribute(spacing, [sizes]) ...
• xdistribute(l, [sizes]) ...

Description: Spreads out each individual child along the X axis. Every child is placed at a different position, in order. This is useful for laying out groups of disparate objects where you only really care about the spacing between them.

Argument	What it does
spacing	spacing between each child. (Default: 10.0)
sizes	Array containing how much space each child will need.
l	Length to distribute copies along.

Example:

xdistribute(sizes=[100, 10, 30], spacing=40) {
    sphere(r=50);
    cube([10,20,30], center=true);
    cylinder(d=30, h=50, center=true);
}

---

ydistribute()

Usage:

• ydistribute(spacing, [sizes])
• ydistribute(l, [sizes])

Description: Spreads out each individual child along the Y axis. Every child is placed at a different position, in order. This is useful for laying out groups of disparate objects where you only really care about the spacing between them.

Argument	What it does
spacing	spacing between each child. (Default: 10.0)
sizes	Array containing how much space each child will need.
l	Length to distribute copies along.

Example:

ydistribute(sizes=[30, 20, 100], spacing=40) {
    cylinder(d=30, h=50, center=true);
    cube([10,20,30], center=true);
    sphere(r=50);
}

---

zdistribute()

Usage:

• zdistribute(spacing, [sizes])
• zdistribute(l, [sizes])

Description: Spreads out each individual child along the Z axis. Every child is placed at a different position, in order. This is useful for laying out groups of disparate objects where you only really care about the spacing between them.

Argument	What it does
spacing	spacing between each child. (Default: 10.0)
sizes	Array containing how much space each child will need.
l	Length to distribute copies along.

Example:

zdistribute(sizes=[30, 20, 100], spacing=40) {
    cylinder(d=30, h=50, center=true);
    cube([10,20,30], center=true);
    sphere(r=50);
}

---

grid2d()

Usage:

• grid2d(size, spacing, [stagger], [scale], [in_poly], [orient], [align]) ...
• grid2d(size, cols, rows, [stagger], [scale], [in_poly], [orient], [align]) ...
• grid2d(spacing, cols, rows, [stagger], [scale], [in_poly], [orient], [align]) ...
• grid2d(spacing, in_poly, [stagger], [scale], [orient], [align]) ...
• grid2d(cols, rows, in_poly, [stagger], [scale], [orient], [align]) ...

Description: Makes a square or hexagonal grid of copies of children.

Argument	What it does
size	The [X,Y] size to spread the copies over.
spacing	Distance between copies in [X,Y] or scalar distance.
cols	How many columns of copies to make. If staggered, count both staggered and unstaggered columns.
rows	How many rows of copies to make. If staggered, count both staggered and unstaggered rows.
stagger	If true, make a staggered (hexagonal) grid. If false, make square grid. If "alt", makes alternate staggered pattern. Default: false
scale	[X,Y] scaling factors to reshape grid.
in_poly	If given a list of polygon points, only creates copies whose center would be inside the polygon. Polygon can be concave and/or self crossing.
orient	Orientation axis for the grid. Orientation is NOT applied to individual children.
align	Alignment of the grid. Alignment is NOT applies to individual children.

Side Effects:

• $pos is set to the relative centerpoint of each child copy, and can be used to modify each child individually.
• $col is set to the integer column number for each child.
• $row is set to the integer row number for each child.

Example 1:

grid2d(size=50, spacing=10, stagger=false) cylinder(d=10, h=1);

Example 2:

grid2d(spacing=10, rows=7, cols=13, stagger=true) cylinder(d=6, h=5);

Example 3:

grid2d(spacing=10, rows=7, cols=13, stagger="alt") cylinder(d=6, h=5);

Example 4:

grid2d(size=50, rows=11, cols=11, stagger=true) cylinder(d=5, h=1);

Example 5:

poly = [[-25,-25], [25,25], [-25,25], [25,-25]];
grid2d(spacing=5, stagger=true, in_poly=poly)
   zrot(180/6) cylinder(d=5, h=1, $fn=6);
%polygon(poly);

Example 6:

// Makes a grid of hexagon pillars whose tops are all angled
// to reflect light at [0,0,50], if they were reflective.
use <BOSL/math.scad>
hexregion = [for (a = [0:60:359.9]) 50.01*[cos(a), sin(a)]];
grid2d(spacing=10, stagger=true, in_poly=hexregion) {
    // Note: You must use for(var=[val]) or let(var=val)
    // to set vars from $pos or other special vars in this scope.
    let (ref_v = (normalize([0,0,50]-point3d($pos)) + V_UP)/2)
        half_of(v=-ref_v, cp=[0,0,5])
            zrot(180/6)
                cylinder(h=20, d=10/cos(180/6)+0.01, $fn=6);
}

---

grid3d()

Usage:

• grid3d(n, spacing) ...
• grid3d(n=[Xn,Yn,Zn], spacing=[dX,dY,dZ]) ...
• grid3d([xa], [ya], [za]) ...

Description: Makes a 3D grid of duplicate children.

Argument	What it does
xa	array or range of X-axis values to offset by. (Default: [0])
ya	array or range of Y-axis values to offset by. (Default: [0])
za	array or range of Z-axis values to offset by. (Default: [0])
n	Optional number of copies to have per axis.
spacing	spacing of copies per axis. Use with n.

Example 1:

grid3d(xa=[0:25:50],ya=[0,40],za=[-20:40:20]) sphere(r=5);

Example 2:

grid3d(n=[3, 4, 2], spacing=[60, 50, 40]) sphere(r=10);

Example 3:

grid3d(ya=[-60:40:60],za=[0,70]) sphere(r=10);

Example 4:

grid3d(n=3, spacing=30) sphere(r=10);

Example 5:

grid3d(n=[3, 1, 2], spacing=30) sphere(r=10);

Example 6:

grid3d(n=[3, 4], spacing=[80, 60]) sphere(r=10);

Example 7:

grid3d(n=[10, 10, 10], spacing=50) color($idx/9) cube(50, center=true);

---

6. Rotational Distributors

rot_copies()

Usage:

• rot_copies(rots, [cp], [sa], [delta], [subrot]) ...
• rot_copies(rots, v, [cp], [sa], [delta], [subrot]) ...
• rot_copies(n, [v], [cp], [sa], [delta], [subrot]) ...

Description: Given a number of XYZ rotation angles, or a list of angles and an axis v, rotates copies of the children to each of those angles.

Argument	What it does
rots	A list of [X,Y,Z] rotation angles in degrees. If v is given, this will be a list of scalar angles in degrees to rotate around v.
v	If given, this is the vector to rotate around.
cp	Centerpoint to rotate around.
n	Optional number of evenly distributed copies, rotated around the ring. If given, overrides rots argument.
sa	Starting angle, in degrees. For use with n. Angle is in degrees counter-clockwise.
delta	[X,Y,Z] amount to move away from cp before rotating. Makes rings of copies.
subrot	If false, don't sub-rotate children as they are copied around the ring.

Side Effects:

• $ang is set to the rotation angle (or XYZ rotation triplet) of each child copy, and can be used to modify each child individually.
• $idx is set to the index value of each child copy.

Example 1:

#cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);
rot_copies([[45,0,0],[0,45,90],[90,-45,270]]) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 2:

rot_copies([45, 90, 135], v=V_DOWN+V_BACK)
    yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);
color("red",0.333) yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 3:

rot_copies(n=6, v=V_DOWN+V_BACK)
    yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);
color("red",0.333) yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 4:

rot_copies(n=6, v=V_DOWN+V_BACK, delta=[10,0,0])
    yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);
color("red",0.333) yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 5:

rot_copies(n=6, v=V_UP+V_FWD, delta=[10,0,0], sa=45)
    yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);
color("red",0.333) yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 6:

rot_copies(n=6, v=V_DOWN+V_BACK, delta=[20,0,0], subrot=false)
    yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);
color("red",0.333) yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

---

xrot_copies()

Usage:

• xrot_copies(rots, [r], [cp], [sa], [subrot]) ...
• xrot_copies(n, [r], [cp], [sa], [subrot]) ...

Description: Given an array of angles, rotates copies of the children to each of those angles around the X axis.

Argument	What it does
rots	Optional array of rotation angles, in degrees, to make copies at.
cp	Centerpoint to rotate around.
n	Optional number of evenly distributed copies to be rotated around the ring. If given, overrides rots argument.
sa	Starting angle, in degrees. For use with n. Angle is in degrees counter-clockwise from Y+, when facing the origin from X+. First unrotated copy is placed at that angle.
r	Radius to move children back, away from cp, before rotating. Makes rings of copies.
subrot	If false, don't sub-rotate children as they are copied around the ring.

Side Effects:

• $ang is set to the rotation angle of each child copy, and can be used to modify each child individually.

Example 1:

xrot_copies([180, 270, 315])
    cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);
color("red",0.333) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 2:

xrot_copies(n=6)
    cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);
color("red",0.333) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 3:

xrot_copies(n=6, r=10)
    xrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);
color("red",0.333) xrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 4:

xrot_copies(n=6, r=10, sa=45)
    xrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);
color("red",0.333) xrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 5:

xrot_copies(n=6, r=20, subrot=false)
    xrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0, center=true);
color("red",0.333) xrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0, center=true);

---

yrot_copies()

Usage:

• yrot_copies(rots, [r], [cp], [sa], [subrot]) ...
• yrot_copies(n, [r], [cp], [sa], [subrot]) ...

Description: Given an array of angles, rotates copies of the children to each of those angles around the Y axis.

Argument	What it does
rots	Optional array of rotation angles, in degrees, to make copies at.
cp	Centerpoint to rotate around.
n	Optional number of evenly distributed copies to be rotated around the ring. If given, overrides rots argument.
sa	Starting angle, in degrees. For use with n. Angle is in degrees counter-clockwise from X-, when facing the origin from Y+.
r	Radius to move children left, away from cp, before rotating. Makes rings of copies.
subrot	If false, don't sub-rotate children as they are copied around the ring.

Side Effects:

• $ang is set to the rotation angle of each child copy, and can be used to modify each child individually.

Example 1:

yrot_copies([180, 270, 315])
    cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);
color("red",0.333) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 2:

yrot_copies(n=6)
    cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);
color("red",0.333) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 3:

yrot_copies(n=6, r=10)
    yrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);
color("red",0.333) yrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 4:

yrot_copies(n=6, r=10, sa=45)
    yrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);
color("red",0.333) yrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 5:

yrot_copies(n=6, r=20, subrot=false)
    yrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0, center=true);
color("red",0.333) yrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0, center=true);

---

zrot_copies()

Usage:

• zrot_copies(rots, [r], [cp], [sa], [subrot]) ...
• zrot_copies(n, [r], [cp], [sa], [subrot]) ...

Description: Given an array of angles, rotates copies of the children to each of those angles around the Z axis.

Argument	What it does
rots	Optional array of rotation angles, in degrees, to make copies at.
cp	Centerpoint to rotate around.
n	Optional number of evenly distributed copies to be rotated around the ring. If given, overrides rots argument.
sa	Starting angle, in degrees. For use with n. Angle is in degrees counter-clockwise from X+, when facing the origin from Z+.
r	Radius to move children right, away from cp, before rotating. Makes rings of copies.
subrot	If false, don't sub-rotate children as they are copied around the ring.

Side Effects:

• $ang is set to the rotation angle of each child copy, and can be used to modify each child individually.

Example 1:

zrot_copies([180, 270, 315])
    yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);
color("red",0.333) yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 2:

zrot_copies(n=6)
    yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);
color("red",0.333) yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 3:

zrot_copies(n=6, r=10)
    yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);
color("red",0.333) yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 4:

zrot_copies(n=6, r=20, sa=45)
    yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0, center=true);
color("red",0.333) yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0, center=true);

Example 5:

zrot_copies(n=6, r=20, subrot=false)
    yrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0, center=true);
color("red",0.333) yrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0, center=true);

---

xring()

Usage:

• xring(n, r, [sa], [cp], [rot]) ...

Description: Distributes n copies of the given children on a circle of radius r around the X axis. If rot is true, each copy is rotated in place to keep the same side towards the center. The first, unrotated copy will be at the starting angle sa.

Argument	What it does
n	Number of copies of children to distribute around the circle. (Default: 2)
r	Radius of ring to distribute children around. (Default: 0)
sa	Start angle for first (unrotated) copy. (Default: 0)
cp	Centerpoint of ring. Default: [0,0,0]
rot	If true, rotate each copy to keep the same side towards the center of the ring. Default: true.

Side Effects:

• $ang is set to the rotation angle of each child copy, and can be used to modify each child individually.
• $idx is set to the index value of each child copy.

Example 1:

xring(n=6, r=10) xrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 2:

xring(n=6, r=10, sa=45) xrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 3:

xring(n=6, r=20, rot=false) cylinder(h=20, r1=6, r2=0, center=true);

---

yring()

Usage:

• yring(n, r, [sa], [cp], [rot]) ...

Description: Distributes n copies of the given children on a circle of radius r around the Y axis. If rot is true, each copy is rotated in place to keep the same side towards the center. The first, unrotated copy will be at the starting angle sa.

Argument	What it does
n	Number of copies of children to distribute around the circle. (Default: 2)
r	Radius of ring to distribute children around. (Default: 0)
sa	Start angle for first (unrotated) copy. (Default: 0)
cp	Centerpoint of ring. Default: [0,0,0]
rot	If true, rotate each copy to keep the same side towards the center of the ring. Default: true.

Side Effects:

• $ang is set to the rotation angle of each child copy, and can be used to modify each child individually.
• $idx is set to the index value of each child copy.

Example 1:

yring(n=6, r=10) yrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 2:

yring(n=6, r=10, sa=45) yrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 3:

yring(n=6, r=20, rot=false) cylinder(h=20, r1=6, r2=0, center=true);

---

zring()

Usage:

• zring(r, n, [sa], [cp], [rot]) ...

Description: Distributes n copies of the given children on a circle of radius r around the Z axis. If rot is true, each copy is rotated in place to keep the same side towards the center. The first, unrotated copy will be at the starting angle sa.

Argument	What it does
n	Number of copies of children to distribute around the circle. (Default: 2)
r	Radius of ring to distribute children around. (Default: 0)
sa	Start angle for first (unrotated) copy. (Default: 0)
cp	Centerpoint of ring. Default: [0,0,0]
rot	If true, rotate each copy to keep the same side towards the center of the ring. Default: true.

Side Effects:

• $ang is set to the relative angle from cp of each child copy, and can be used to modify each child individually.
• $idx is set to the index value of each child copy.

Example 1:

zring(n=6, r=10) yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 2:

zring(n=6, r=10, sa=45) yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=5, r2=0);

Example 3:

zring(n=6, r=20, rot=false) yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=6, r2=0, center=true);

---

arc_of()

Usage:

• arc_of(r|d, n, [sa], [ea], [rot]
• arc_of(rx|dx, ry|dy, n, [sa], [ea], [rot]

Description: Evenly distributes n duplicate children around an ovoid arc on the XY plane.

Argument	What it does
n	number of copies to distribute around the circle. (Default: 6)
r	radius of circle (Default: 1)
rx	radius of ellipse on X axis. Used instead of r.
ry	radius of ellipse on Y axis. Used instead of r.
d	diameter of circle. (Default: 2)
dx	diameter of ellipse on X axis. Used instead of d.
dy	diameter of ellipse on Y axis. Used instead of d.
rot	whether to rotate the copied children. (Default: false)
sa	starting angle. (Default: 0.0)
ea	ending angle. Will distribute copies CCW from sa to ea. (Default: 360.0)

Side Effects:

• $ang is set to the rotation angle of each child copy, and can be used to modify each child individually.
• $pos is set to the relative centerpoint of each child copy, and can be used to modify each child individually.
• $idx is set to the index value of each child copy.

Example 1:

#cube(size=[10,3,3],center=true);
arc_of(d=40, n=5) cube(size=[10,3,3],center=true);

Example 2:

#cube(size=[10,3,3],center=true);
arc_of(d=40, n=5, sa=45, ea=225) cube(size=[10,3,3],center=true);

Example 3:

#cube(size=[10,3,3],center=true);
arc_of(r=15, n=8, rot=false) cube(size=[10,3,3],center=true);

Example 4:

#cube(size=[10,3,3],center=true);
arc_of(rx=20, ry=10, n=8) cube(size=[10,3,3],center=true);

---

ovoid_spread()

Usage:

• ovoid_spread(r|d, n, [cone_ang], [scale], [perp]) ...

Description: Spreads children semi-evenly over the surface of a sphere.

Argument	What it does
r	Radius of the sphere to distribute over
d	Diameter of the sphere to distribute over
n	How many copies to evenly spread over the surface.
cone_ang	Angle of the cone, in degrees, to limit how much of the sphere gets covered. For full sphere coverage, use 180. Measured pre-scaling. Default: 180
scale	The [X,Y,Z] scaling factors to reshape the sphere being covered.
perp	If true, rotate children to be perpendicular to the sphere surface. Default: true

Side Effects:

• $pos is set to the relative post-scaled centerpoint of each child copy, and can be used to modify each child individually.
• $theta is set to the theta angle of the child from the center of the sphere.
• $phi is set to the pre-scaled phi angle of the child from the center of the sphere.
• $rad is set to the pre-scaled radial distance of the child from the center of the sphere.
• $idx is set to the index number of each child being copied.

Example 1:

ovoid_spread(n=250, d=100, cone_ang=45, scale=[3,3,1])
    cylinder(d=10, h=10, center=false);

Example 2:

ovoid_spread(n=500, d=100, cone_ang=180)
    color(normalize(point3d(vabs($pos))))
        cylinder(d=8, h=10, center=false);

---

7. Reflectional Distributors

mirror_copy()

Usage:

• mirror_copy(v, [cp], [offset]) ...

Description: Makes a copy of the children, mirrored across the given plane.

Argument	What it does
v	The normal vector of the plane to mirror across.
offset	distance to offset away from the plane.
cp	A point that lies on the mirroring plane.

Side Effects:

• $orig is true for the original instance of children. False for the copy.
• $idx is set to the index value of each copy.

Example 1:

mirror_copy([1,-1,0]) zrot(-45) yrot(90) cylinder(d1=10, d2=0, h=20);
color("blue",0.25) zrot(-45) cube([0.01,15,15], center=true);

Example 2:

mirror_copy([1,1,0], offset=5) rot(a=90,v=[-1,1,0]) cylinder(d1=10, d2=0, h=20);
color("blue",0.25) zrot(45) cube([0.01,15,15], center=true);

Example 3:

mirror_copy(V_UP+V_BACK, cp=[0,-5,-5]) rot(from=V_UP, to=V_BACK+V_UP) cylinder(d1=10, d2=0, h=20);
color("blue",0.25) translate([0,-5,-5]) rot(from=V_UP, to=V_BACK+V_UP) cube([15,15,0.01], center=true);

---

xflip_copy()

Usage:

• xflip_copy([cp], [offset]) ...

Description: Makes a copy of the children, mirrored across the X axis.

Argument	What it does
offset	Distance to offset children right, before copying.
cp	A point that lies on the mirroring plane.

Side Effects:

• $orig is true for the original instance of children. False for the copy.
• $idx is set to the index value of each copy.

Example 1:

xflip_copy() yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=4, r2=0);
color("blue",0.25) cube([0.01,15,15], center=true);

Example 2:

xflip_copy(offset=5) yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=4, r2=0);
color("blue",0.25) cube([0.01,15,15], center=true);

Example 3:

xflip_copy(cp=[-5,0,0]) yrot(90) cylinder(h=20, r1=4, r2=0);
color("blue",0.25) left(5) cube([0.01,15,15], center=true);

---

yflip_copy()

Usage:

• yflip_copy([cp], [offset]) ...

Description: Makes a copy of the children, mirrored across the Y axis.

Argument	What it does
offset	Distance to offset children back, before copying.
cp	A point that lies on the mirroring plane.

Side Effects:

• $orig is true for the original instance of children. False for the copy.
• $idx is set to the index value of each copy.

Example 1:

yflip_copy() xrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=4, r2=0);
color("blue",0.25) cube([15,0.01,15], center=true);

Example 2:

yflip_copy(offset=5) xrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=4, r2=0);
color("blue",0.25) cube([15,0.01,15], center=true);

Example 3:

yflip_copy(cp=[0,-5,0]) xrot(-90) cylinder(h=20, r1=4, r2=0);
color("blue",0.25) fwd(5) cube([15,0.01,15], center=true);

---

zflip_copy()

Usage:

• zflip_copy([cp], [offset]) ...
• $idx is set to the index value of each copy.

Description: Makes a copy of the children, mirrored across the Z axis.

Argument	What it does
offset	Distance to offset children up, before copying.
cp	A point that lies on the mirroring plane.

Side Effects:

• $orig is true for the original instance of children. False for the copy.

Example 1:

zflip_copy() cylinder(h=20, r1=4, r2=0);
color("blue",0.25) cube([15,15,0.01], center=true);

Example 2:

zflip_copy(offset=5) cylinder(h=20, r1=4, r2=0);
color("blue",0.25) cube([15,15,0.01], center=true);

Example 3:

zflip_copy(cp=[0,0,-5]) cylinder(h=20, r1=4, r2=0);
color("blue",0.25) down(5) cube([15,15,0.01], center=true);

---

8. Mutators

half_of()

Usage:

• half_of(v, [cp], [s]) ...

Description: Slices an object at a cut plane, and masks away everything that is on one side.

Argument	What it does
v	Normal of plane to slice at. Keeps everything on the side the normal points to. Default: [0,0,1] (V_UP)
cp	If given as a scalar, moves the cut plane along the normal by the given amount. If given as a point, specifies a point on the cut plane. This can be used to shift where it slices the object at. Default: [0,0,0]
s	Mask size to use. Use a number larger than twice your object's largest axis. If you make this too large, it messes with centering your view. Default: 100
planar	If true, this becomes a 2D operation. When planar, a v of V_UP or V_DOWN becomes equivalent of V_BACK and V_FWD respectively.

Example 1:

half_of(V_DOWN+V_BACK, cp=[0,-10,0]) cylinder(h=40, r1=10, r2=0, center=false);

Example 2:

half_of(V_DOWN+V_LEFT, s=200) sphere(d=150);

Example 3:

half_of([1,1], planar=true) circle(d=50);

---

top_half()

Usage:

• top_half([z|cp], [s]) ...

Description: Slices an object at a horizontal X-Y cut plane, and masks away everything that is below it.

Argument	What it does
cp	If given as a scalar, moves the cut plane up by the given amount. If given as a point, specifies a point on the cut plane. Default: [0,0,0]
z	The Z coordinate of the cut-plane, if given. Use instead of cp.
s	Mask size to use. Use a number larger than twice your object's largest axis. If you make this too large, it messes with centering your view. Default: 100
planar	If true, this becomes equivalent to a planar back_half().

Example 1:

top_half() sphere(r=20);

Example 2:

top_half(z=5) sphere(r=20);

Example 3:

top_half(cp=5) sphere(r=20);

Example 4:

top_half(cp=[0,0,-8]) sphere(r=20);

Example 5:

top_half(planar=true) circle(r=20);

---

bottom_half()

Usage:

• bottom_half([z|cp], [s]) ...

Description: Slices an object at a horizontal X-Y cut plane, and masks away everything that is above it.

Argument	What it does
cp	If given as a scalar, moves the cut plane down by the given amount. If given as a point, specifies a point on the cut plane. Default: [0,0,0]
z	The Z coordinate of the cut-plane, if given. Use instead of cp.
s	Mask size to use. Use a number larger than twice your object's largest axis. If you make this too large, it messes with centering your view. Default: 100
planar	If true, this becomes equivalent to a planar front_half().

Example 1:

bottom_half() sphere(r=20);

Example 2:

bottom_half(z=-10) sphere(r=20);

Example 3:

bottom_half(cp=-10) sphere(r=20);

Example 4:

bottom_half(cp=[0,0,10]) sphere(r=20);

Example 5:

bottom_half(planar=true) circle(r=20);

---

left_half()

Usage:

• left_half([x|cp], [s]) ...

Description: Slices an object at a vertical Y-Z cut plane, and masks away everything that is right of it.

Argument	What it does
cp	If given as a scalar, moves the cut plane left by the given amount. If given as a point, specifies a point on the cut plane. Default: [0,0,0]
x	The X coordinate of the cut-plane, if given. Use instead of cp.
s	Mask size to use. Use a number larger than twice your object's largest axis. If you make this too large, it messes with centering your view. Default: 100
planar	If true, this becomes a 2D operation.

Example 1:

left_half() sphere(r=20);

Example 2:

left_half(x=-8) sphere(r=20);

Example 3:

left_half(cp=-8) sphere(r=20);

Example 4:

left_half(cp=[8,0,0]) sphere(r=20);

Example 5:

left_half(planar=true) circle(r=20);

---

right_half()

Usage:

• right_half([x|cp], [s]) ...

Description: Slices an object at a vertical Y-Z cut plane, and masks away everything that is left of it.

Argument	What it does
cp	If given as a scalar, moves the cut plane right by the given amount. If given as a point, specifies a point on the cut plane. Default: [0,0,0]
x	The X coordinate of the cut-plane, if given. Use instead of cp.
s	Mask size to use. Use a number larger than twice your object's largest axis. If you make this too large, it messes with centering your view. Default: 100
planar	If true, this becomes a 2D operation.

Example 1:

right_half() sphere(r=20);

Example 2:

right_half(x=-5) sphere(r=20);

Example 3:

right_half(cp=-5) sphere(r=20);

Example 4:

right_half(cp=[-5,0,0]) sphere(r=20);

Example 5:

right_half(planar=true) circle(r=20);

---

front_half()

Usage:

• front_half([y|cp], [s]) ...

Description: Slices an object at a vertical X-Z cut plane, and masks away everything that is behind it.

Argument	What it does
cp	If given as a scalar, moves the cut plane forward by the given amount. If given as a point, specifies a point on the cut plane. Default: [0,0,0]
y	The Y coordinate of the cut-plane, if given. Use instead of cp.
s	Mask size to use. Use a number larger than twice your object's largest axis. If you make this too large, it messes with centering your view. Default: 100
planar	If true, this becomes a 2D operation.

Example 1:

front_half() sphere(r=20);

Example 2:

front_half(y=5) sphere(r=20);

Example 3:

front_half(cp=5) sphere(r=20);

Example 4:

front_half(cp=[0,5,0]) sphere(r=20);

Example 5:

front_half(planar=true) circle(r=20);

---

back_half()

Usage:

• back_half([y|cp], [s]) ...

Description: Slices an object at a vertical X-Z cut plane, and masks away everything that is in front of it.

Argument	What it does
cp	If given as a scalar, moves the cut plane back by the given amount. If given as a point, specifies a point on the cut plane. Default: [0,0,0]
y	The Y coordinate of the cut-plane, if given. Use instead of cp.
s	Mask size to use. Use a number larger than twice your object's largest axis. If you make this too large, it messes with centering your view. Default: 100
planar	If true, this becomes a 2D operation.

Example 1:

back_half() sphere(r=20);

Example 2:

back_half(y=8) sphere(r=20);

Example 3:

back_half(cp=8) sphere(r=20);

Example 4:

back_half(cp=[0,-10,0]) sphere(r=20);

Example 5:

back_half(planar=true) circle(r=20);

---

chain_hull()

Usage:

• chain_hull() ...

Description: Performs hull operations between consecutive pairs of children, then unions all of the hull results. This can be a very slow operation, but it can provide results that are hard to get otherwise.

Example:

chain_hull() {
    cube(5, center=true);
    translate([30, 0, 0]) sphere(d=15);
    translate([60, 30, 0]) cylinder(d=10, h=20);
    translate([60, 60, 0]) cube([10,1,20], center=false);
}

---

extrude_arc()

Usage:

• extrude_arc(arc, r|d, [sa], [caps], [orient], [align], [masksize]) ...

Description: Extrudes 2D shapes around a partial circle arc, with optional rounded caps. This is mostly useful for backwards compatability with older OpenSCAD versions without the angle argument in rotate_extrude.

Argument	What it does
arc	Number of degrees to traverse.
sa	Start angle in degrees.
r	Radius of arc.
d	Diameter of arc.
orient	The axis to align to. Use ORIENT_ constants from constants.scad
align	The side of the origin the part should be aligned with. Use V_ constants from constants.scad
masksize	size of mask used to clear unused part of circle arc. should be larger than height or width of 2D shapes to extrude.
caps	If true, spin the 2D shapes to make rounded caps the ends of the arc.
convexity	Max number of times a ray passes through the 2D shape's walls.

Example:

pts=[[-5/2, -5], [-5/2, 0], [-5/2-3, 5], [5/2+3, 5], [5/2, 0], [5/2, -5]];
#polygon(points=pts);
extrude_arc(arc=270, sa=45, r=40, caps=true, convexity=4, $fa=2, $fs=2) {
    polygon(points=pts);
}

---

9. 2D Mutators

round2d()

Usage:

• round2d(r) ...
• round2d(or) ...
• round2d(ir) ...
• round2d(or, ir) ...

Description: Rounds an arbitrary 2d objects. Giving r rounds all concave and convex corners. Giving just ir rounds just concave corners. Giving just or rounds convex corners. Giving both ir and or can let you round to different radii for concave and convex corners. The 2d object must not have any parts narrower than twice the or radius. Such parts will disappear.

Argument	What it does
r	Radius to round all concave and convex corners to.
or	Radius to round only outside (convex) corners to. Use instead of r.
ir	Radius to round/fillet only inside (concave) corners to. Use instead of r.

Example 1:

round2d(r=10) {square([40,100], center=true); square([100,40], center=true);}

Example 2:

round2d(or=10) {square([40,100], center=true); square([100,40], center=true);}

Example 3:

round2d(ir=10) {square([40,100], center=true); square([100,40], center=true);}

Example 4:

round2d(or=16,ir=8) {square([40,100], center=true); square([100,40], center=true);}

---

shell2d()

Usage:

• shell2d(thickness, [or], [ir], [fill], [round])

Description: Creates a hollow shell from 2d children, with optional rounding.

Argument	What it does
thickness	Thickness of the shell. Positive to expand outward, negative to shrink inward, or a two-element list to do both.
or	Radius to round convex corners/pointy bits on the outside of the shell.
ir	Radius to round/fillet concave corners on the outside of the shell.
round	Radius to round convex corners/pointy bits on the inside of the shell.
fill	Radius to round/fillet concave corners on the inside of the shell.

Example 1:

shell2d(10) {square([40,100], center=true); square([100,40], center=true);}

Example 2:

shell2d(-10) {square([40,100], center=true); square([100,40], center=true);}

Example 3:

shell2d([-10,10]) {square([40,100], center=true); square([100,40], center=true);}

Example 4:

shell2d(10,or=10) {square([40,100], center=true); square([100,40], center=true);}

Example 5:

shell2d(10,ir=10) {square([40,100], center=true); square([100,40], center=true);}

Example 6:

shell2d(10,round=10) {square([40,100], center=true); square([100,40], center=true);}

Example 7:

shell2d(10,fill=10) {square([40,100], center=true); square([100,40], center=true);}

Example 8:

shell2d(8,or=16,ir=8,round=16,fill=8) {square([40,100], center=true); square([100,40], center=true);}

---

10. Miscellaneous

orient_and_align()

Usage:

• orient_and_align(size, [orient], [align], [center], [noncentered], [orig_orient], [orig_align], [alignments]) ...

Description: Takes a vertically oriented shape, and re-orients and aligns it. This is useful for making a custom shape available in various orientations and alignments without extra translate()s and rotate()s. Children should be vertically (Z-axis) oriented, and centered. Non-extremity alignment points should be named via the alignments arg. Named alignments, as well as ALIGN_NEG/ALIGN_POS are aligned pre-rotation.

Argument	What it does
size	The size of the part.
orient	The axis to align to. Use ORIENT_ constants from constants.scad
align	The side of the origin the part should be aligned with.
center	If given, overrides align. If true, centers vertically. If false, align will be set to the value in noncentered.
noncentered	The value to set align to if center == false. Default: V_UP.
orig_orient	The original orientation of the part. Default: ORIENT_Z.
orig_align	The original alignment of the part. Default: V_CENTER.
alignments	A list of ["name", [X,Y,Z]] alignment-label/offset pairs.

Example:

#cylinder(d=5, h=10);
orient_and_align([5,5,10], orient=ORIENT_Y, align=V_BACK, orig_align=V_UP) cylinder(d=5, h=10);

---

11. Deprecations

translate_copies()

DEPRECATED, use place_copies() instead.

Usage:

• translate_copies(a) ...

Description: Makes copies of the given children at each of the given offsets.

Argument	What it does
a	array of XYZ offset vectors. Default 0,0,0

Side Effects:

• $pos is set to the relative centerpoint of each child copy, and can be used to modify each child individually.

---

line_of()

DEPRECATED, use spread(p1,p2) instead

Usage:

• line_of(p1, p2, [n]) ...

Description: Evenly distributes n duplicate children along an XYZ line.

Argument	What it does
p1	starting point of line. (Default: [0,0,0])
p2	ending point of line. (Default: [10,0,0])
n	number of copies to distribute along the line. (Default: 2)

Side Effects:

• $pos is set to the relative centerpoint of each child copy, and can be used to modify each child individually.

---

grid_of()

DEPRECATED, use grid3d() instead.

Usage:

• grid_of(n, spacing) ...
• grid_of(n=[Xn,Yn,Zn], spacing=[dX,dY,dZ]) ...
• grid_of([xa], [ya], [za]) ...

Description: Makes a 3D grid of duplicate children.

Argument	What it does
xa	array or range of X-axis values to offset by. (Default: [0])
ya	array or range of Y-axis values to offset by. (Default: [0])
za	array or range of Z-axis values to offset by. (Default: [0])
n	Optional number of copies to have per axis.
spacing	spacing of copies per axis. Use with n.

---