How to Build Projects with text-to-cad: Examples and Templates Explained

The earthtojake/text-to-cad repository ships with a collection of runnable example models and a complete project scaffold that demonstrates how to generate industrial-grade STEP, STL, and GLB files from pure Python scripts.

The earthtojake/text-to-cad open-source framework enables engineers to author parametric CAD parts using Python code rather than traditional GUI-based modeling. To accelerate adoption, the repository includes concrete projects built with text-to-cad, ranging from standalone mechanical components to complex multi-part assemblies with automated build pipelines.

Running the Example Model Collection

The models/examples/src/ directory contains a curated library of standalone part scripts that execute immediately without configuration. According to the catalog in models/examples/src/README.md, these scripts demonstrate the typical workflow for a text-to-cad part by generating multiple artifact formats from a single execution.

Each example—such as mounting_plate.py, cam_follower_roller.py, and spur_gear.py—produces STEP, STL, 3MF, and GLB files in the project root directories. These outputs illustrate how the framework handles industrial-grade geometry exchange formats alongside web-ready meshes.

# Build a single mechanical part from the examples collection

python models/examples/src/mounting_plate.py

# Verify the generated artifacts in respective folders

ls STEP/mounting_plate.step
ls STL/mounting_plate.stl
ls GLB/mounting_plate.glb

Creating Multi-Part Assemblies with the Project Scaffold

For projects built with text-to-cad that require assembly logic, the repository provides a full project template at skills/cad/references/project-template.md. This scaffold defines a minimal yet fully functional layout including source scripts, a helper library, .gitignore, .gitattributes, and dedicated directories for generated artifacts.

The template demonstrates hierarchical composition: a root src/assembly.py script imports sub-assemblies (plate, frame, brackets) and generates a unified STEP file representing the complete mechanical system. This structure shows how parts reference shared helpers and how the build system automatically manages output directories.

# Create a new project from the scaffold template

cp -r skills/cad/references/project-template.md my_project/
cd my_project

# Install the text-to-cad runtime in editable mode

pip install -e .

# Build the full assembly (plate → frame → brackets)

python src/assembly.py

# Generate a visual snapshot of the resulting STEP file

cadgen step snapshot STEP/assembly.step tmp/assembly.png

Generating CAD Artifacts from Python Scripts

The text-to-cad build system relies on Python decorators and explicit export functions to transform code into geometry. In the project template, individual part definitions use the @step decorator to register exportable geometry, while assembly scripts orchestrate multiple components into unified files.

Running any script in the examples or scaffold automatically creates organized output directories:

• STEP/ for precise B-Rep geometry suitable for manufacturing
• DXF/ for 2D profile exports
• STL/ and GLB/ for additive manufacturing and visualization pipelines

The framework handles file versioning and binary management through .gitattributes configurations, ensuring that imported source files remain in version control while generated binaries are correctly tracked via Git LFS or excluded entirely.

Summary

• Example models in models/examples/src/ provide standalone scripts (mounting plates, gears, rollers) that generate STEP, STL, 3MF, and GLB files immediately upon execution.
• Project scaffold at skills/cad/references/project-template.md offers a complete multi-part assembly template with helper libraries, assembly scripts, and Git configuration.
• Build workflow involves running Python scripts directly (e.g., python src/assembly.py) to produce organized artifact directories without manual CAD software interaction.
• Code-driven geometry uses decorators like @step to define exportable parts, enabling version-controlled parametric design.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of CAD files can text-to-cad projects generate?

According to the earthtojake/text-to-cad source code, projects can generate STEP files for precision manufacturing, DXF files for 2D profiles, and mesh formats including STL, 3MF, and GLB for additive manufacturing and web visualization. The example scripts in models/examples/src/mounting_plate.py demonstrate outputting all four formats simultaneously.

How do I run a single example part in text-to-cad?

Execute any Python script in the models/examples/src/ directory directly from the command line. For example, running python models/examples/src/mounting_plate.py triggers the build system, which calculates geometry and writes files to STEP/, STL/, 3MF/, and GLB/ directories in your project root without requiring additional configuration.

Where is the project template for multi-part assemblies located?

The complete project scaffold is documented in skills/cad/references/project-template.md. This file defines the directory structure, helper library patterns, and the root src/assembly.py script that composes sub-assemblies into unified CAD files. You can copy this template to initialize new text-to-cad projects with proper Git attributes and build conventions.

What is the purpose of the @step decorator in text-to-cad projects?

The @step decorator, as implemented in the project template's src/plate.py, marks Python functions that return geometry intended for STEP file export. This declarative approach allows the build system to identify exportable parts automatically, ensuring that running python src/assembly.py correctly serializes each component into the appropriate CAD format while maintaining parametric relationships between parts.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}