# How to Build text-to-CAD from Source: Complete Developer Guide > Learn to build text-to-CAD from source with this complete developer guide. Follow simple steps to compile packages, generate wheels, and bundle artifacts for the Skills CLI. - Repository: [earthtojake/text-to-cad](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-08-02 --- **Building text-to-CAD from source requires Python 3.11+, Node.js 14+, and executing the repository's automation scripts to compile JavaScript packages, generate Python wheels, and bundle runtime artifacts for the Skills CLI.** The earthtojake/text-to-CAD repository is a multimodal CAD generation toolkit that combines Python backends with JavaScript frontends. When you build text-to-CAD from source, you assemble the `cadpy` libraries, `cadjs` runtime, and Viewer UI into deployable skill bundles. The official build process uses repository-specific scripts documented in [`AGENTS.md`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/AGENTS.md) and [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) to ensure consistent compilation across environments. ## Prerequisites Before building, ensure your system meets these requirements: - **Python 3.11 or higher** for the `cadpy` and `cadpy_metadata` packages - **Node.js 14 or higher** for the JavaScript CAD runtime - **Git** for cloning the monorepo structure - **Bash** for running the build automation scripts The repository organizes code into `packages/` (shared libraries) and `skills/` (deployable agents), requiring coordinated builds across both Python and JavaScript ecosystems. ## Step-by-Step Build Instructions ### 1. Clone the Repository Retrieve the source tree including all submodules and package definitions: ```bash git clone https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad.git cd text-to-cad ``` ### 2. Create a Python Virtual Environment Isolate the Python dependencies to avoid conflicts with system packages: ```bash python3 -m venv .venv source .venv/bin/activate ``` On Windows, use `.venv\Scripts\activate` instead. ### 3. Install Python Development Dependencies Install the core CAD helpers and testing tools specified in [`requirements-dev.txt`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/requirements-dev.txt): ```bash pip install -r requirements-dev.txt ``` This installs the `cadpy` package and metadata handlers located in `packages/cadpy/`. ### 4. Install JavaScript Dependencies Install Node packages for the shared libraries and Viewer UI. The repository uses path-prefixed npm commands to target specific monorepo locations: ```bash npm --prefix packages/cadjs install npm --prefix packages/implicitjs install npm --prefix viewer install ``` These commands populate `node_modules` for the CAD runtime (`cadjs`), implicit geometry library (`implicitjs`), and the web-based Viewer. ### 5. Build the Runtime Bundles Execute the master bundler to compile TypeScript, generate type stubs, and prepare distribution artifacts: ```bash scripts/bundle/bundle.sh ``` According to the repository's [`AGENTS.md`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/AGENTS.md), this script compiles the JS packages, copies generated artifacts into each skill's `dist/` folder, and updates version stamps. It produces the runtime bundles that the Skills CLI expects when loading local skills. ### 6. Verify Development Symlinks (Develop Branch Only) If working on the `develop` branch, ensure symlinks point to true source files for local editing: ```bash scripts/dev/setup-symlinks.sh --check ``` As noted in [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md), this verification step is required for development workflows but optional when building from `main`. ### 7. Run the Repository Tests Validate the build by executing the unified test harness: ```bash scripts/test/test.sh ``` This script runs both Python and JavaScript test suites, confirming that `cadpy` imports resolve correctly and that the bundled JavaScript executes without runtime errors. ### 8. Install the Built Skills Locally Register the freshly compiled library with the Skills CLI: ```bash npx skills install . ``` This makes the local `text-to-cad` build available to agent runtimes for immediate testing. ### 9. Launch the CAD Viewer (Optional) Start the web-based viewer to inspect generated models: ```bash npm --prefix viewer run serve -- --host 127.0.0.1 --dir $(pwd)/models ``` The viewer serves the UI on localhost and watches the `models/` directory for CAD files generated by the skills. ## Key Build Scripts Explained Understanding these automation scripts helps debug build failures: - **[`scripts/bundle/bundle.sh`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/scripts/bundle/bundle.sh)**: The canonical build orchestrator that traverses `packages/`, runs `npm run build` where appropriate, and aggregates outputs into `skills/*/dist/` directories. It handles TypeScript compilation, wheel generation, and artifact staging. - **[`scripts/dev/setup-symlinks.sh`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/scripts/dev/setup-symlinks.sh)**: Manages the symlink layout required by the `develop` branch. It ensures that Python imports resolve to the source files in `packages/cadpy/` rather than installed site-packages, enabling live editing without reinstallation. - **[`scripts/test/test.sh`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/scripts/test/test.sh)**: A unified test runner that executes `pytest` for Python components and `npm test` for JavaScript packages, providing a single verification command for the entire codebase. ## Summary To successfully build text-to-CAD from source: - Install **Python 3.11+** and **Node.js 14+** before starting - Use [`requirements-dev.txt`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/requirements-dev.txt) for Python dependencies and path-prefixed `npm install` for JavaScript packages - Run **[`scripts/bundle/bundle.sh`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/scripts/bundle/bundle.sh)** to generate the compiled artifacts required by the Skills CLI - Execute **[`scripts/test/test.sh`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/scripts/test/test.sh)** to verify the build integrity across Python and JavaScript - Install locally with **`npx skills install .`** to activate the development build ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What are the minimum system requirements to build text-to-CAD? You need **Python 3.11 or higher** and **Node.js 14 or higher** installed on your system. The build process creates Python wheels for the `cadpy` package and compiles TypeScript in the `cadjs` and `implicitjs` packages, requiring both interpreters to be available in your PATH. ### What does the [`bundle.sh`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/bundle.sh) script actually compile? The [`scripts/bundle/bundle.sh`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/scripts/bundle/bundle.sh) script performs the repository-wide compilation step. It builds the JavaScript packages (`cadjs`, `implicitjs`), generates Python type stubs, creates wheel distributions for `cadpy`, and copies all generated artifacts into each skill's `dist/` directory. This bundling step is essential because the Skills CLI expects compiled assets in specific locations rather than raw source files. ### Do I need to run [`setup-symlinks.sh`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/setup-symlinks.sh) when building from the main branch? No. The [`scripts/dev/setup-symlinks.sh`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/scripts/dev/setup-symlinks.sh) script is only required when working on the `develop` branch to maintain symlink consistency for local development. If you are building a stable release from `main`, you can skip this step and proceed directly to [`scripts/test/test.sh`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/scripts/test/test.sh) after bundling. ### How can I verify that the build completed successfully? Run [`scripts/test/test.sh`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/scripts/test/test.sh) to execute the full test suite covering both Python unit tests and JavaScript integration tests. Additionally, running `npx skills install .` should complete without errors, and launching `npm --prefix viewer run serve` should start the CAD Viewer without module resolution failures.