poc: Python OCE Composer

poc is a tool in the vein of OpenSCAD for creating 3D models in a high level language with a minimum of boilerplate.

poc programs are Python2 programs, executed in an environment that provides convenient shorthand for performing geometric operations.

Python2 is used instead of Python3 because a python3 compatible version of vtk is not availble in debian stretch. However, the python3-like features of print_function and division are automatically enabled.

poc uses OpenCASCADE (via pythonocc-core) to implement its geometric operations. This means it has different strengths and weaknesses compared to OpenSCAD, which uses CGAL. For instance, OpenCASCADE has fillet as a first-class operation, while it lacks minkowski and hull which are quite frequently used in OpenSCAD.

Setup

• Install dependencies
• Run setup, e.g., sudo python setup.py install
• Invoke pocview somefile.poc to lanuch a viewer. It autoupdates if you modify the input file.
• Invoke poc somefile.poc to create somefile.stl
• or use #!/usr/bin/env poc so that ./somefile.poc is executable

Dependencies

• OpenCASCADE Community Edition (OCE)
• pythonocc-core
• python-vtk6

Stability

The the design of the poc standard library is very much in flux, and there are likely to be compatibility-breaking changes as it develops.