Hanno Braun

I'm a software developer. I've learned to prefer clear code, written in a programming language, to graphical user interfaces that control opaque data formats. Applied to CAD, this approach is called Code-CAD or Programmatic CAD. In this note, I'm presenting the advantages of Code-CAD, as I see them.

CAD software usually comes with a graphical user interface, but that is not the only way to approach that problem. It's also possible to write a CAD model as a computer program, either using a specialized programming language, or a general-purpose language with an appropriate API. This approach is called programmatic CAD or Code-CAD.

3D printing is extremely useful and has revolutionized some aspects of what can be made in small workshop and home environments. But plastics are a huge problem, and it sucks to be contributing to that. In this note, I'll examine some options for eco-friendly 3D printing filaments, to explore how we can limit the environmental impact of 3D printing.

Aluminium extrusion ("aluminum", for our North American friends), also called T-slot framing or aluminium profile, is an extremely useful component for building projects in the home shop, especially in combination with 3D-printed parts.

I haven't had a chance to use it for any projects so far, but I'm very interested. I've started to look into it, and this note is a snapshot of the current state of my research. I intend to update it, as I learn more.