The idea

“Launch HN: Adam (YC W25) – Open-Source AI CAD https://github.com/Adam-CAD/CADAM Founder's Show HN post: Hey HN! I'm Zach from Adam (https://adam.new/). We're building AI agents for mechanical CAD software. We’ve built the company on two fundamental beliefs: - AI will be the primary medium for creating mechanical designs just like it is in software today. - The best paradigm for CAD generation is to generate CAD as code (text -> code -> CAD). We’re building CADAM, an open source Text to CAD platform. It's a React app (TanStack Start) with a Supabase backend for auth, database, and file storage. Think of it like AI TinkerCAD. Demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iESOr7EGWqk Try it: https://adam.new/cadam/ What it does: - Generates parametric 3D models from natural language, with support for both text prompts and image references. - Outputs OpenSCAD code with automatically extracted parameters that surface as interactive sliders for instant dimension tweaking - Exports as .STL or .SCAD (plus OBJ, GLB/GLTF, FBX, and DXF) Under the hood: - One agentic endpoint with two modes that swap system prompts and tools: a parametric mode that writes/edits OpenSCAD via a build_parametric_model tool, and a mesh mode that generates 3D textured meshes. - Simple parameter tweaks bypass the model entirely; adjusting a slider does a deterministic regex update on the SCAD source, requiring no LLM call. - Model-agnostic via the Vercel AI SDK: Anthropic (Claude), Google (Gemini), and OpenAI/others through OpenRouter, with adaptive thinking auto-enabled on newer models. Surprisingly, in our evals Gemini 3.1 Pro is the top model. - Runs fully in-browser by compiling OpenSCAD to WebAssembly (in a Web Worker, so the UI never blocks) and rendering with Three.js via React Three Fiber - Supports BOSL, BOSL2, and MCAD libraries, plus custom font support (Geist) for text in models Future improvements: - Support both build123d and CadQuery. This will allow us to move beyond CSG primitives to constraint-driven modeling and provide direct comparisons to other code-as-CAD primitives Landing page content (Adam-CAD/CADAM): # Adam-CAD/CADAM CADAM is the open source text-to-CAD web application - Stars: 5205 - Forks: 649 - Watchers: 5205 - Open issues: 25 - License: GNU General Public License v3.0 - Homepage: https://adam.new/cadam - Default branch: master - Created: 2025-09-01T17:53:58Z ## Languages - CSS - GLSL - JavaScript - OpenSCAD - PLpgSQL - Shell - TypeScript ## Topics - agents - ai - ai-agents - cad - llms - mechnical-engineering - openscad - react - robotics - stl - text-to-cad - wasm ## Top Contributors - zachdive (250 contributions) - dylan-at-adam (29 contributions) - SamStenner (18 contributions) - ForzaAaRon (9 contributions) - aaron-at-adam (4 contributions) - woustachemax (4 contributions) - eve-assistant-bot[bot] (2 contributions) - AsmpSa00 (1 contributions) - tsadpbb (1 contributions) - ParkerCai (1 contributions) --- ## README ⛮ The Open Source Text to CAD Web App ⛮ Stars Forks License: GPL v3 Node.js React Supabase OpenSCAD Website Discord Follow Zach Dive Follow Aaron Li Follow Dylan Anderson --- ## 🌐 Try it live **👉 adam.new/cadam**. Generate a CAD model in seconds, right in your browser. No install required. ## ✨ Features - 🤖 **AI-Powered Generation** - Transform natural language and images into 3D models - 🎛️ **Parametric Controls** - Interactive sliders for instant dimension adjustments - 📦 **Multiple Export Formats** - Export as .STL, .SCAD, or .DXF files - 🌐 **Browser-Based** - Runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly - 📚 **Library Support** - Includes BOSL, BOSL2, and MCAD libraries ## 🎯 Key Capabilities | Feature | Description | | -------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | | **Natural Language Input** | Describe your 3D model in plain English | | **Image References** | Upload images to guide model generation | | **Real-time Preview** | See your model update instantly with Three.js | | **Parameter Extraction** | Automatically identifies adjustable dimensions | | **Smart Updates** | Efficient parameter changes without AI re-generation | | **Custom Fonts** | Built-in Geist font support for text in models | ## 📺 Screenshots ## 🧪 Benchmarks A showcase of what CADAM builds from a single plain-language description — from full multi-part machines down to clean parametric parts. Each model below started from the prompt shown and came out as fully parametric OpenSCAD, ready to export as `.STL`, `.SCAD`, or `.DXF`. The source and a short write”