Terminology

How to Use This Terminology File

• Review the glossary before lessons that reference terms (e.g., the OpenSCAD lessons, Make3D build walkthroughs, and PowerShell guides).
• Encourage students to keep a personal glossary when they encounter new words during projects and prototyping.
• Maintain and extend this file as new tools or workflows are adopted.

General Terms

Shape - Any graphical 2D or 3D object created by OpenSCAD. Design - An OpenSCAD creation (an OpenSCAD program) which usually consists of a combination of multiple shapes and operations. Operation - An OpenSCAD command that changes the appearance or properties of one or more shapes (for example translate(), rotate(), difference(), union()). Parameter - A named value passed into a module, function, or used as a variable to control dimensions and behavior. Preview - A fast, approximate display of a design in OpenSCAD used for checking structure before full render. Render - Full evaluation of a design’s geometry in OpenSCAD; required before exporting to an STL for printing. Units - The measurement units used in designs. OpenSCAD is unitless by default, but in 3D printing contexts millimeters are conventionally used; be explicit about units when sharing models. Width / Length / Height - X, Y, and Z axis dimensions respectively. 2D shape - A planar geometry with width and length but negligible height (e.g., a 2D profile used for extrusion). 3D shape - A solid geometry with width, length, and height.

3D Printing Terminology

Layer Height - The vertical thickness of each printed layer, typically measured in millimeters; smaller values give finer Z resolution. Nozzle (Extruder) - The heated tip on the printer that melts filament and deposits it onto the print surface. Filament - Thermoplastic material supplied as a long strand (e.g., PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU) used by FDM printers. Infill - The internal lattice or pattern printed inside a solid object to provide strength while saving material; expressed as a percentage. Shell (Wall) - The outer perimeters printed around each layer that form the visible surface and structural walls of a part. Brim / Raft / Skirt - Temporary structures printed to improve bed adhesion or prime the extruder; removed after printing. Retraction - A printer motion that withdraws filament to reduce ooze when moving between print areas. Overhang - A portion of a model that extends outward such that it has little or no support underneath; critical for printability. Support - Additional printed material used to hold up overhangs during printing; removed after printing (manually or dissolvable). Bed Adhesion - Methods and materials used to keep the first layer attached to the build plate (tape, glue stick, PEI, heated bed). Print Speed - The rate at which the printer moves while extruding; faster speeds reduce time but can reduce print quality. Layer Cooling - Use of fans to cool freshly extruded plastic; affects bridging and overhang quality. G-code - The low-level instructions sent to a 3D printer describing moves, extrusion, temperatures, and other commands. STL - A common 3D model file format (surface tessellation) used for 3D printing; does not hold scale or unit metadata. Slicing - The process of converting a 3D model (e.g., STL) into per-layer toolpaths and G-code for a specific printer and filament. Print Bed / Build Plate - The surface on which prints are produced. Warping - Distortion caused by uneven cooling, often lifting corners from the build plate; mitigated by bed adhesion and enclosure. Calibration - The process of adjusting printer settings (e.g., steps/mm, nozzle height) to ensure accurate prints.

OpenSCAD-Specific Terms

Module - A reusable block of OpenSCAD code defined with module name(){} which can be called with different parameters to produce geometry. Function - A small, parameterized computation defined with function that returns a value used in modules or expressions. Boolean Operations - union(), difference(), intersection() used to combine or subtract solids. Transform - Operations that change object position or orientation, including translate(), rotate(), and scale(). Children - In module calls, the nested code that becomes part of the module’s execution context when using children(). CSG (Constructive Solid Geometry) - The technique of building complex shapes by combining primitive solids with boolean operations. Primitive - Simple built-in shapes like cube(), cylinder(), sphere(), and polyhedron(). Linear Extrusion - linear_extrude() which creates a 3D shape from a 2D profile by extruding along the Z axis. Rotate_extrude - rotate_extrude() which sweeps a 2D profile around an axis to form rotationally symmetric solids. Children() - A special OpenSCAD construct that allows a module to render nested content passed into it. Preview vs Render - Preview is quick and approximate; render (F6) evaluates the final geometry for export. Parameterization - Designing with variables and parameters so that a single file can generate many variants by changing inputs.

3dMake / Make3D Terminology (CLI-based toolchain concepts)

3dMake (Make3D) - A command-line workflow or helper scripts that automate building, slicing, and managing OpenSCAD-based projects. Build Script - A script that automates repetitive steps (rendering, slicing, packaging) for reproducible builds. Pipeline - The sequence of steps from source (.scad) to final G-code (render -> export STL -> slice -> generate G-code). Artifacts - Files produced by the build pipeline (STL, G-code, logs). Parameter File - External file (JSON, TOML, or similar) that provides default parameter values to feed into OpenSCAD builds. Headless Render - Running OpenSCAD from the command line (no GUI) to render models and export STLs programmatically. Automation - Using scripts or CI to produce builds and test changes without manual GUI interaction.

PowerShell Terminology (relevant to automation and workflows)

PowerShell - A task automation and configuration management framework from Microsoft that uses cmdlets and a scripting language. Cmdlet - A lightweight command in PowerShell (e.g., Get-ChildItem, Set-ExecutionPolicy) with structured input and output. Script - A .ps1 file containing PowerShell commands, functions, and logic used to automate tasks. Module (PowerShell) - A package of functions, cmdlets, or scripts that can be imported with Import-Module. Pipeline (PowerShell) - Passing the output of one cmdlet as the input to another using the | operator for chained processing. Object - PowerShell passes rich objects (not plain text) between commands, enabling structured data manipulation. PSProvider - A PowerShell interface that exposes data stores as drives (e.g., HKLM:, Variable:), enabling uniform access. Execution Policy - Security setting controlling whether scripts can run on a machine (e.g., Restricted, RemoteSigned). Cmdlet Parameters - Named options passed to cmdlets (e.g., -Path, -Recurse) to customize behavior. Remote Session - Using Enter-PSSession or Invoke-Command to run commands on a remote system. Error Handling - Using try{ } catch { } finally { } and $Error variables to handle script failures gracefully. Splatting - Passing a collection of parameters to a cmdlet using @{} or @array for cleaner code. Format-Table / Format-List - Cmdlets for controlling how objects are displayed in the console; for automation prefer raw objects to formatted text.

Testing, Documentation, and Workflow Terms

Linting - Static analysis to detect style or simple errors in code (e.g., PowerShell Script Analyzer). Unit / Integration Test - Automated checks that verify functions or the build pipeline produce expected outputs. Versioning - Tracking changes to files (git) to manage collaboration and releases. Release Assets - Packaged files attached to a release (useful for distributing large binaries or fonts without committing them to the repository). Accessibility (a11y) - Ensuring materials and workflows work for people using assistive technology (screen readers, braille displays, keyboard navigation).