{"slug": "show-hn-agentcad-claude-code-s-favorite-cad-tool", "title": "Show HN: Agentcad – Claude Code's favorite CAD tool", "summary": "Agentcad, an open-source CAD tool designed for AI coding agents, has been released under the Apache License 2.0. The tool allows agents like Claude Code and Cursor to generate 3D models by writing Python scripts using CadQuery or build123d, then handling execution, STEP export, PNG rendering, mesh export, and browser preview. Agentcad runs locally without signup and outputs all command results as structured JSON, enabling AI agents to design, validate, and compare 3D models programmatically.", "body_md": "**CAD tool for AI agents.** Give your coding agent the ability to design 3D models.\n\nYour agent writes CadQuery or build123d Python scripts. agentcad handles execution, STEP export, PNG rendering, mesh export (STL/GLB/OBJ), geometric metrics, validation, diffing, and browser preview. All command output is structured JSON.\n\nagentcad is open source under the Apache License 2.0. It runs locally and requires no signup.\n\nInstall agentcad, then paste this into Claude Code, Cursor, or any coding agent:\n\n```\nCreate a Python 3.12 virtual environment, then:\n\npip install agentcad\nagentcad skill install\nagentcad --help\n\nRead the --help output — it's your operational briefing.\n\nThen design me a phone stand: a simple angled cradle that holds a phone\nat 60 degrees. About 80mm wide, 50mm deep, with a 5mm lip at the bottom\nto keep the phone from sliding. Show me a preview when you're done.\n```\n\n— execute a build123d or CadQuery script, produce versioned STEP file + geometric metrics (volume, dimensions, validity, face/edge counts)`agentcad run script.py --output label`\n\n— four-view PNG + turntable GIF for visual verification`agentcad run ... --preview`\n\n— high-quality PNG views`agentcad run ... --render iso,front`\n\n— mesh export for 3D printing or web viewers`agentcad run ... --export stl,glb`\n\n— topology deep-dive (shells, free edges, validity)`agentcad inspect output.step`\n\n— compare versions (metrics, outputs, parameters)`agentcad diff 1 2`\n\n— open STEP/GLB output in a browser preview viewer`agentcad view output.step`\n\n— 16 sections of built-in documentation`agentcad docs [section]`\n\nScripts need zero imports. By default, build123d primitives, `show_object`\n\n, and agentcad edit helpers are pre-injected:\n\n```\nbox = Box(10, 20, 5)\nshow_object(box)\n```\n\nCadQuery remains supported via `import cadquery as cq`\n\n, `agentcad init --runtime cadquery`\n\n, or `agentcad run --runtime cadquery`\n\n. Run `agentcad docs runtimes`\n\nfor the dispatch rules.\n\nFor native tool integration with Claude Code, Cursor, or Windsurf:\n\n```\npip install agentcad[mcp]\n```\n\nAdd to `.mcp.json`\n\n:\n\n```\n{\"agentcad\": {\"command\": \"python\", \"args\": [\"-m\", \"agentcad.mcp\"]}}\n```\n\n- Python 3.10–3.12 (OpenCascade bindings do not support 3.13+)\n\nApache License 2.0. See [LICENSE](/jdilla1277/agentcad/blob/main/LICENSE).\n\nIf your agent struggles, run `agentcad feedback \"what happened\"`\n\nto capture a friction log.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-agentcad-claude-code-s-favorite-cad-tool", "canonical_source": "https://github.com/jdilla1277/agentcad", "published_at": "2026-06-03 08:29:58+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-06-03 08:47:15.708365+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-tools", "ai-agents", "ai-products", "generative-ai", "ai-infrastructure"], "entities": ["Agentcad", "Claude Code", "CadQuery", "build123d", "Cursor", "Apache License 2.0"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-agentcad-claude-code-s-favorite-cad-tool", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-agentcad-claude-code-s-favorite-cad-tool.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-agentcad-claude-code-s-favorite-cad-tool.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-agentcad-claude-code-s-favorite-cad-tool.jsonld"}}