OpenSCAD Cheat Sheet: Essential Commands for 3D Modeling

Published: February 21, 2026

Quick Reference Overview

This cheat sheet covers all the essential OpenSCAD commands you need for 3D modeling. Bookmark this page for quick reference while you work. New to OpenSCAD? Start with our OpenSCAD Tutorial or generate OpenSCAD code from a photo to learn from real examples.

🔲 3D Primitives

Basic 3D shapes you can create directly:

Command	Description	Example
`cube(size)`	Creates a cube or box	`cube(10);` or `cube([10, 20, 5]);`
`sphere(r)`	Creates a sphere	`sphere(r=15);` or `sphere(d=30);`
`cylinder(h, r)`	Creates a cylinder or cone	`cylinder(h=20, r=10);`
`cylinder(h, r1, r2)`	Creates a cone/tapered cylinder	`cylinder(h=20, r1=15, r2=5);`
`polyhedron(points, faces)`	Creates custom 3D shape from vertices	`polyhedron(points=[[...]], faces=[[...]]);`

// Cube with size [width, depth, height]

cube([30, 20, 10]);

// Centered cube

cube([30, 20, 10], center=true);

// Smooth sphere ($fn controls resolution)

sphere(r=10, $fn=64);

◻️ 2D Primitives

2D shapes that can be extruded into 3D:

Command	Description	Example
`square(size)`	Creates a rectangle	`square([20, 10]);`
`circle(r)`	Creates a circle	`circle(r=10, $fn=64);`
`polygon(points)`	Creates custom 2D shape	`polygon([[0,0], [10,0], [5,10]]);`
`text(str)`	Creates 2D text	`text("Hello", size=10);`

↕️ Extrusion (2D → 3D)

Convert 2D shapes into 3D objects:

Command	Description	Example
`linear_extrude(height)`	Extrude 2D shape straight up	`linear_extrude(10) circle(r=5);`
`linear_extrude(height, twist)`	Extrude with rotation	`linear_extrude(20, twist=90) square(10);`
`linear_extrude(height, scale)`	Extrude with taper	`linear_extrude(20, scale=0.5) circle(10);`
`rotate_extrude()`	Spin 2D shape around Z axis	`rotate_extrude() translate([10,0]) circle(3);`

// 3D text

linear_extrude(5)

    text("OpenSCAD", size=12, font="Arial:style=Bold");

// Twisted column

linear_extrude(50, twist=180, $fn=64)

    square([10, 10], center=true);

🔄 Transformations

Move, rotate, and scale objects:

Command	Description	Example
`translate([x, y, z])`	Move object	`translate([10, 0, 5]) cube(5);`
`rotate([x, y, z])`	Rotate around axes (degrees)	`rotate([0, 0, 45]) cube(10);`
`scale([x, y, z])`	Resize object	`scale([2, 1, 0.5]) cube(10);`
`mirror([x, y, z])`	Mirror across plane	`mirror([1, 0, 0]) cube(10);`
`resize([x, y, z])`	Resize to exact dimensions	`resize([20, 20, 0], auto=true) sphere(10);`
`color("name")`	Set preview color	`color("red") cube(10);`

🔗 Boolean Operations (CSG)

Combine shapes using Constructive Solid Geometry:

Command	Description	Use Case
`union()`	Combine shapes together	Join multiple parts into one
`difference()`	Subtract subsequent shapes from first	Create holes, cutouts
`intersection()`	Keep only overlapping regions	Create complex shapes from overlaps

// Cube with a cylindrical hole

difference() {

    cube([20, 20, 10], center=true);

    cylinder(h=12, r=5, center=true, $fn=32);

}

// Two overlapping spheres combined

union() {

    sphere(r=10);

    translate([8, 0, 0]) sphere(r=10);

}

📦 Modules (Reusable Components)

Create reusable shapes like functions:

// Define a module

module rounded_box(size, radius) {

    minkowski() {

        cube([size[0]-radius*2, size[1]-radius*2, size[2]/2]);

        cylinder(r=radius, h=size[2]/2, $fn=32);

    }

}

// Use the module

rounded_box([30, 20, 10], 3);

🔁 Loops and Conditionals

Create patterns and conditional geometry:

// Create a row of cylinders

for (i = [0 : 5]) {

    translate([i * 15, 0, 0])

        cylinder(h=10, r=5);

}

// Circular array

for (i = [0 : 360/6 : 360]) {

    rotate([0, 0, i])

        translate([20, 0, 0])

            cylinder(h=5, r=3);

}

// Conditional geometry

if (add_hole) {

    difference() {

        cube(20);

        cylinder(h=22, r=5);

    }

} else {

    cube(20);

}

⚙️ Special Variables

Variable	Description	Typical Value
`$fn`	Number of fragments (resolution)	`$fn=64` for smooth curves
`$fa`	Minimum angle for fragment	`$fa=1` (degrees)
`$fs`	Minimum size of fragment	`$fs=0.5` (mm)

Tip: Use $fn=32 for previews (fast) and $fn=128 for final renders (smooth).

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
F5	Preview (fast, approximate)
F6	Render (slow, accurate)
F7	Export STL
Ctrl + D	Comment/uncomment line
Ctrl + Shift + V	View all (reset camera)

💡 Pro Tips

Debugging: Use % prefix to make a shape transparent, # to highlight it
Performance: Keep $fn low during development, increase for final render
Reusability: Use modules for repeated elements, variables for dimensions
Organization: Comment your code, group related operations
Starting point: Generate OpenSCAD from photos to get working code fast

Skip the Blank Page

Instead of starting from scratch, generate OpenSCAD code from a photo. Get a working starting point you can modify using the commands from this cheat sheet.

Generate OpenSCAD from Photo