Cad Agent 1.0.0

Run build123d CAD code inside a container to create, render, and iteratively modify 3D models via HTTP with returned rendered images for visual feedback.

CAD Agent

Give your AI agent eyes for CAD work.

Description

CAD Agent is a rendering server that lets AI agents see what they're building. Send modeling commands → receive rendered images → iterate visually.

Use when: designing 3D-printable parts, parametric CAD, mechanical design, build123d modeling

Architecture

Critical: All CAD logic runs inside the container. You (the agent) only:

1. Send commands via HTTP
2. View the returned images
3. Decide what to do next

text

YOU (agent)                     CAD AGENT CONTAINER
─────────────                   ───────────────────
Send build123d code      →      Executes modeling
                         ←      Returns JSON status
Request render           →      VTK renders the model
                         ←      Returns PNG image
*Look at the image*
Decide: iterate or done

Never do STL manipulation, mesh processing, or rendering outside the container. The container handles everything — you just command and observe.

Setup

1. Clone the Repository

bash

git clone https://github.com/clawd-maf/cad-agent.git
cd cad-agent

2. Build the Docker Image

bash

docker build -t cad-agent:latest .

Or using docker-compose:

bash

docker-compose build

3. Run the Server

bash

# Using docker-compose (recommended)
docker-compose up -d

# Or using docker directly
docker run -d --name cad-agent -p 8123:8123 cad-agent:latest serve

4. Verify Installation

bash

curl http://localhost:8123/health
# Should return: {"status": "healthy", ...}

Docker-in-Docker caveat: In nested container environments (e.g., Clawdbot sandbox), host networking may not work—curl localhost:8123 will fail even though the server binds to 0.0.0.0:8123. Use docker exec cad-agent python3 -c "..." commands instead. On a normal Docker host, localhost access works fine.

Workflow

1. Create Model

bash

curl -X POST http://localhost:8123/model/create \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "my_part",
    "code": "from build123d import *\nresult = Box(60, 40, 30)"
  }'

2. Render & View

bash

# Get multi-view (front/right/top/iso)
curl -X POST http://localhost:8123/render/multiview \
  -d '{"model_name": "my_part"}' -o views.png

# Or 3D isometric
curl -X POST http://localhost:8123/render/3d \
  -d '{"model_name": "my_part", "view": "isometric"}' -o iso.png

Look at the image. Does it look right? If not, modify and re-render.

3. Iterate

bash

curl -X POST http://localhost:8123/model/modify \
  -d '{
    "name": "my_part", 
    "code": "result = result - Cylinder(5, 50).locate(Pos(20, 10, 0))"
  }'

# Re-render to check
curl -X POST http://localhost:8123/render/3d \
  -d '{"model_name": "my_part"}' -o updated.png

4. Export

bash

curl -X POST http://localhost:8123/export \
  -d '{"model_name": "my_part", "format": "stl"}' -o part.stl

Endpoints

Endpoint	What it does
POST /model/create	Run build123d code, create model
POST /model/modify	Modify existing model
GET /model/list	List models in session
GET /model/{name}/measure	Get dimensions
POST /render/3d	3D shaded render (VTK)
POST /render/2d	2D technical drawing
POST /render/multiview	4-view composite
POST /export	Export STL/STEP/3MF
POST /analyze/printability	Check if printable

build123d Cheatsheet

python

from build123d import *

# Primitives
Box(width, depth, height)
Cylinder(radius, height)
Sphere(radius)

# Boolean
a + b   # union
a - b   # subtract
a & b   # intersect

# Position
part.locate(Pos(x, y, z))
part.rotate(Axis.Z, 45)

# Edges
fillet(part.edges(), radius)
chamfer(part.edges(), length)

Important

• Don't bypass the container. No matplotlib, no external STL libraries, no mesh hacking.
• Renders are your eyes. Always request a render after changes.
• Iterate visually. The whole point is you can see what you're building.

Design File Safety

The project has safeguards against accidentally committing CAD outputs:

• .gitignore blocks *.stl, *.step, *.3mf, etc.
• Pre-commit hook rejects design files
• User's designs stay local, never versioned

Links

• Repository
• build123d docs
• VTK