# AI use cases for Nurb (Shpigford/nurb)

Repo: [Shpigford/nurb](https://github.com/Shpigford/nurb) | Use cases: 5 | Page: https://dedupedai.com/use-cases/shpigford-nurb/

nurb is an agentic CAD tool that lets an AI model 3D printable parts, check them for print problems, and show them in a live viewer.

This file holds every use case of this repo. Each one starts with a "## " heading and ends with its URL.

- Design a printable hose adapter from a text description: https://dedupedai.com/use-cases/shpigford-nurb/design-printable-adapter-from-text/
- Catch print problems before the printer runs: https://dedupedai.com/use-cases/shpigford-nurb/catch-print-problems-before-printing/
- Estimate print time and filament cost before printing: https://dedupedai.com/use-cases/shpigford-nurb/estimate-print-time-and-filament-cost/
- Fit a printed part to a real object you measured: https://dedupedai.com/use-cases/shpigford-nurb/fit-printed-part-to-real-object/
- Test where a printed part will bend or break: https://dedupedai.com/use-cases/shpigford-nurb/test-load-capacity-before-printing/

## How to design a printable hose adapter from a text description with Nurb

Repo: [Shpigford/nurb](https://github.com/Shpigford/nurb) | Difficulty: Beginner | Time: 30 minutes | Basis: From the README

Describe a part in plain words, let the AI model it, and export a 3MF ready for your slicer.

**Who it is for:** A woodworker or shop owner who needs a custom fitting that no store sells, and has no CAD experience.

**The problem:** Measuring, modelling, and checking a custom fitting by hand in CAD software takes time and skill most hobbyists do not have.

**The outcome:** A checked, sliders-adjustable part in a live viewer, exported as a 3MF with print settings already embedded.

### Steps

1. Install Nurb with `curl -fsSL https://nurb.dev/install.sh | sh`, or download the Mac app from the README install section.
2. Open the Nurb app, or start your AI agent in a terminal.
3. Tell the AI what you need, for example: Make an adapter that connects my shop vac hose to the dust port on my table saw.
4. Wait while the AI models the part, runs the printability checks, and opens the live viewer.
5. Drag the sliders if you want changes, then click `3mf` and print.

### Prompt to paste into your agent

```text
Using the nurb repo (Shpigford/nurb), install it and build a part for <target part description>. Expected output: a live viewer showing the part and a 3MF export. Verify by running `nurb check` and confirming it reports the findings for that part.
```

### Caveat

Nurb's own README says that the AI cannot see the part, so you still need to judge the fit on the real object before relying on it.

Disclaimer: Third-party repos we don't own or vouch for. AI-generated use cases can be wrong: review everything and run at your own risk. Full text: https://dedupedai.com/disclaimer/

URL: https://dedupedai.com/use-cases/shpigford-nurb/design-printable-adapter-from-text/

## How to catch print problems before the printer runs with Nurb

Repo: [Shpigford/nurb](https://github.com/Shpigford/nurb) | Difficulty: Intermediate | Time: 45 minutes | Basis: From the README

Run Nurb's printability rules on a part to find overhangs, thin walls, and floating islands early.

**Who it is for:** A maker or developer who wants to avoid failed prints and checks each part before sending it to the printer.

**The problem:** Failed prints waste filament and time, and many problems such as thin walls are hard to spot by eye in a model.

**The outcome:** A list of findings with coordinates that point to the exact faces where each rule fired.

### Steps

1. Install Nurb with `uv tool install nurb` or `pip install nurb`.
2. Run `nurb check` to run the printability rules on the project's parts.
3. Run `nurb inspect` to see faces, normals, concave edges, and each finding on its face.
4. Fix the design in the part file or card, then run `nurb check` again.
5. Add `nurb check --strict` to your CI so findings fail the build. (inferred, check the README)

### Prompt to paste into your agent

```text
Using the nurb repo (Shpigford/nurb), run the printability checks on the part <target part name> in this project. Expected output: a list of findings such as overhang or min_wall with coordinates. Verify by running `nurb inspect` and confirming each finding appears on a face.
```

### Caveat

The README warns that min_wall samples faces, so a clean result means no thin walls were found, not that none exist.

Disclaimer: Third-party repos we don't own or vouch for. AI-generated use cases can be wrong: review everything and run at your own risk. Full text: https://dedupedai.com/disclaimer/

URL: https://dedupedai.com/use-cases/shpigford-nurb/catch-print-problems-before-printing/

## How to estimate print time and filament cost before printing with Nurb

Repo: [Shpigford/nurb](https://github.com/Shpigford/nurb) | Difficulty: Intermediate | Time: 45 minutes | Basis: From the README

Use Nurb slice to get minutes and grams from your installed slicer before a design is final.

**Who it is for:** A print farm operator or hobbyist who needs to quote or budget a print and decide between design options.

**The problem:** Design changes can double print time or filament use, and it is costly to find out after the part is already printed.

**The outcome:** Print time in minutes and filament in grams for each part, so design changes can be compared while they can still move.

### Steps

1. Install OrcaSlicer or Bambu Studio, which Nurb uses for slicing.
2. Install Nurb with `uv tool install nurb` or `pip install nurb`.
3. Run `nurb slice` to get print time and grams of filament for the project's parts.
4. Change a dimension with a slider or in the part file, then run `nurb slice` again to compare.
5. Run `nurb export` to write the print-ready 3MF once the design is settled.

### Prompt to paste into your agent

```text
Using the nurb repo (Shpigford/nurb), run `nurb slice` on <target part name> and report print time in minutes and filament in grams. Verify that a slicer was found, since the README says nurb drives an installed OrcaSlicer or Bambu Studio.
```

### Caveat

Nurb slice only works when OrcaSlicer or Bambu Studio is installed, and the README says export still writes the 3MF either way.

Disclaimer: Third-party repos we don't own or vouch for. AI-generated use cases can be wrong: review everything and run at your own risk. Full text: https://dedupedai.com/disclaimer/

URL: https://dedupedai.com/use-cases/shpigford-nurb/estimate-print-time-and-filament-cost/

## How to fit a printed part to a real object you measured with Nurb

Repo: [Shpigford/nurb](https://github.com/Shpigford/nurb) | Difficulty: Advanced | Time: 1 hour | Basis: From the README

Scan or measure a real object, record its dimensions, and compare the design to a target mesh.

**Who it is for:** A repair technician or maker who needs a part to fit an existing object, such as a broken housing or a downloaded model.

**The problem:** An AI or designer may guess dimensions that matter for a fit, and a wrong guess only shows up after printing.

**The outcome:** A part whose key dimensions come from real measurements, with a deviation report showing added or missing material.

### Steps

1. Install Nurb with `uv tool install nurb` or `pip install nurb`.
2. Scan the real object with your phone, or download a model, then run `nurb scan` to measure it in mm.
3. Record the dimensions that matter in measurements.toml, noting how each one was obtained.
4. Add a target mesh to the part's card, then run `nurb compare` to get the deviation report in both directions.
5. Adjust the part with the sliders or in its file until `nurb compare` shows acceptable deviation.

### Prompt to paste into your agent

```text
Using the nurb repo (Shpigford/nurb), measure the scan file <target scan file path> with `nurb scan` and compare the part <target part name> with `nurb compare`. Expected output: a deviation report in both directions. Verify that every dimension the part needs is present in measurements.toml, since the README says asking for a missing one raises an error instead of guessing.
```

### Caveat

The README notes that no geometry check can catch a wrong guess, so the fit is only proven when the printed part meets the real object.

Disclaimer: Third-party repos we don't own or vouch for. AI-generated use cases can be wrong: review everything and run at your own risk. Full text: https://dedupedai.com/disclaimer/

URL: https://dedupedai.com/use-cases/shpigford-nurb/fit-printed-part-to-real-object/

## How to test where a printed part will bend or break with Nurb

Repo: [Shpigford/nurb](https://github.com/Shpigford/nurb) | Difficulty: Intermediate | Time: 45 minutes | Basis: From the README

Run a voxel stress simulation to see where a load concentrates and the weight the part breaks at.

**Who it is for:** An engineer or maker designing a functional part, such as a bracket or hook, that must carry weight.

**The problem:** FDM prints often fail at layer adhesion, and it is hard to judge by eye whether a bracket will hold a given load.

**The outcome:** Peak stress in MPa, how far the part sags, and the breaking weight quoted against layer adhesion.

### Steps

1. Install Nurb with `uv tool install nurb` or `pip install nurb`.
2. Run `nurb stress` on the part you want to test.
3. Read the peak MPa, sag, and margin to breaking in the output.
4. Change the part's dimensions with the sliders or in its file, then run `nurb stress` again.
5. Run `nurb check` to confirm the reshaped part still passes the printability rules.

### Prompt to paste into your agent

```text
Using the nurb repo (Shpigford/nurb), run `nurb stress` on <target part name> and report the peak MPa, sag, and margin to breaking. Expected output: those three values. Verify by running `nurb check` on the same part afterward to confirm it still passes.
```

### Caveat

The README presents the stress result as a voxel simulation quoted against layer adhesion, so treat it as an estimate and test real prints before trusting a load-bearing part.

Disclaimer: Third-party repos we don't own or vouch for. AI-generated use cases can be wrong: review everything and run at your own risk. Full text: https://dedupedai.com/disclaimer/

URL: https://dedupedai.com/use-cases/shpigford-nurb/test-load-capacity-before-printing/