WhoMaker who tried text-to-3D tools and got meshes they could not adjust
The problemText-to-3D tools give you a frozen mesh, so a wrong hole size or wall thickness means starting over.
The outcomeYou get a feature-timeline model where every dimension is still editable after the agent is done.
Steps
Download the app for your OS from the README, or use the browser version.
Register the MCP server with Claude Code: claude mcp add solidcraft -- solidcraft-cli mcp
Ask the agent to model your part and describe the key dimensions.
Open the result and change a dimension in Parameters to confirm it rebuilds.
Prompt for your agent
Using the solidcraft MCP server, model <part description with dimensions> as a parametric design. Expose the key sizes as parameters and tell me which ones to change. Verify the model rebuilds when one parameter changes.
Caveat. The README calls SolidCraft early but usable for simple parts, so complex assemblies from an agent may need manual cleanup.
Import a model from another tool and export it as STEP, STL, 3MF, glTF or URDF where supported.
Beginner
30 minutes
From the README
Any agent
WhoMaker handed a model in the wrong format for their printer or viewer
The problemA file in one format will not load in the tool you need next.
The outcomeThe model opens in SolidCraft and exports in the format your next tool accepts.
Steps
Open the desktop or browser app.
Import your file (STEP, IGES, 3MF, STL, OBJ or glTF, where supported).
Check the Properties panel for volume and mass.
Export to the target format.
Prompt for your agent
Help me move <file name> from <source format> to <target format> using SolidCraft. List the import and export formats the README supports and tell me what to verify, such as volume and bounding box, after conversion.
Caveat. The README says formats are supported only 'where supported', so check that your specific import or export path works before relying on it for production.
Combine parts with joints and run a motion study to spot interference before you print or machine anything.
Advanced
1 hour 30 minutes
From the README
Any agent
WhoHobbyist designing a hinge, linkage or small mechanism
The problemParts that look fine alone can collide or bind once assembled.
The outcomeYou see where parts interfere and can fix dimensions before making a physical copy.
Steps
Model or import the individual parts.
Assemble them and add joints.
Run a motion study and an interference check.
Adjust parameters and rerun until the motion is clear.
Prompt for your agent
Using SolidCraft's assemblies, joints and interference tools, walk me through checking <mechanism> for collisions. Tell me what parameter to change if two parts interfere.
Caveat. Motion studies and contact sets are listed as features but the project is early, so validate results with a physical test fit.
Follow the README's Raspberry Pi style workflow: dimensioned sketch, shell, standoffs, port cut-outs, then export for printing.
Intermediate
1 hour
From the README
Any agent
WhoHobbyist who needs a custom case for a Raspberry Pi or similar board
The problemOff-the-shelf cases rarely fit your exact board layout, and mesh editors make small tweaks painful.
The outcomeA parametric case where changing one height value rebuilds the whole part, exported as a printable file.
Steps
Open the desktop app and create a sketch using your board's dimensions as parameters.
Extrude, then use fillet and shell to form the case walls.
Pattern standoffs over the mounting holes and cut ports and vents.
Export as STL or 3MF for your slicer.
Prompt for your agent
Using SolidCraft, walk me through building a case for <board name> with parameters for board length, width and wall thickness, and tell me which export format to use for 3D printing. Verify the wall thickness is a named parameter.
Caveat. The README demo is a Pi 4 case; matching a different board means you must supply its real hole positions and port locations yourself.
Use flanges, hems and fold/unfold to model a bracket, then read out the flat pattern for cutting.
Advanced
1 hour 30 minutes
From the README
Any agent
WhoSmall fabricator or hobbyist ordering laser-cut and bent metal parts
The problemA shop wants a flat pattern and you only have a 3D idea of the bent part.
The outcomeA bent sheet metal model with a flat pattern you can send to a cutting service.
Steps
Open the app and sketch the base profile.
Add flanges and hems using the sheet metal features.
Unfold the part to get the flat pattern.
Export the flat pattern in a supported format.
Prompt for your agent
Using SolidCraft's sheet metal features, outline how to model <bracket description> with flanges and get a flat pattern. Verify bend allowances against what my fabricator expects before I order.
Caveat. Early software: confirm the flat pattern dimensions against your fabricator's bend rules before cutting any metal.
Open the web app, sketch a shape, extrude it and change a dimension to see the model rebuild.
Beginner
30 minutes
From the README
Any agent
WhoCurious beginner who heard about free CAD and does not want to install anything
The problemTrying a CAD program usually means a large install and an unfamiliar interface.
The outcomeYou sketch, extrude and resize a simple solid in a browser tab within minutes.
Steps
Open the browser app linked from the README.
Start a new design and draw a sketch on a plane.
Extrude the sketch into a solid.
Edit a dimension in Parameters and watch the solid rebuild.
Prompt for your agent
I want to learn the basics of SolidCraft in the browser. Give me a 5-step exercise to sketch, dimension and extrude a small box with a hole, using only features listed in its README.
Caveat. The browser build runs the same commands as desktop, but very large designs may feel slower in a tab than in the desktop app.
Connect the MCP server to your running SolidCraft window so you can see each modeling step as the agent makes it.
Intermediate
45 minutes
From the README
Claude Code
WhoBuilder who wants to supervise an agent instead of trusting a headless run
The problemA headless agent gives you only a final file, so you cannot catch a bad step as it happens.
The outcomeYou watch the agent's commands appear in the app and can stop or correct it mid-build.
Steps
Open the SolidCraft desktop app.
Register the server: claude mcp add solidcraft -- solidcraft-cli mcp
Configure the server with the --connect option described in docs/mcp.md so it drives the running app.
Give the agent a modeling task and watch the timeline fill in.
Prompt for your agent
Connect to the running SolidCraft app via its MCP server as described in docs/mcp.md and build <simple part> step by step. After each step, tell me what feature you added so I can follow along.
Caveat. The exact flags for connecting to the running app are in docs/mcp.md, not the main README, so read that page before setting it up.
Run a saved JSON command list from the CLI so the same part can be rebuilt on demand, no GUI.
Intermediate
1 hour
From the README
Any agent
WhoDeveloper or engineer who wants repeatable CAD output in a build pipeline
The problemClicking through a CAD GUI cannot be versioned, reviewed or automated.
The outcomeA text script in git that deterministically produces a STEP file you can hand to a manufacturer.
Steps
Build from source: cargo run --release -p solidcraft-cli -- commands to list available commands.
Study the example script at examples/bracket.json.
Run it: cargo run --release -p solidcraft-cli -- run examples/bracket.json --out bracket.step
Edit a dimension in the JSON and rerun to confirm the output changes.
Prompt for your agent
In the solidcraft repo, read docs/scripts.md and examples/bracket.json, then write a new script for <part description> and run it with solidcraft-cli to produce a STEP file. Verify the output file exists and opens.
Caveat. Scripts are a list of the same commands the UI runs, so you need to look up command names from the registry rather than guess them.
Who it is forFor makers, hobbyists and small hardware teams who want a free parametric CAD tool they can also hand to an AI agent, with no install needed to try it.
Why it is hotabout +582 stars a day since launch, 7k total, launched 12 days ago
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