Blog

From the workbench

How AI CAD works, how to prompt it, and how to design parts that print the first time.
1 September 2026 · 2 min read

Text to STL: how AI CAD actually works (and why it is not the same as text-to-3D)

Two very different technologies hide behind “text to 3D”. Here is how SpeakCAD turns a sentence into an exact, printable STL, and why generative meshes cannot.28 August 2026 · 2 min read

Why OpenSCAD is the perfect language for an AI to write CAD in

Of all CAD formats, OpenSCAD is the one language models write best. Text, declarative, parametric, deterministic. Here is why SpeakCAD chose it and what it means for you.26 August 2026 · 2 min read

10 things we learned about prompting an AI for CAD

After thousands of generated parts, these are the patterns that separate a one-shot model from five rounds of fixes. Practical advice for describing 3D printed parts.24 August 2026 · 2 min read

Why re-downloading after a fix is free (and how we decide what counts as a fix)

SpeakCAD charges one credit per download but re-downloads after small edits are free. Here is the exact rule, the thresholds, and why we designed it this way.21 August 2026 · 2 min read

AI CAD vs generative 3D: choosing the right tool for a print

Meshy, Tripo and other generative tools make beautiful meshes. SpeakCAD makes exact parts. A practical decision guide for 3D printing.18 August 2026 · 2 min read

How much does a custom 3D printed part really cost in 2026?

Filament, electricity, printer wear and, the hidden one, design time. A realistic breakdown of what a custom part costs at home, and where AI CAD changes the math.15 August 2026 · 2 min read

Fixing things with AI: 7 replacement parts you can print this weekend

Real examples of household repairs solved with a description and a printer: knobs, clips, feet, hinge pins, battery covers. With the prompts that produced them.12 August 2026 · 2 min read

Designing electronics enclosures with AI: a complete walkthrough

From PCB measurements to a snap-fit box with port cutouts, standoffs and vents, in one chat session. Includes the prompts, the fixes and slicer settings.9 August 2026 · 2 min read

Why SpeakCAD exports 3MF (and how we build it in the browser)

3MF is the modern 3D printing format: units, names, indexed meshes, slicer-native. How SpeakCAD generates a valid 3MF client-side and when you should pick it over STL.6 August 2026 · 2 min read

Parametric design for makers: why every dimension should be a variable

Parametric models turn a redesign into a number change. What that means, why it matters for 3D printing, and how SpeakCAD gives it to you without learning CAD.

Your next print is one sentence away

Sign up, get 5 free credits, and download your first STL in minutes. It runs in your browser: nothing to install, no card, no CAD skills.

Start modelling for freeSee pricing