Frequently asked questions
Everything about turning a description into a printable part.SpeakCAD is an AI CAD tool for 3D printing. You describe a part in plain English (sizes, purpose, how it attaches), the AI writes a parametric 3D model, your browser renders it live, and you download a print-ready STL or 3MF file. Editing is done by chatting: “make the walls thicker”, “add two screw holes”.
No. If you can describe the object and measure it with a ruler or calipers, you can model it. There are no sketches, constraints or toolbars to learn. Engineers still use SpeakCAD as a fast first draft or for simple brackets and adapters.
No. SpeakCAD runs entirely in your browser: the chat, the 3D engine and the live viewer all load inside the tab. There is no software to download or install, no plugin, no GPU requirement and no licence key. It works on macOS, Windows, Linux and Chromebooks with a current Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari. The only files you ever download are your finished STL or 3MF models.
Every account starts with 5 free credits. One download (STL or 3MF) costs one credit, and one credit is one US dollar. Bulk packs are cheaper: 20 credits for $18, 50 for $40, 100 for $70. Generating, previewing and editing models is free and unlimited.
No. Come back to the model, ask for the fix (“the hole needs to be 0.4 mm wider”) and download again for free. A credit is only charged when the design changes substantially: a new object, a different overall shape, or edits the AI flags as a major redesign. Downloading the same design in both STL and 3MF also costs a single credit.
Binary STL and 3MF. Both open directly in PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer, Cura and every other mainstream slicer. 3MF keeps the millimetre unit and the model name embedded, so nothing is lost on import.
Yes. Models are built with solid CSG geometry (booleans on closed solids) and exported as manifold meshes, so slicers do not need repair. The AI also follows FDM design rules by default: minimum wall thickness, clearances for fits, parts resting flat on the bed.
Yes. Attach images as references (the AI reads them), attach a .stl or .3mf to modify or build around (for example a lid for an existing box), or attach an OpenSCAD .scad file to continue an existing parametric design.
Dimensions you specify are used exactly, in millimetres. When you do not give a size, the AI picks sensible defaults and tells you what it assumed. Every dimension is a named parameter in the model, so correcting one is a single sentence.
Functional parts: brackets, mounts, enclosures, adapters, spacers, stands, organizers, replacement knobs and clips, planters, cookie cutters, gears and simple mechanisms. Organic sculptures and character figurines are not what SpeakCAD is built for.
Models default to a 220 x 220 mm bed but you can ask for any size. Complexity is limited by what compiles in your browser in a few seconds, which covers practically every functional part. Very high-polygon organic shapes are out of scope.
No. Credits stay on your account until you use them, and your models stay saved and editable.
Unused credits can be refunded within 14 days of purchase. If a download is unusable because of a defect on our side (a corrupt or non-manifold file), we refund that credit. See the refund policy for details.
You do. Anything you generate with SpeakCAD is yours to print, share or sell, with no attribution required.
No. Your prompts, uploads and models are only used to provide the service. We use Anthropic’s Claude models through their API, which does not train on API data.