Cadelo can model in 3D right in the browser tab — create solids from 2D profiles, combine them, view them from any angle, and export STL/STEP for printing or manufacturing. The Model ribbon tab holds the 3D toolset, and the GPU pipeline (WebGPU, WebGL2 fallback) renders shaded solids.

The 3D workflow

The classic way to model a part:

  1. Draw a 2D profile in model space (a rectangle, a circle, a closed polyline outline).
  2. Turn it into a solid with EXTRUDE (push) or REVOLVE (spin around an axis).
  3. Add or subtract features with boolean operations (union, subtract, intersect).
  4. View it from any angle — orbit with the mouse wheel or use the preset views.
  5. Export as STL (3D printing) or STEP (manufacturing).

Solid primitives

Command What it makes
BOX Box / rectangular solid
SPHERE Ball
CYLINDER Cylinder (or partial)
CONE Cone
WEDGE Wedge
PYRAMID Pyramid

Each command prompts for dimensions the CAD way — e.g. BOX asks for the two corners of the base, then the height.

Profiles to solids

Command What it does
EXTRUDE Push a 2D profile into a solid (with taper option)
REVOLVE Spin a profile around an axis (full 360° or partial angle)
LOFT Blend between two or more cross-sections
SWEEP Slide a profile along a path
PRESSPULL Click a face and push/pull it directly (extrude or pocket)
THICKEN Give a closed planar profile a thickness

Extrude, step by step

  1. Draw a closed outline — a RECTANG or a closed PLINE (type C to close).
  2. Type EXTRUDE.
  3. Select the outline, press Enter.
  4. Type the height (e.g. 20) and press Enter.

You now have a solid. Orbit to check it, then continue adding features.

Modifying solids

  • Boolean ops — UNION (join), SUBTRACT (cut away), INTERSECT (keep the overlap). The classic bracket-with-a-hole:
    1. Draw a box, then a cylinder through where the hole goes.
    2. SUBTRACT, select the box, Enter, select the cylinder, Enter — hole done.
  • FILLET / CHAMFER work on solid edges too — round or bevel edges.
  • 3D transforms — 3DMOVE, 3DROTATE, 3DMIRROR, 3DALIGN position solids in space; ARRAY3D patterns them.
  • SLICE cuts a solid with a plane — great for section views.

Viewing 3D

  • Orbit — hold the mouse wheel and drag to spin around the model.
  • Preset views — top, bottom, left, right, front, back, and isometric presets in the View tab.
  • Visual styles — SHADEMODE / VSCURRENT toggles between wireframe and shaded display.
  • Perspective vs. parallel — toggle for a natural or orthographic look (PERSP / PARALLEL).

Exporting 3D

  • STL — mesh for 3D printing. The standard format every slicer accepts.
  • STEP — the CAD interchange format (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, FreeCAD all read STEP AP203).
  • OBJ — mesh with material-friendly layout for Blender/game engines.
  • Cadelo also imports OBJ meshes (Insert tab) and opens DWG/DXF files containing 3D solids — they render via ACIS tessellation.

Honest caveat (web build): the browser version covers the workflows above — solids you create this session. A few kernel-level operations that need the full native solid-modeler (mesh interference analysis, e.g. SECTION on created solids, and embedding exact solid geometry when saving 3D bodies back to DWG/DXF) are available in the desktop app but not in this web build. For heavy 3D kernel work, the desktop version of OpenCADStudio is the better tool; for drafting plus everyday 3D, the browser version is enough.

What’s next?

Next: Continue reading →

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