Apr 20, 2026

swcad-js (v0.12.2)

Open Source Project

New Beginnings

swcad-js is a restructured and upgraded version of sw-jscad. The older package’s functionality was reworked in to a new API for a more coherent and usable developer experience. After that, a new layer of functionality was added into the library from my modelling repo. The internal structures were cleaned up and gradually moved towards a stable module standard.

See the library in action here: sw-jscad-viewer.netlify.app
Check out the codebase: github.com/salvador-workshop/swcad-js

swcad-js - gallery

With this many changes compared to its starting point, I felt it was natural to rename the project as well. It’s admittedly confusing, but I’ll eventually create more swcad tools in other languages/platforms. So swcad-js made sense to me.

swcad-js - wall

Rationale

Why write and use swcad-js?

jscad and sw-jscad have already made it possible for me to design precise models with my web developer skills (see “3D-printed Dowel Components”). More investment in time/resources feels like a solid bet, in terms of code-CAD benefits.

jscad is in active development, and setting up an open-source library allows me to leverage the JSCAD ecosystem’s tooling, plus the JS + Node ecosystems as well.

Free web-based tooling enables some of what corporate software houses have been promising (powerful precise applications without installs), without the drawbacks to access (heavy DRM, connectivity failures). This gives code-CAD toolmakers a degree of digital self-sufficiency that insulates from enshittification of proprietary tools.

swcad-js - wallEntryway

Notable changes and additions

The old multi-step initialization was pretty lame:

const swJscad = require('sw-jscad').init({ lib: jscad });
const swjUi = require('sw-jscad-ui').init({ lib: jscad, swLib: swJscad });
const swjFamilies = require('sw-jscad-families').init({ lib: jscad, swLib: swJscad });
const swjBuilders = require('sw-jscad-builders').init({ lib: jscad, swLib: swJscad, swFamilies: swjFamilies });

And has been replaced with a single-line init:

const swcadJs = require('swcad-js').init({ jscad });

The old library used separate modules as well, and they’ve been consolidated into a monorepo for easier development overall. The new library also features a consistent internal module structure (only jscad and swcadJs for all functions and modules).

const moduleInit = ({ jscad, swcadJs }) => {
  // ...

  const model = (opts) => {
    // ...
    return [mainModel, modelParts, modelProperties]
  }
  
  return model
}

module.exports = {
  init: moduleInit
}

The new structure is already leading to more consistent code reuse. Keeping things organized is also leading to faster development. This newfound velocity led to these components: