kernelcad

kernelCAD - AI-Native CAD Workbench

kernelCAD turns mechanical intent into validated, editable, manufacturable design artifacts.

The core loop is: intent -> generated .kcad.ts -> rendered model -> validation checks -> guided revision -> export package.

kernelCAD is not trying to be a browser clone of Fusion, Onshape, or SolidWorks, and it is not just a Replicad wrapper. Replicad/OpenCASCADE are the kernel layer. kernelCAD is the agent-first workflow layer above the kernel: deterministic CAD source, feature history, diagnostics, validation, variants, and human review.

Philosophy

• Agent-First: The primary interface is .kcad.ts, CLI, and MCP. The UI reviews and steers generated designs.
• Verifiable: Geometry is deterministic source code with explicit feature history and diagnostics.
• Validation-Centered: Useful CAD output needs checks for constraints, hardware fit, clearances, and exportability.
• Workflow Over Primitives: Product progress is measured by intent-level workflows, not by copying every traditional CAD button.

Features

• Headless Core: Run CAD operations in Node.js or Web Workers without a DOM.
• Agent API: JSON-serializable commands, introspection, and feedback loops.
• Review Cockpit: Browser-based 3D preview for inspecting generated designs and validation results.
• Standard Exports: STEP/STL generation.
• Robust Kernel: Built on OpenCASCADE (via Replicad).

Get Started

npm install -g kernelcad

Drop this in bracket.kcad.ts:

const w = param('Width', 60, { unit: 'mm' });
const h = param('Height', 40, { unit: 'mm' });
const t = param('Thickness', 5, { unit: 'mm' });

const base = box(w, h, t);
const hole = cylinder(t + 2, 4).translate(w / 2, h / 2, -1);
return base.subtract(hole).fillet(1);

Run it:

kernelcad evaluate bracket.kcad.ts
kernelcad export stl bracket.kcad.ts -o bracket.stl

That's it. For agents: kernelcad mcp runs an MCP server with dynamic model introspection tools. See SKILL.md (bundled with the install) for the full API surface and authoring guide.

Contributing

Web app + dev workflow (clone the repo, npm install, npm run dev) for contributors who want to hack on the kernel or the visual debugger:

git clone https://github.com/w1ne/kernelCAD-web.git
cd kernelCAD-web
npm install
npm run dev          # web visual debugger at localhost:5173
npm run build:cli    # build the CLI bundle into dist/cli/
npm run test         # full vitest suite
npm run qc           # quick quality gate (lint + typecheck + tests)

License

MIT — see LICENSE.