OpenSCAD User Manual/First Steps/Opening an existing example model

Open one of the many examples that come with OpenSCAD (File, Examples). Or you can copy and paste this simple example into the OpenSCAD window:



Then press F5 to get a graphical preview of what you typed (or press F6 to get a graphical view).

You get three types of movement in the preview frame:


 * 1) Drag with left mouse button to rotate the view around the rotation center (view with ctrl-3) along the X and Z Axis. The bottom line changes the rotate values. (use shift while left-drag to rotate around X and Y )
 * 2) Drag with any other mouse button (or control-drag under OSX) to translate (move) the view. The bottom line changes translate values.
 * 3) Use the mouse scroll to zoom in and out.  Alternatively you can use the + and - keys, or right-drag with the mouse while pressing a shift key (or control-shift-drag under OSX). The Viewport line at the bottom of the window shows a change in the distance value.