computer science

SolveSpace

SolveSpace is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand SolveSpace rather than just read about it. In short: SolveSpace is a free and open-source 2D/3D constraint-based parametric computer-aided design (CAD) software that supports basic 2D and 3D constructive solid geometry modeling. It is a constraint-based parametric modeler with simple mechanical simulation capabilities.

Key takeaways

SolveSpace belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect SolveSpace to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of SolveSpace from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

SolveSpace is a free and open-source 2D/3D constraint-based parametric computer-aided design (CAD) software that supports basic 2D and 3D constructive solid geometry modeling. It is a constraint-based parametric modeler with simple mechanical simulation capabilities. Version 2.1 and onward runs on Windows, Linux and macOS. The Linux version is shipped as a snap and native packages. It supports STEP and DFX for import and export. By default, SolveSpace utilizes its own CAD file format called .slvs for model storage. It is possible to export models as a whole or in part to various formats such as PDF, SVG, or Encapsulated PostScript (EPS). It was initially created by Jonathan Westhues and as of 2022 is maintained by a community of volunteers.

History Development of SolveSpace started in 2008 as commercial proprietary software for Microsoft Windows. A previous software package called SketchFlat, also developed by Westhues, was replaced by SolveSpace. In 2012 version 1.9 released as unrestricted freeware proprietary software. In 2013 version 2.0 released as free and open-source software. In 2016 version 2.1 brings support for Linux and MacOS. According to an interview given in 2020 by a major maintainer SolveSpace aims to be backwards compatible as much as possible. The codebase at the time was about 30,000 lines of code and it took Whitequark almost 2 years to familiarize herself with it. On September 22, 2020, Whitequark stepped down as a maintainer.

Overview SolveSpace is free and open source software distributed under the GPL-3.0-or-later license.

Features SolveSpace is shipped with the following basic features:

2D sketch modeling SolveSpace supports parametric 2D drawing of lines, circles, arcs, cubic bézier curves etc; datum points and lines are also supported for general, reference based modeling. 3D solid modeling Drawing, extrusion, rotation and revolution along a helix are supported in both modes. In 3D it is possible to use basic Boolean operations (union, difference, intersection), though as of version 3.0, SolveSpace had limitations on the order of application of these operations. Mechanical design and analysis By using the built-in constraint solver it is possible to visualize planar or spatial linkages with pin, ball, or slide joints, trace their movements, and export its data in CSV format. Assembly SolveSpace allows solids to be imported in a special mode that does not allow modeling. These imported solids can then be constrained to ensure that the designed model's dimensions meet necessary requirements. Plane and solid geometry Replace hand-solved trigonometry and spreadsheets with a live dimensioned drawing.

Supported file formats

Importing

SolveSpace can open and import its own textual *.slvs file formats for both editing and assembly. The DXF/DWG file format AutoCAD (version 2007) is supported for opening and editing.

Exporting SolveSpace v3.0 is able to export 2D sketches and surfaces into DXF/DWG (AutoCAD version 2007), PDF, SVG, EPS, and HPGL file formats. Wireframes can be exported as DXF and STEP files. Polygon meshes can be exported as STL and Wavefront OBJ; NURBS as STEP. SolveSpace is able to export models in STEP, STL, and G-code for reuse in third-party CAM software.

Linking SolveSpace can link its own *.slvs, STL and IDF files as external parts into complex assembly.

Workflow SolveSpace workflow starts either with opening an existing file or creating a new one and usually involves sketching. The basic shapes of a new physical part is sketched out and constrained to specific dimensions and locations. When the model is complete, it is either exported to one of the supported CAD formats or into a document for further processing.

Sketching Modeling in SolveSpace is done by way of sketching in a workplane. A workplane is plane with an origin for the new sketch where the SolveSpace draws entities. Users can make it active and draw basic primitives such as lines, circles, arcs, dots, and other points of references on the workplane, and constrain them to specific dimensions and relations. SolveSpace can split intersecting entities via a separate tool. Users can snap points to a grid. There are no software limitations for the number of workplanes user can create.

Constraints Constraints include dimension limitation, angle, paralleling with another line, tangency, point, symmetry and alignment of a line with origin axes (to make them "vertical" or "horizontal"). The radius of a circle, for instance, can be constrained to a specific value, or can be influenced by some other entity dimension.

3D modeling When sketching is complete, a 3D part can be extruded into a volumetric model for further modeling. An extruded model creates a group along a specified normal. Every group in SolveSpace encapsulates an action applied to the specified sketch created for every 3D operation, such as an extrusion, rotation, or translation. Created 3D models can also be further constrained with the basic tools mentioned above or combined with another one by Boolean operations. It is also possible to draw a workplane on a specific "surface" of another 3D model; the surface is usually indicated by two line segments joined by a point.

Assembly In order to verify a newly modeled concept in SolveSpace, users can "link" all the components and constrain them at specific positions to check whether the virtual end-product meets the original concept's design and constraints.

Libraries SolveSpace depends upon ANGLE, OpenGL Utility Library, zlib, libpng, libdxfrw, cairo, mimalloc, libsigc++ and some other C++ libraries, as well as freetype2, harfbuzz, and Pango for text rendering. On Linux Solvespace uses gtk-3.

Limitations As of v2.1., SolveSpace reference lists a disclaimer on limited support for NURB-surface Boolean operations which may occasionally fail. As of v3.0 SolveSpace didn't provide functionality for chamfers/fillets on top of 3D solid body. However, there is a way to make it manually. As for 2D sketch there is a way to create fillets as a tangent arc at corner point. SolveSpace may fit well for simpler CAM models, but not for sophisticated ones. There is no extrude along the path.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

SolveSpace: Hart's A-frame created in SolveSpace. — Hart's A-frame created in SolveSpace.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with SolveSpace

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what SolveSpace claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to SolveSpace before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about SolveSpace ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of SolveSpace

In research: SolveSpace appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses SolveSpace in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: SolveSpace is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer-aided design, Computer-aided design software, Computer-aided design software for Linux, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for SolveSpace outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study SolveSpace in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what SolveSpace means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain SolveSpace out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is SolveSpace in simple terms?

Why does SolveSpace matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study SolveSpace?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on SolveSpace.