Gotchas¶
This page focuses on PMM-specific pitfalls that agents are likely to trip over while adapting OpenSCAD.
Uploaded Assets Use PMM Default Filenames¶
Provenance: Official release
If you want PMM file upload support, do not assume arbitrary filenames. The documented defaults are:
- default.png
- default.svg
- default.stl
This matters because a locally working import("my-logo.svg") may fail conceptually in PMM unless the script is rewritten around PMM's supported naming scheme.
Evidence: - Paramatric Model Maker V0.8.0 support uploading files!
Parameterized Colors Need Hex Strings Plus // color¶
Provenance: Official release
Color export support and parameterized color UI are not the same thing. PMM's documented parameter UI expects hex string variables annotated with // color.
Evidence: - Paramatric Model Maker V0.9.0 - Support Multi-Color Modeling
Font Picker UI Requires // font¶
Provenance: Official release
If an agent adds a font parameter but forgets the // font marker, the script may still be valid OpenSCAD, but the PMM font picker will not appear.
Evidence: - Parametric Model Maker V0.10.0 - Multi-Plate 3MF Generation
Multi-Plate 3MF Has A Real STL Tradeoff¶
Provenance: Official release
Multi-plate support is useful, but the release note explicitly warns that scripts using this feature prevent users from downloading STL from that script. Agents should treat this as a release-strategy decision, not just a code change.
Evidence: - Parametric Model Maker V0.10.0 - Multi-Plate 3MF Generation
Oversize And Auto-Arrange Failures Are Easy To Trigger¶
Provenance: Employee-confirmed
An employee explained that generation failures could come from Studio trying to auto-arrange objects, and discussed a practical size ceiling around 240 x 235 in that context. This means an agent should think about layout and profile settings, not just geometry.
Evidence: - Parametric Model Maker: 3MF cannot be generated - Parametric Model Maker V0.10.0 - Multi-Plate 3MF Generation
Local Includes Are Not A Safe Default¶
Provenance: Employee-confirmed
Community usage and employee replies indicate PMM can work with supplied platform libraries, but not with arbitrary local include trees the same way a local OpenSCAD project does. Agents should flatten or inline fragile local dependencies unless the dependency is clearly available in PMM.
Evidence: - Parametric Model Maker support for includes
Do Not Overcorrect By Removing BOSL2¶
Provenance: Official app endpoint
PMM does not appear to reject all libraries. The more precise rule is that arbitrary local project includes are risky, while bundled PMM libraries can be available. MakerWorld's own OpenSCAD library inventory endpoint explicitly lists BOSL2 as a bundled library, which is stronger evidence than inference from forum discussion alone.
Evidence: - https://makerworld.bblmw.com/makerworld/makerlab/content-generator/openscad/libraries-0.8.0.json - Parametric Model Maker V1.1.0 - Major UI Refresh - Parametric Model Maker support for includes
// preview[...] Is Not A PMM Feature¶
Provenance: Employee-confirmed
An employee explained that a // preview[...] style comment seen in examples was not actually used by PMM itself, and that PMM mainly follows OpenSCAD Customizer behavior with some Thingiverse-compatibility intent. Agents should not rely on preview comments as PMM functionality.
Evidence: - Parametic Model Maker - colors? documentation?
Arbitrary Co-Uploaded STL Names Are Risky¶
Provenance: Community-discovered
A later community thread suggests that uploaded STL-backed workflows may need the PMM-supported default.stl approach rather than arbitrary co-uploaded filenames. Treat this as useful but less authoritative than release-note guidance.
Evidence: - OpenSCAD stl import
Heavy Geometry May Timeout Even When Local OpenSCAD Eventually Renders¶
Provenance: Community-discovered
PMM rendering appears to have practical runtime constraints. An agent should simplify geometry, reduce expensive global detail settings, and be cautious with heavy BOSL2 usage where performance matters.
Evidence: - Parametric Model Maker - Model Times out - help? - Parametric Model Maker - Timeout on simple SCAD