MODELITA v0.2 Documentation

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Prerequisites
3. Installation
4. Using Modelita
5. Command Reference
6. Symbols
7. Blender Integration

Introduction

MODELITA is a Domain-Specific Language (DSL) for 3D modeling, integrating Racket, PostGIS, and Blender. This documentation covers version 0.2.

Prerequisites

Before setting up MODELITA, ensure you have the following installed:

1. Blender: Latest version from the official Blender website.

Installation

1. Download and extract the package: modelita.tgz

Using Modelita

Once you have downloaded MODELITA, you can run the program from the terminal using ./modelita . When it starts , you will enter an interactive mode where you can input commands to create 3D shapes.

Command Reference

Movement Commands

Command	Description
up	Move cursor upward
down	Move cursor downward
left	Move cursor left
right	Move cursor right
forward	Move cursor forward
backward	Move cursor backward

Rotation Commands

Command	Description
rotate-x+	Rotate 90 degrees around X-axis (+)
rotate-x-	Rotate 90 degrees around X-axis (-)
rotate-y+	Rotate 90 degrees around Y-axis (+)
rotate-y-	Rotate 90 degrees around Y-axis (-)
rotate-z+	Rotate 90 degrees around Z-axis (+)
rotate-z-	Rotate 90 degrees around Z-axis (-)

Shape Editing Commands

Command	Description
a	Add the current position as a vertex
b	Clear the current shape
select	Print the current cursor position
start	Save the shape to an OBJ file

State Management Commands

Command	Description
push	Save current position and rotation
pop	Restore last saved position/rotation

Symbols

Modelita allows you to define and save custom symbols (commands) to automate actions.

Define a Symbol

To define a new symbol:

define
Enter new symbol name: my-symbol
Enter commands (as list): (up right forward)

Symbol Management Commands

Command	Description
save	Save a symbol for later use
load	Load a previously saved symbol

Example Usage:

; Save a symbol
save
Enter symbol name to save: my-symbol

; Load a saved symbol
load
Enter symbol filename to load: my-symbol

; Use a defined symbol
my-symbol

Blender Integration

Using the Blender OBJ Importer

The objimporter.py script automates importing OBJ files generated by Modelita into Blender.

Setup Steps:

1. Your OBJ files are in the models/ directory
2. Open Blender
3. Load the Python script:
   • Open the Scripting tab
   • Click Text > Open and select objimporter.py
   • Change the path
   • Press Run Script
4. Access the importer:
   • In the 3D View, press N to open the side panel
   • Go to the My Tools tab
   • Click Reload OBJ to import all files

Importer Features

Feature	Description
Auto Cleanup	Removes previous objects before import
Directory Scan	Automatically finds OBJ files
Debug Info	Shows import process details/errors

Note

The start command saves your shape design to an OBJ file, while the save command stores defined symbols. Keep this distinction in mind for effective use of Modelita.