The vcad tui command launches a full-screen terminal interface with a file browser, feature tree, and ASCII wireframe viewport. It is designed for situations where a browser is not available -- SSH sessions, remote servers, headless machines, or simply working from the terminal without switching contexts.
vcad tui
To open a specific file directly:
vcad tui bracket.vcad
Layout
The TUI divides the terminal into three panels. The left panel is the feature tree, which lists every operation in the current document from top to bottom. The center panel is the viewport, which renders an ASCII wireframe of the model using edge projection. The right panel is the property inspector, showing parameters for whichever node is currently selected in the feature tree.
┌─ Feature Tree ──┬──── Viewport ───────────────┬─ Properties ──┐
│ > Plate │ │ Size X: 80 │
│ Hole 1 │ ┌──────────┐ │ Size Y: 50 │
│ Hole 2 │ /│ /│ │ Size Z: 5 │
│ Fillet │ / │ / │ │ │
│ │ ┌──────────┐/ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ / │ │
│ │ │ │ / │ │
│ │ └──────────┘ │ │
│ │ │ │
└──────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┴───────────────┘
[1] Box [2] Cyl [3] Sph [4] Cone │ [u] Union [d] Diff [i] Int
The status bar along the bottom shows available keyboard shortcuts for the current context.
Navigating the Feature Tree
Use j and k (or the arrow keys) to move up and down the feature tree. Press Enter to select a node for editing -- its parameters appear in the property panel on the right, and the shape is highlighted in the viewport. Press Escape to deselect and return focus to the tree.
When a node is selected, you can edit its parameters by pressing Tab to move focus to the property panel, then using j/k to navigate between fields and Enter to edit a value. Type the new number and press Enter to confirm, or Escape to cancel. Changes apply immediately and the viewport redraws.
While the viewport has focus (press v to switch to viewport mode), use h/l to rotate the view left and right, and j/k to tilt up and down. Press r to reset to the default isometric view. Press + and - to zoom in and out.
Adding Primitives
The number keys are shortcuts for adding primitives. Press 1 to add a box, 2 for a cylinder, 3 for a sphere, and 4 for a cone. Each primitive is added at the origin with default dimensions, and focus jumps to the property panel so you can immediately type in the values you want.
You can also press : to open the command input at the bottom of the screen. This accepts the same commands as the REPL -- cube 30 20 10, translate 5 0 0, difference Part1 Part2, and so on. This is useful when you need a command that does not have a dedicated keyboard shortcut.
File Management
Press Ctrl+O to open a file browser. The browser shows .vcad files in the current directory. Navigate with the arrow keys and press Enter to open a file. Press Ctrl+N to create a new empty document.
Saving works with Ctrl+S. If the document has not been saved before, you will be prompted for a filename. The TUI writes .vcad files that preserve the full parametric history.
To export the current model, press Ctrl+E. A dialog appears where you type the output filename -- the format is inferred from the extension, just like the CLI. Type output.stl and press Enter to export an STL file.
┌─ Export ──────────────────────┐
│ Filename: bracket.stl │
│ │
│ [Enter] Export [Esc] Cancel │
└───────────────────────────────┘
Boolean Operations
Select two nodes in the feature tree by pressing Enter on the first, then Space on the second (Space toggles multi-select). With two nodes selected, press u for union, d for difference, or i for intersection. The operation is applied and the result replaces the two inputs in the tree.
For difference, the first node you selected is the body and the second is the tool. If you need to reverse the order, press Escape to deselect and start again with the tool node selected last.
Transforms
With a single node selected, press t to open the transform menu. You will see options for translate, rotate, scale, and mirror. Select one, then enter the values in the dialog that appears. The viewport updates as you confirm each value.
Undo and Redo
Press Ctrl+Z to undo the last operation and Ctrl+Y (or Ctrl+Shift+Z) to redo. The undo stack is unlimited within a session.
Quitting
Press q or Ctrl+C to quit. If there are unsaved changes, the TUI asks whether to save, discard, or cancel.
┌─ Unsaved Changes ─────────────────────────┐
│ Save changes to bracket.vcad before exit? │
│ │
│ [y] Save [n] Discard [Esc] Cancel │
└────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The TUI requires a terminal at least 80 columns wide and 24 rows tall. If your terminal is smaller, the viewport panel may not render correctly. Resize your terminal or use vcad repl as a fallback.
The TUI gives you keyboard-driven CAD editing anywhere you have a terminal. For more powerful automation and batch workflows, see the Scripting & Pipelines tutorial. For a complete list of CLI commands and flags, see the CLI Commands reference.