OpenSCAD-DOOM: Playing DOOM in a CAD Modeler
Running the classic 1993 shooter at 10-20 FPS in a parametric 3D modeling tool
Media Coverage
Featured In:
The Register: “Knee-Deep in the CAD: Boffin gets Doom running inside a design modeler”
Coverage of the third entry in the engineering tool abuse trilogy, including the accidental smiley-face monster bug
The Trilogy of Engineering Tool Abuse
This is the third project in an increasingly unhinged series asking “Can I run DOOM on engineering tools that were absolutely not designed for games?”
| Project | Tool Abused | FPS |
|---|---|---|
| KiDoom | KiCad PCB Editor | 10-25 |
| ScopeDoom | Oscilloscope | 4-8 |
| OpenSCAD-DOOM | OpenSCAD | 10-20 |
What Makes It Work
A custom Python engine reads DOOM’s WAD files and exports geometry to OpenSCAD in real-time. OpenSCAD’s Animation mode provides the render loop, and the Manifold backend (new in 2025) makes it actually playable rather than a slideshow.