PLaSM

{{Short description|Scripting language designed for solid modeling}}

{{infobox software

| name = PLaSM

| developer = PLaSM Team

| programming language = C++ with Python wrappers

| operating system = Linux, Windows, Mac

| genre = Solid modeling software

| license = GNU General Public License

| website = {{URL|https://www.dia.uniroma3.it/plasm/}}

}}

PLaSM (Programming Language of Solid Modeling) is an open source scripting languageA. Paoluzzi: Geometric Programming for Computer Aided Design, Wiley, 2003 for solid modeling,{{cite book |url=http://sal-cnc.me.wisc.edu/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=143&func=fileinfo&id=53 |title= Solid Modeling|author= Shapiro, Vadim |year= 2001 |publisher= Elsevier |accessdate=20 April 2010}} a discipline that constitutes the foundation of computer-aided design{{cite book|last=LaCourse|first=Donald|title=Handbook of Solid Modeling|publisher=McGraw Hill|year=1995|pages=2.5|chapter=2|isbn=978-0-07-035788-4}} and CAD systems. In contrast to other CAD programs, PLaSM emphasizes scripting rather than interactive GUI work. Users can create arbitrarily complex designs using a wide range of simple 2D and 3D objects, advanced curves and curved surfaces, Boolean operations,{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/0010-4485(80)90025-1|title=Closure of Boolean operations on geometric entities|year=1980|last1=Tilove|first1=R.B.|last2=Requicha|first2=A.A.G.|journal=Computer-Aided Design|volume=12|issue=5|pages=219–220}} and elementary as well as advanced geometric transformations.{{cite journal |title= Solid Modeling: Current Status and Research Directions|journal= IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications|volume= 3|issue= 7|pages= 25–37|author1=Requicha, A.A.G |author2=Voelcker, H. |name-list-style=amp |year= 1983 |publisher= IEEE Computer Graphics |doi= 10.1109/MCG.1983.263271|s2cid= 14462567}}

The scripting approach is very different from working with an interactive graphical user interface (GUI). Although it means less user comfort, it offers some advantages as scripts reveal all details of the design procedure (not only the final design) and students are exposed to elementary computer programming.