Curv0.5+snap6

Create mathematical artwork, animated scenes, and two- or three-dimensional models with Curv, including full-colour designs intended for 3D printing. Developed by Ivo Cavalcante, Curv is an open-source programming language and geometric modelling tool for Linux in the Photo & Graphics category. It suits beginners experimenting with shape construction as well as experienced creators who prefer to program geometry directly.

Models use a simple, dynamically typed, pure functional language in which predefined shapes from the standard library can be transformed and joined like building blocks. Curv represents coloured geometry with Function Representation (F-Rep), allowing mathematically expressible shapes and colour patterns to be specified exactly, including forms that are infinitely detailed or infinitely large. Example geometries are available to help users explore these capabilities.

Advanced users can work with the underlying F-Rep programming model, while the standard library itself is written in Curv and can turn shader-demonstration techniques into shorter programs or higher-level operations for newcomers. Curv compiles programs into fragment shaders for GPU-accelerated rendering. It exports watertight, manifold meshes in STL, OBJ, and X3D, avoiding self-intersections, degenerate triangles, and flipped triangles; X3D supports full-colour 3D printing on Shapeways, at least.

The current 0.5+snap6 release requires Linux with snapd and runs on x86_64 (amd64) systems. In this snapped version, the -e option for opening an external editor is unavailable, so the editor must be opened separately, and some GPU configurations have known issues.