v0.3.0

PartBuddy is a free desktop app for designing parts for FDM 3D printing together with an AI assistant, in real CAD.

What's new

• Parts that move: when a design has joints, "Moving parts" above the view shows a slider for each one. Drag it and the parts follow at once; "As designed" puts everything back.
• Hinges and guides from the assistant: ask for a lid that folds or a carriage that slides. The assistant builds a print-in-place hinge or a dovetail guide between two parts, with the same gap everywhere (your printer's nozzle, at least 0.3 mm), joins them and sets the limits where the parts meet.
• Checked through its range: the ready-to-print check runs every joint to its limits, points at the place where two parts meet too early, and tells you when a part is not standing as designed.
• Blocks stay with the part: slots, text, logos and nut traps move along when the part they are on moves.

Hinges and guides are designed to print in one piece and are checked through their range in SolidCraft; they have not been test-printed yet, so print one before you rely on the gap.

Download and requirements

1. PartBuddy: download PartBuddy-Setup-0.3.0.exe below and run it (Windows 10/11, installs for your user only). The installer is not code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen warns once: choose "More info", then "Run anyway". PartBuddy checks for updates through this page.
2. SolidCraft 0.40.0-rc.3: PartBuddy designs with the free SolidCraft CAD kernel. Install the pre-release SolidCraft 0.40.0-rc.3 (on Windows SolidCraft-0.40.0-rc.3-windows-x64.exe).
3. An assistant: your Claude subscription through Claude Code, your ChatGPT subscription, or a local model (Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp, vLLM). The first start walks you through it.

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0.3.0 (2026-11-10)

Features

• desktop: joints move with a slider in the view (#296) (21073ab)
• desktop: the assistant builds a dovetail guide with one call (#300) (3772bff)
• desktop: the assistant builds a print-in-place hinge with one call (#299) (6a9cd0a)
• desktop: the parts of a joint follow its slider while it is dragged (#301) (f61ee5f)
• desktop: the ready-to-print check runs joints through their range (#298) (a252a2e)

Bug Fixes

• desktop: a joint away from as designed shows in the check at once (#306) (0295778)
• desktop: a mechanism out of reach of its bodies is taken back (#302) (48fee2e)
• desktop: sketched blocks stay in a part when its joint moves (#304) (0fed294)
• desktop: the outer knuckles of a hinge stand clear of a wider body (#307) (8ab1d19)
• desktop: what is built onto a part that moves is built in its component (#303) (d7c4130)

v0.2.1

PartBuddy is a free desktop app for designing parts for FDM 3D printing together with an AI assistant, in real CAD.

What's new

• Keep writing while the assistant works: your message waits until it is done, or goes right away with "Send now".
• Several photos in one message: show the object from more than one side.
• Polish across the whole app after a UI/UX review: errors in plain words, feedback as a card, settings that apply at once, a clearer selection, softer motion.

Also: PartBuddy no longer cuts Claude Code off while it renews your sign-in, which could sign you out overnight; the sharing package is ready in a third of the time; notes work on edges beside a fillet; switching projects no longer restarts SolidCraft.

Download and requirements

1. PartBuddy: download PartBuddy-Setup-0.2.1.exe below and run it (Windows 10/11, installs for your user only). The installer is not code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen warns once: choose "More info", then "Run anyway". PartBuddy checks for updates through this page.
2. SolidCraft 0.40.0-rc.3: PartBuddy designs with the free SolidCraft CAD kernel. Install the pre-release SolidCraft 0.40.0-rc.3 (on Windows SolidCraft-0.40.0-rc.3-windows-x64.exe).
3. An assistant: your Claude subscription through Claude Code, your ChatGPT subscription, or a local model (Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp, vLLM). The first start walks you through it.

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0.2.1 (2026-11-10)

Features

• desktop: send while the assistant works – the message waits, or goes now (#281) (8b3c9aa)
• desktop: several photos per message; the window never scrolls (#280) (c5adea9)

Bug Fixes

• desktop: 3D view and dock audit findings – errors in words, room, one editor (#263) (fbea25b)
• desktop: a failed geometry check is not called a wall thickness problem (#283) (db7bd84)
• desktop: a note on an edge beside a fillet is kept; several photos are counted (#293) (ca27d7c)
• desktop: a renewed Claude sign-in is kept, its process leaves on its own (#294) (62da7c5)
• desktop: a sharing package takes its four pictures side by side; rollback bar in its gap (#289) (bdc8d15)
• desktop: a template tile says it is building, the others wait (#278) (80f1881)
• desktop: a text cut into a face finds its face again; the release version is checked (#255) (688cdd2)
• desktop: an inlaid colour logo joins each fill first, then cuts its pocket a fill at a time (#285) (4f5e6a8)
• desktop: assistant audit findings – menus, cards, attachments, log (#264) (32003b0)
• desktop: audit remainders – draggable structure panel, isolate, sort direction, restart hint (#271) (8627817)
• desktop: audit remainders – refused parameter value, printer name, German feature names (#272) (2baad1c)
• desktop: chat rounds 30 px apart, answer actions inside the answer (#279) (7a7e9a6)
• desktop: cross-cutting audit findings – shortcuts, strings, numbers, contrast, toasts (#262) (cc27644)
• desktop: curves of an SVG with a control point on their end get a tangent (#284) (ab8c6dd)
• desktop: errors of the interface land in the log, a crash shows a message instead of white (#260) (89f6fb0)
• desktop: hover and selection colours fade over 120 ms (#275) (bffb4cc)
• desktop: motion audit findings – what appeared hard now fades in; phase 2 status (#270) (35fae37)
• desktop: one card per web search, readable link titles; a real research picture (#288) (72955b6)
• desktop: reset printers and materials to the starting profiles (#276) (1ea9e0b)
• desktop: selection look – light face tint, outlined tree body, others step back in assembly (#274) (366faeb)
• desktop: settings and print audit findings – words, search, segments, paths (#266) (f66d37f)
• desktop: settings save model – print profiles apply at once, tolerance steps in place (#273) (18c082b)
• desktop: start page and first start audit findings – offline way forward, order, search (#265) (23d3a7c)
• desktop: structure, timeline and notes audit findings – meanings, menu, wish field (#267) (e25638c)
• desktop: the depth arrow of a logo has its name again (#282) (4fc3f05)
• desktop: title bar, menus and versions audit findings – rename check, versions, export icons (#268) (151ca3b)
• site: take the website pictures with SolidCraft 0.40.0-rc.3 and keep the app's log (#258) (55f6e0d)

Performance

• desktop: switch projects in the running SolidCraft instead of restarting it (#277) (909e8b0)

v0.2.0

PartBuddy is a free desktop app for designing parts for FDM 3D printing together with an AI assistant, in real CAD.

What's new

• Logos and text right on the part: SVG logos engraved or raised, in one colour or a body per filament; text in any installed font. Both are moved, turned, sized and changed afterwards on the part.
• Place before you build: holes and blocks sit where you put them with fields, centre buttons and drag arrows, with a live preview; screw holes and inserts also as a row.
• A clearer selection dock: actions grouped into change, add and print, a short explanation on every button, and one field for what should happen here, done now or kept as a note.

Download and requirements

1. PartBuddy: download PartBuddy-Setup-0.2.0.exe below and run it (Windows 10/11, installs for your user only). The installer is not code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen warns once: choose "More info", then "Run anyway". PartBuddy checks for updates through this page.
2. SolidCraft 0.40.0-rc.3: PartBuddy designs with the free SolidCraft CAD kernel. Install the pre-release SolidCraft 0.40.0-rc.3 (on Windows SolidCraft-0.40.0-rc.3-windows-x64.exe).
3. An assistant: your Claude subscription through Claude Code, your ChatGPT subscription, or a local model (Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp, vLLM). The first start walks you through it.

Texts built before 0.2.0 keep their place but cannot be changed afterwards; build them again to edit them.

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0.2.0 (2026-11-09)

Features

• desktop: a built text is changed afterwards like a logo, and logos and texts get a size arrow (#246) (5dd17bf)
• desktop: a click on a logo picks the whole logo; panels above the view's arrows (#233) (9ccbc44)
• desktop: a hole is placed on its face before it is drilled, like a block (#250) (089d236)
• desktop: a row of holes from the dock: count and spacing across and up (#239) (b3d7217)
• desktop: a way back from the dock's forms: Cancel, Apply and Esc (#237) (0ae15e8)
• desktop: add six printers to the catalog, test version on SolidCraft rc.3 (#195) (65dc224)
• desktop: an SVG as a part of its own, with chosen fills, as a movable logo (#234) (1f311ab)
• desktop: build an SVG logo a body per colour for multi-colour prints (#201) (7909341)
• desktop: build SVG strokes as outlines, so line icons work (#229) (4836ada)
• desktop: detailed templates and showcase models for the website pictures (#194) (5fe3fc4)
• desktop: dimension field for the distance of two parallel faces (#197) (697b18d)
• desktop: drag arrow on the part for the dimension field (#199) (e8421b1)
• desktop: leave out a white sheet or a frame around an SVG drawing (#235) (d2bde12)
• desktop: merge SVG colours that look the same, and down to the filaments (#230) (60d1afe)
• desktop: move a placed logo exactly and centre it on its face (#202) (adf17cf)
• desktop: move a placed logo on the part with fields, arrows and centre buttons (#206) (d47d7af)
• desktop: one field in the dock for what should happen here: do it now or keep as a note (#240) (c65d6f6)
• desktop: pick the parameter when several drive a dimension (#198) (97fdd38)
• desktop: place a block before building it, like a logo (#238) (f2a48b6)
• desktop: place an attached SVG as a logo with its own tool (#205) (a2c7139)
• desktop: read SVG drawings in the chat exactly and safely (#200) (231eadc)
• desktop: resize a placed logo about its middle (#228) (37ca06e)
• desktop: set a logo's depth on the part and centre a new one on its face (#207) (559a231)
• desktop: step the dimension field with the arrow keys (#196) (c617843)
• desktop: text in any installed font, and a preview with sharp edges (#245) (f5c0231)
• desktop: the dock explains its buttons and itself once (#242) (eb3ba49)
• desktop: the dock's head tells a flat face by its size, not as a plane with an area (#241) (2346563)
• desktop: the font is a field to type into over a list in each font's face, and the dock folds (#247) (f78a39a)
• desktop: the selection dock groups its actions, with tiles for the usual blocks (#236) (a48b56d)
• desktop: turn a placed logo about its middle (#226) (a8b3309)
• desktop: warn about SVG details narrower than the nozzle (#227) (744e427)

Bug Fixes

• deps: update 3d viewer (#216) (c87ab24)
• deps: update ai and @ai-sdk/openai together (#220) (250ee36)
• deps: update dependency dockview-react to v8.8.3 (#217) (a85de6a)
• deps: update dependency i18next to v26.6.0 (#218) (cbb12bb)
• deps: update dependency jose to v6.2.14 (#213) ([5d5d1c9](5d5d1c949726710298109...

v0.1.0

PartBuddy is a free desktop app for designing parts for FDM 3D printing together with an AI assistant, in real CAD. This is the first preview.

Download and requirements

1. PartBuddy: download PartBuddy-Setup-0.1.0.exe below and run it (Windows 10/11, installs for your user only). The installer is not code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen warns once: choose "More info", then "Run anyway".
2. SolidCraft 0.40.0-rc.3: PartBuddy designs with the free SolidCraft CAD kernel. Install the pre-release SolidCraft 0.40.0-rc.3 (on Windows SolidCraft-0.40.0-rc.3-windows-x64.exe). The SolidCraft release list still marks 0.30.1 as "Latest"; PartBuddy also starts with 0.30.1, but it is tested on 0.40 only. Designs saved by SolidCraft 0.40.0-rc.3 cannot be opened by 0.30.1 or 0.40.0-rc.2.
3. An assistant: your Claude subscription through Claude Code, your ChatGPT subscription, or a local model (Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp, vLLM). The first start walks you through it.

PartBuddy checks for updates through this page.

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0.1.0 (2026-11-08)

Features

• brand: add the PartBuddy brand identity (#5) (cf0e425)
• design-tokens: add design tokens with WCAG contrast test (29d74bb)
• design-tokens: add weight, tracking, motion and layout tokens (a164419)
• design-tokens: state, motion and focus tokens; UI inventory (#171) (0e8649d)
• desktop: a project as one .partbuddy file to export and import (#160) (69620a6)
• desktop: actions, multiple selection and measuring at the selection (M1b-2) (#35) (4d4cee3)
• desktop: add materials from a catalog of 17 material types (#184) (f7c183b)
• desktop: add printers from a catalog of 70 makers' data sheets (#182) (2393fe7)
• desktop: add the Bambu Lab H3C to the printer catalog (#183) (8a7e508)
• desktop: add the Electron app with SolidCraft supervisor and mirrored 3D view (#15) (809e110)
• desktop: ask in rounds of up to four questions with a recommendation (#124) (adb8c71)
• desktop: assistant chat polish – Markdown with Shiki, work folds, motion, scrolling, composer, performance, states (#151) (6a07faf)
• desktop: assistant designs refined, print-fitted models by default (#168) (483b6ca)
• desktop: assistant route as a chip beside the composer (#48) (136c664)
• desktop: CAD viewport, plate view and animated assembly (#155) (7cb3af9)
• desktop: calm 3D view look and technical dimension lines (#63) (73fb917)
• desktop: checkbox, radio, switch, segments, selects and sliders with every state (#174) (9dc445b)
• desktop: choose model and effort at the assistant chip (B1) (#88) (8f90683)
• desktop: choose the SolidCraft program and check its version (R0) (#85) (de49dff)
• desktop: clearance between parts in the print light (F2) (#104) (09e82b7)
• desktop: colour theme setting (#52) (5490d43)
• desktop: compact timeline with a draggable rollback bar (#66) (3154732)
• desktop: design a new part concept first, then ask about its use (#126) (f750a4c)
• desktop: design without support from the print profile (M7f) (#80) (4542e46)
• desktop: dimension field at the selection with a ghost preview (M1b) (#34) (852be57)
• desktop: dimensions in the view, changed through their labels (M2b-3) (#42) (243d5f6)
• desktop: display modes and a section through the design (#59) (f042022)
• desktop: dock the selection panel at the bottom of the view (#65) (c322ab8)
• desktop: exploded view for prints of several parts (F7) (#111) (57e2d57)
• desktop: favourites and tags on the start page (#162) (0050f0d)
• desktop: find LM Studio, llama.cpp and vLLM as local model servers (F8) (#116) (7b012ef)
• desktop: find Strata as a local model server (F8) (#115) (817703e)
• desktop: first-start setup for SolidCraft, assistant, printer and project folder (B9) (#98) (a4cdbfb)
• desktop: fold the work log into one line per request and let the chat be resized (#61) (3d2fa6d)
• desktop: follow every AI step live in the 3D view (#22) (2dfa70f)
• desktop: function blocks for tapped holes, screw holes, insert seats and bosses (F1) (#100) (9ecbea4)
• desktop: give the 3D view depth with sky light and a shadow under the part (#58) (0afe00d)
• desktop: icons from Zoo Design Studio for CAD operations, common CAD terms (#53) (fbe950b)
• desktop: import STEP, IGES and meshes as a project or into the open one (B4) (#92) ([7b62441](7b62441...