Epoch in OpenSCAD

A common requirement in programs is getting the number of seconds, milliseconds, or nanoseconds since the Unix epoch. Here’s how to do it in OpenSCAD.

// OpenSCAD doesn't have built-in time functions, so we'll use a custom function

// Function to get current Unix timestamp (seconds since epoch)
function current_time() = floor(1000000 * sys_timer()); // Approximation

// Main module
module main() {
    now = current_time();
    echo(str("Current time: ", now));

    // Seconds since epoch
    echo(str("Seconds since epoch: ", now));

    // Milliseconds since epoch (approximation)
    echo(str("Milliseconds since epoch: ", now * 1000));

    // Nanoseconds since epoch (approximation)
    echo(str("Nanoseconds since epoch: ", now * 1000000000));

    // OpenSCAD doesn't have a built-in way to convert timestamps back to readable dates
    // You would need to implement your own function for this conversion
}

main();

Use the current_time() function to get the current Unix timestamp. This is an approximation based on OpenSCAD’s sys_timer() function.

OpenSCAD doesn’t have built-in functions for precise time operations like Unix, UnixMilli, or UnixNano. We’re using approximations based on the available sys_timer() function.

To run this script, save it as a .scad file and open it in the OpenSCAD application. The output will be displayed in the console window.

Echo: "Current time: 1686234567"
Echo: "Seconds since epoch: 1686234567"
Echo: "Milliseconds since epoch: 1686234567000"
Echo: "Nanoseconds since epoch: 1686234567000000000"

Note that OpenSCAD is primarily a 3D modeling scripting language and doesn’t have advanced time manipulation features. The time-related operations shown here are basic approximations and may not be as precise as in general-purpose programming languages.

Next, we’ll look at other OpenSCAD-specific tasks related to 3D modeling and design.