Scripted vector drawing app (à la Satimage Smile)

Question

I've used Satimage's Smile app to make vector diagrams (for technical illustrations, laser-cutting patterns, etc) via AppleScript augmented with drawing commands. It's like the opposite of PaintCode, which turns drawings into code. (I'm a mathematician, not an artist, so I want/need to describe images with formulas and equations.)

Sadly, macOS Mojave broke OSAX functionality, making Smile completely unusable.[*] Besides, the oh-so-rudimentary Smile UI can be pretty frustrating. It's time to seek an alternative.

The "code" doesn't have to be AppleScript. I've seen a couple of open-source (usually Qt) apps for editing TikZ, a programmatic graphics language. However, these are geared towards tweaking TikZ code for import into a LaTeX documents and whatnot; I'm looking for something more of a stand-alone document editor, capable of exporting to PDF or EPS directly. (But if there's a really good Mac-like TikZ editor, I'd consider it.)

---

[*] There's apparently an AppleScript workaround using an an auxiliary SatimageOSAX app, but I haven't gotten it to work with Smile. Besides, it's only a patch, doomed to break eventually.

Answer 1

MetaPost

An open source and complete picture drawing language, with plenty of support and documentation, is MetaPost.

The MetaPost system (by John Hobby) implements a picture-drawing language very much like that of MetaFont; the difference is that MetaPost outputs vector graphic files instead of run-length-encoded bitmaps; output formats available are PostScript and SVG.

MetaPost is capable of creating complex images and shapes:

beginfig(11)
    pair A, B, C;
    A:=(0,0); B:=(1cm,0); C:=(0,1cm);
    draw A--B;
    draw B--C dashed evenly;
    draw C--A dashed withdots;

endfig;

beginfig(117)
  u:=2cm;
  pair A, B, C, D, E;
  path p, q, r;

  A = u*up;
  p := (-.2)[ A, A rotated 72 ] -- (1.2)[ A, A rotated 72 ];
  for i=0 upto 5:
    draw p rotated 72i;
  endfor;
  B := 1/2[ A, A rotated 72 ];
  C := .8*B;

  p := B --- C .. (C rotated (2*72)){right};
  % On allonge le chemin p
  p := ( (point 0 of p) - 4mm*unitvector(direction 0 of p))
       --
       (point 0 of p)
       & p &
       (point 2 of p)
       --
       ( (point 2 of p) + 4mm*unitvector(direction 2 of p));

  E = p intersectionpoint (p rotated 72);
  q := p cutbefore fullcircle scaled -2mm shifted E;
  r := p cutafter fullcircle scaled  2mm shifted E;

  for i=0 upto 4:
    draw q rotated 72i;
    draw r rotated 72i;
    draw A rotated 72i withpen pencircle scaled 4bp;
    draw B rotated 72i withpen pencircle scaled 4bp;
    draw C rotated 72i withpen pencircle scaled 4bp;
  endfor;
endfig;

You can install MetaPost as part of BasicTex.

Sketch

Aimed more at designers than engineers, Sketch offers a programmable interface and AppleScript support.

Side Note

As an aside, Apple once distributed a sample vector drawing application also called Sketch. One purpose of Sketch was to demonstrate how to incorporate AppleScript into an application.

Answer 2

Open Source - Computer Aided Design

Another possibility for your laser-cutting projects is a full Computer Aided Design (CAD) application. There are a few open source (free and community maintained) choices, as well as plenty of commercial options.

1. LibreCAD

   LibreCAD is a free Open Source CAD application for Windows, Apple and Linux. Support and documentation is free from our large, dedicated community of users, contributors and developers.

2. QCAD - 2D CAD

   QCAD is a free, open source application for computer aided drafting (CAD) in two dimensions (2D). With QCAD you can create technical drawings such as plans for buildings, interiors, mechanical parts or schematics and diagrams.

3. FreeCAD

   FreeCAD is an open-source parametric 3D modeler made primarily to design real-life objects of any size. Parametric modeling allows you to easily modify your design by going back into your model history and changing its parameters.

Answer 3

Don't forget that PostScript itself is a programming language, with clear commands for creating vector objects.

There are many resources for programming in PostScript, not least on Adobe's website.