Let us examine the example a bit closer.

# Import Lexocad libraries
import OpenLxApp as lx

The import statement loads existing Python code from another file – a module. The Python binding to Lexocad is defined by modules. By importing a module you gain access to Lexocad’s functions through the API (Application Programming Interface).

# Get the active document
doc = lx.Application.getInstance().getActiveDocument()

To actually display something in the 3D scene we need to store the “active document” in a variable: everything that we create later will be assigned to the document.

# Create a geometry in the document
block = lx.Block.createIn(doc)
block.setXLength(3)
block.setYLength(4)
block.setZLength(5)

3D elements have an underlying geometry. Here we create geometry of type “Block” and we assign it to the above document.

# Create an element in the document and assign the geometry to it
elem = lx.Element.createIn(doc)
elem.setGeometry(block)

Here we create the 3D element and we assign it to the above document. The above geometry is then assigned to the element itself.

# Recompute the document
doc.recompute()

Once we are done adding a new element, we have to tell Lexocad to rebuild the 3D scene: the method “recompute()” applied to the document will do that.