# OpenVCAD 3.0 Internal Beta Guide

This guide is for lab members using the OpenVCAD 3.0 internal beta. OpenVCAD 3.0 is the attribute-modeling version of OpenVCAD, and it changes the core modeling workflow compared with older versions.

```{important}
This is a closed internal beta. Do not share the wheel files, release ZIP files, or other beta installation artifacts outside the approved lab group.
```

## Where to Find the v3 Docs

Use the OpenVCAD 3.0 development documentation site:

[https://matterassembly.org/OpenVCAD-Docs/v3-dev/index.html](https://matterassembly.org/OpenVCAD-Docs/v3-dev/index.html)

These docs are separate from the older public OpenVCAD documentation. When working with the beta, make sure you are reading the v3-dev docs.

## Installing the Beta

Follow the [Installation](../install.md) page for the current beta wheel workflow. The beta is installed from wheel files attached to internal GitHub releases, not with `pip install OpenVCAD`.

Use a dedicated virtual environment for OpenVCAD 3.0 beta work. Keep it separate from any OpenVCAD 2.x environment if you still need the old version for existing projects.

## What to Read First

Start by reading and following along with the guides. Even if you have used OpenVCAD before, OpenVCAD 3.0 changes the modeling workflow enough that the guide sequence matters.

Read these first:

1. [Theory and Motivation](theory-and-motivation.md)
2. [Getting Started with OpenVCAD](getting-started.md)
3. [Functional Grading Guide](gradients.md)
4. [Python Functions for Attributes](numba-attributes.md)
5. [Math Expressions in OpenVCAD](math-expressions.md)
6. [Attribute Conflict Resolution](attribute-conflicts.md)
7. [Attribute Modifier and Resolver Guide](attribute-resolver.md)

It is especially important to read [Theory and Motivation](theory-and-motivation.md) first, then follow along with the [Getting Started with OpenVCAD](getting-started.md) guide. Together, those guides introduce the new attribute-modeling workflow, how attributes attach to geometry, how composition affects attributes, and how coordinate spaces work.

You should also scan the [Compilers](compilers/index.md) overview so you understand which guide matches your output workflow. You do not need to read every compiler guide before starting. Read the guide for the printing or export system you plan to use. For most lab beta users, that will likely be one of the inkjet guides:

- [Material Inkjet](compilers/material-inkjet.md)
- [Color Inkjet](compilers/color-inkjet.md)

## Compatibility with Older OpenVCAD Versions

OpenVCAD 3.0 is not directly backwards compatible with the older OpenVCAD API. Existing scripts may need to be updated before they run on the beta.

The important point is that the old capabilities have not gone away. Everything you could do in the old version can be done in OpenVCAD 3.0, but some designs need to be expressed using the new attribute-modeling workflow.

## Questions, Bugs, and Feedback

Do not use the public repository at [github.com/MacCurdyLab/OpenVCAD-Public](https://github.com/MacCurdyLab/OpenVCAD-Public) for OpenVCAD 3.0 beta issues or discussion. The beta has not been released publicly yet.

Use the lab-internal repository instead:

[https://github.com/MacCurdyLab/openvcad-internal](https://github.com/MacCurdyLab/openvcad-internal)

If you have a question, start with a discussion:

[https://github.com/MacCurdyLab/openvcad-internal/discussions](https://github.com/MacCurdyLab/openvcad-internal/discussions)

If you find an actual bug, report it in the internal issue tracker:

[https://github.com/MacCurdyLab/openvcad-internal/issues?q=sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen](https://github.com/MacCurdyLab/openvcad-internal/issues?q=sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen)

This beta is specifically for feedback. If you have ideas, workflow feedback, or thoughts about what is working well or poorly, start a discussion in the Ideas category:

[https://github.com/MacCurdyLab/openvcad-internal/discussions/categories/ideas](https://github.com/MacCurdyLab/openvcad-internal/discussions/categories/ideas)

Feedback about the transition from the old version is especially useful. Please share what you like compared with the old OpenVCAD workflow, what is not working well, and whether anything important feels missing.