(guide-introduction)=
# Introduction

Start here if you are new to OpenVCAD. These pages install the toolchain, explain why OpenVCAD models whole volumes instead of surfaces, and walk through your first designs.

| Guide | Focus |
| --- | --- |
| [Installation](../../install.md) | Set up a virtual environment, install OpenVCAD, and get the examples |
| [Theory and motivation](theory-and-motivation.md) | Why attribute modeling, and how it changes the way you design for multi-material printing |
| [Getting started with OpenVCAD](getting-started.md) | Your first `pyvcad` scripts: CSG, transforms, attributes, colors, volume fractions, and coordinate spaces |
| [Moving from version 2 to 3](moving-from-v2-to-v3.md) | How to express version 2 designs with the version 3 attribute-modeling workflow |

Read the guides in order. Every other guide section assumes you have finished Getting Started.

```{toctree}
:maxdepth: 1
:caption: Introduction guides

../../install
theory-and-motivation
getting-started
moving-from-v2-to-v3
```