bosl2-joiners

name	bosl2-joiners
description	Learn how to create mating tab/socket geometry using BOSL2 joiners and attach them to specific faces or corners.

BOSL2 Joiners Skill

Purpose

Explain how to create mating tab/socket geometry using BOSL2 joiners and attach them to specific faces or corners.

BOSL2 is an OpenSCAD library that provides a collection of modules for creating complex geometries, including joiners for connecting parts. This skill focuses on using the half_joiner and half_joiner2 modules to create mating features on parts.

• Determine if BOSL2 is available; if not, suggest it's use to the user for enhanced joiner capabilities.
• If BOSL2 is not an option, recommend using custom geometry or basic OpenSCAD features to create similar joiner effects.

Core Joiner Modules

• half_joiner(...) -> one half of the joiner pair (typically tab/protrusion workflow)
• half_joiner2(...) -> complementary half (typically socket/cut workflow)

Exact fit depends on orientation and subtraction strategy (diff()).

Typical Pairing Strategy

Male/Female pair

• On part A: subtract half_joiner2() with diff() to create socket
• On part B: add half_joiner() to create mating tab

Example: Two mating blocks

include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>

// Part A: female socket on RIGHT face
diff()
cuboid([50,15,25]) {
    attach(RIGHT) half_joiner2(screwsize=2);
}

// Part B: male tab on LEFT face
translate([70,0,0])
cuboid([50,15,25]) {
    attach(LEFT) half_joiner(screwsize=2);
}

Corner-style behavior (without corner-specific module)

Create corner behavior by placing joiners on 2+ perpendicular faces:

diff()
cuboid([50,15,25]) {
    attach(RIGHT) half_joiner2(screwsize=2);
    attach(FWD)   half_joiner2(screwsize=2);
}

Mating part uses half_joiner() on opposite faces (LEFT, BACK).

Placement Rules

• Use parent block form so each attach is anchored to cuboid:

cuboid([50,15,25]) {
    attach(RIGHT) half_joiner(...);
    attach(LEFT)  half_joiner2(...);
}

• For short-end faces on a [length,width,height] cuboid:
  • If short side is width (15), ends are usually FWD/BACK (depending on orientation)
  • Verify visually and swap anchors if mirrored

Common Errors

• Ignoring unknown module 'corner_joiner2':
  • Module not available in your BOSL2 version
  • Use combinations of half_joiner/half_joiner2 on multiple faces instead
• Joiner on wrong side:
  • Swap LEFT/RIGHT or FWD/BACK
• Joiner appears attached to another joiner:
  • Use block form { ... } on the parent attachable