diff --git a/cadquery/cqgi.py b/cadquery/cqgi.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..25deebb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cadquery/cqgi.py
@@ -0,0 +1,282 @@
+"""
+
+The CadQuery Container Environment.
+Provides classes and tools for executing CadQuery scripts
+"""
+import ast
+import traceback
+import re
+import time
+
+CQSCRIPT= "<cqscript>"
+BUILD_OBJECT_COLLECTOR = "__boc__"
+
+class CQModel(object):
+    """
+    Object that provides a nice interface to a cq script that
+    is following the cce model
+    """
+    def __init__(self,scriptSource):
+        self.metadata = ScriptMetadata()
+        self.astTree = ast.parse(scriptSource,CQSCRIPT)
+
+        ConstantAssignmentFinder(self.metadata).visit(self.astTree)
+
+        #TODO: pick up other scirpt metadata:
+        # describe
+        # pick up validation methods
+
+    def validate(self,params):
+        raise NotImplementedError("not yet implemented")
+
+    def build(self,params):
+        """
+
+        :param params: dictionary of parameter values to build with
+        :return:
+        """
+        self.setParamValues(params)
+        collector = BuildObjectCollector()
+        env = EnvironmentBuilder().withRealBuiltins() \
+            .addEntry("build_object",collector.build_object).build()
+
+        start = time.clock()
+        result = BuildResult()
+
+
+        c = compile(self.astTree,CQSCRIPT,'exec')
+        exec (c,env)
+        if collector.hasResults():
+            result.setSuccessResult(collector.outputObjects)
+        else:
+            raise ValueError("Script did not call build_object-- no output available.")
+        #except Exception,ex:
+
+        #    result.setFailureResult(ex)
+
+        end = time.clock()
+        result.buildTime = end - start
+        return result
+
+    def setParamValues(self,params):
+        modelParameters = self.metadata.parameters
+
+        for k,v in params.iteritems():
+            if not modelParameters.has_key(k):
+                raise ValueError("Cannot set value '%s', it is not a parameter of the model." % k)
+
+            p = modelParameters[k]
+            p.setValue(v)
+
+
+class BuildResult(object):
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.buildTime = None
+        self.results = []
+        self.success = False
+        self.exception = None
+
+    def setFailureResult(self,ex):
+        self.exception = ex
+        self.success = False
+
+    def setSuccessResult(self,results):
+        self.results = results
+        self.success = True
+
+class ScriptMetadata(object):
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.parameters = {}
+
+    def add_script_parameter(self,p):
+        self.parameters[p.name] = p
+
+class ParameterType(object): pass
+class NumberParameterType(ParameterType) : pass
+class StringParameterType(ParameterType) : pass
+class BooleanParameterType(ParameterType): pass
+
+
+class InputParameter:
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.name = None
+        self.shortDesc = None
+        self.varType = None
+        self.validValues = []
+        self.defaultValue= None
+        self.astNode = None
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def create(astNode,varname,varType, defaultValue,validValues =[],shortDesc = None):
+        p = InputParameter()
+        p.astNode = astNode
+        p.defaultValue = defaultValue
+        p.name = varname
+        if shortDesc == None:
+            p.shortDesc = varname
+        else:
+            p.shortDesc = shortDesc
+        p.varType = varType
+        p.validValues = validValues
+        return p
+
+    def setValue(self,newValue):
+        #todo: check to make sure newValue can be cast correctly?
+        if self.varType == NumberParameterType:
+            self.astNode.n = newValue
+        elif self.varType == StringParameterType:
+            self.astNode.s = str(newValue)
+        elif self.varType == BooleanParameterType:
+            if ( newValue ):
+                self.astNode.value.id = 'True'
+            else:
+                self.astNode.value.id = 'False'
+        else:
+            raise ValueError("Unknown Type of var: ", str(self.varType))
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        return "InputParmaeter: {name=%s, type=%s, defaultValue=%s" % ( self.name, str(self.varType), str(self.defaultValue) )
+
+class BuildObjectCollector(object):
+    """
+    Allows a script to provide output objects
+    """
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.outputObjects = []
+
+    def build_object(self,shape):
+        self.outputObjects.append(shape)
+
+    def hasResults(self):
+        return len(self.outputObjects) > 0
+
+class ScriptExecutor(object):
+    """
+    executes a script in a given environment.
+    """
+    def __init__(self,environment,astTree):
+
+        try:
+            exec ( astTree ) in environment
+        except Exception,ex:
+
+            #an error here means there was a problem compiling the script
+            #try to figure out what line the error was on
+            traceback.print_exc()
+            formatted_lines = traceback.format_exc().splitlines()
+            lineText = ""
+            for f in formatted_lines:
+                if f.find(CQSCRIPT) > -1:
+                    m = re.search("line\\s+(\\d+)",f,re.IGNORECASE )
+                    if m and m.group(1):
+                        lineText = m.group(1)
+                    else:
+                        lineText = 0
+
+        sse = ScriptExecutionError()
+        sse.line = int(lineText)
+        sse.message = str(ex)
+        raise sse
+
+class ScriptExecutionError(Exception):
+    """
+        Represents a script syntax error.
+        Useful for helping clients pinpoint issues with the script
+        interactively
+    """
+    def __init__(self,line=None,message=None):
+        if line is None:
+            self.line = 0
+        else:
+            self.line = line
+
+        if message is None:
+            self.message = "Unknown Script Error"
+        else:
+            self.message = message
+
+    def fullMessage(self):
+        return self.__repr__()
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        return self.__repr__()
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return "ScriptError [Line %s]: %s" % ( self.line, self.message)
+
+class EnvironmentBuilder(object):
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.env = {}
+
+    def withRealBuiltins(self):
+        return self.withBuiltins(__builtins__)
+
+    def withBuiltins(self,dict):
+        self.env['__builtins__'] = dict
+        return self
+
+    def addEntry(self,name, value):
+        self.env[name] = value
+        return self
+
+    def build(self):
+        return self.env
+
+class VariableAssignmentChanger(ast.NodeTransformer):
+    """
+
+    """
+    def __init__(self, overrides):
+        self.overrides = overrides
+
+    def modify_node(self, varname, node):
+        if self.overrides.has_key(varname):
+            new_value = self.overrides[varname]
+            if type(node) == ast.Num:
+                node.n = new_value
+            elif type(node) == ast.Str:
+                node.s = new_value
+            else:
+                raise ValueError("Unknown Assignment Type:" + str(type(node)))
+
+    def visit_Assign(self, node):
+        left_side = node.targets[0]
+        if type(node.value) in [ast.Num, ast.Str]:
+            self.modify_node(left_side.id, node.value)
+        elif type(node.value) == ast.Tuple:
+            # we have a multi-value assignment
+            for n, v in zip(left_side.elts, node.value.elts):
+                self.modify_node(n.id, v)
+        return node
+
+class ConstantAssignmentFinder(ast.NodeTransformer):
+    """
+    Visits a parse tree, and adds script parameters to the cqModel
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self,cqModel):
+        self.cqModel = cqModel
+
+    def handle_assignment(self,varname, valuenode):
+        if type(valuenode) == ast.Num:
+            self.cqModel.add_script_parameter(InputParameter.create(valuenode,varname,NumberParameterType,valuenode.n))
+        elif type(valuenode) == ast.Str:
+            self.cqModel.add_script_parameter(InputParameter.create(valuenode,varname,StringParameterType,valuenode.s))
+        elif type(valuenode == ast.Name):
+            if valuenode.value.Id == 'True':
+                self.cqModel.add_script_parameter(InputParameter.create(valuenode,varname,BooleanParameterType,True))
+            elif valuenode.value.Id == 'False':
+                self.cqModel.add_script_parameter(InputParameter.create(valuenode,varname,BooleanParameterType,True))
+
+    def visit_Assign(self, node):
+        left_side = node.targets[0]
+        if type(node.value) in [ast.Num, ast.Str, ast.Name]:
+            self.handle_assignment(left_side.id,node.value)
+        elif type(node.value) == ast.Tuple:
+            # we have a multi-value assignment
+            for n, v in zip(left_side.elts, node.value.elts):
+                self.handle_assignment(n.id, v)
+        return node
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/TestCQGI.py b/tests/TestCQGI.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8ced76d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/TestCQGI.py
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+"""
+    Tests CQGI functionality
+"""
+
+
+from cadquery import cqgi
+from tests import BaseTest
+
+TESTSCRIPT = """
+height=2.0
+width=3.0
+(a,b) = (1.0,1.0)
+foo="bar"
+
+result =  "%s|%s|%s|%s" % ( str(height) , str(width) , foo , str(a) )
+build_object(result)
+"""
+
+class TestCQGI(BaseTest):
+
+
+    def test_parser(self):
+        model = cqgi.CQModel(TESTSCRIPT)
+        metadata = model.metadata
+        self.assertEquals( len(metadata.parameters) , 5 )
+
+    def test_build_with_empty_params(self):
+        model = cqgi.CQModel(TESTSCRIPT)
+        result = model.build({}) #building with no params should have no affect on the output
+        self.assertTrue(result.success)
+        self.assertTrue(len(result.results) == 1)
+        self.assertTrue(result.results[0] == "2.0|3.0|bar|1.0")
+
+    def test_build_with_different_params(self):
+        model = cqgi.CQModel(TESTSCRIPT)
+        result = model.build({ 'height':3.0})
+        self.assertTrue(result.results[0] == "3.0|3.0|bar|1.0")
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/__init__.py b/tests/__init__.py
index a9e92f8..5dfc40e 100644
--- a/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/__init__.py
@@ -51,4 +51,4 @@ class BaseTest(unittest.TestCase):
         for i, j in zip(actual, expected):
             self.assertAlmostEquals(i, j, places)
 
-__all__ = ['TestCadObjects', 'TestCadQuery', 'TestCQSelectors', 'TestWorkplanes', 'TestExporters', 'TestCQSelectors', 'TestImporters']
+__all__ = ['TestCadObjects', 'TestCadQuery', 'TestCQSelectors', 'TestWorkplanes', 'TestExporters', 'TestCQSelectors', 'TestImporters','TestCQGI']