Hi Duarte, Thanks for the insight, I fully agree to keep focus on Blender as a creative tool. A lot of architects use Blender. Not for CAD, but as free design and visualization tool.
I also want to point students here at FreeCAD and other open source CAD projects. BRL-CAD is an umbrella vor 6 CAD projects even: http://brlcad.org/wiki/Google_Summer_of_Code/Project_Ideas Please support them! We really need good open source specialized CAD programs! It's well possible to draw a line between what's CAD and what's 3D modeling and visualization (and animation etc). We can make sure our programs work well together, rather than having Blender to add a CAD module that makes you to not need to learn or support FreeCAD. Why not streamline I/O with the popular CAD tools? In Blender: better precision modeling tools (to make buildings or industrial designed objects) are very welcome, provided it works together in harmony with creative real-time tools as we have now. My 2 cents, -Ton- -------------------------------------------------------- Ton Roosendaal - [email protected] - www.blender.org Chairman Blender Foundation - Producer Blender Institute Entrepotdok 57A - 1018AD Amsterdam - The Netherlands > On 5 Mar, 2016, at 5:08, Duaret Ramos Sapo <[email protected]> wrote: > > As an architect and a frequent Blender user doing precision modeling and > CAD like work daily, I believe such an editor for 2D layout our paper > space page work is a bit overkill and unnecessary in Blender. > It is very different from what Blender currently does, won't properly > fit in with current tools or workflow and will easily feel out of place. > Page layout is such a complex area covering so many different subjects > and tools that I fear it will always feel incomplete or lacking in > features compared to established dedicated tools (like say Inkscape, or > Scribus, or LibreOffice). > Blender already outputs renders in the form of images or even vector > graphics (SVG) with FreeStyle that can easily be set up as isometric > views and then used elsewhere in a dedicated page layout software and I > believe that is enough. > > I would much rather see efforts invested on areas where CAD workflow is > actually lacking in Blender, like say precision modeling tools for > better object snapping (more precise, more responsive, tracking points > like midpoints, edge extension, etc.), better transforms tools (base > points for moving, reference points for rotations, etc) CAD like tools > like trimming and extending, offsetting, fillet, chamfering, especially > for curve objects where such tools are severely lacking. > > This item in ideas page > <http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Dev:Ref/GoogleSummerOfCode/2016/Ideas#Improvements_for_Bezier_Curves> > > details some of the things that need some work at least in the area of > bezier curves, and above all Justas Ingelevičius amazing work > <https://developer.blender.org/T45734> in his patch in the tracker which > is a much much needed improvement for Blender CAD-like workflow that > needs to be made in a way that can safely be merged to trunk. > > On 04-03-2016 15:20, Jaume Bellet wrote: >> I of course agree that blender is not cad tool, but imho lots of >> cad-utilities and workflows will improve it, and i think this should be the >> purpose. >> >> In my field of application as you said blender nowadays can be used on >> finals steps, to get renders and visualization purposes. Could be used in >> early steps for concepts, but lacks of tools. The whole idea should be the >> availability to go from beginning to the end, and this should include the >> availability to get drawings in a 2D space (let's say paper space), that >> could be used to get formal drawings for production if needed, or for >> technical documents. >> >> >> >> 2016-03-04 15:52 GMT+01:00 matmenu <[email protected]>: >> >>> Maybe contact Campbell, as he will work on custom editors for 2.8. But >>> I'm not sure this is something the users and the BF wants in Blender. >>> >>> What would be the advantage of such an editor over the normal quad >>> 3Dview or a normal orthogonal view? I may be wrong, but many users, even >>> architects and engineer know that Blender isn't a CAD program. What we >>> are looking for is not really to make a CAD program out of Blender (32 >>> bit precision will avoid it anyway), but more to make operations that >>> are often required in the sketching (=concept phase) and rendering (= >>> final phase) process easier. And many of those addition, like better >>> snapping, benefit many users (people doing hard surface modelling, cars, >>> etc...). An editor only for CAD user sounds a bit to specific? >>> >>> Maybe you could explain with images better what would be the benefit of >>> such a new editor over the 3D view? If your work goes in the direction >>> of preparing for custom editors, then I guess it would awake much more >>> interest from users and programmers :) Your ISO parts editor could hen >>> be an example of such a custom editor, written in python on top of your >>> new API? >>> >>> On 04/03/2016 13:11, João Araújo wrote: >>>> Your work is amazing Jaume! I guess that it kills a few points from my >>>> initial list (assuming you are going to merge your code with the Blender >>>> master). >>>> >>>> Still, I would like to ear some opinions on the first topic of my list >>>> (editor that would allow the user to make ISO-compliant drawings of >>>> individual parts), which I consider the most important. I can implement >>> the >>>> other points as a python add-on. >>>> >>>> Does anyone have some suggestion as to who I could contact personally >>> that >>>> could possibly be interested in being a mentor for this? >>>> >>>> I will avoid blenderartists for a while, at least until I have more solid >>>> ideas. >>>> >>>> 2016-03-04 11:53 GMT+00:00 Jaume Bellet <[email protected]>: >>>> >>>>> https://vimeo.com/user2228784/videos >>>>> >>>>> Here are some videos of work done in a separate repo from bf official >>> one. >>>>> Work there is still in progress, not for production. >>>>> >>>>> I tried the snap tools to be applied on blender, but the final decision >>> was >>>>> to wait, as the code was on transform, which is a little messy, and >>>>> affecting lots of areas, and was said to check if could be integrated in >>>>> the new coming widgets. >>>>> >>>>> Any built-in cad features will be great ;) >>>>> >>>>> 2016-03-02 21:05 GMT+01:00 Daniel Salazar - patazstudio.com < >>>>> [email protected]>: >>>>> >>>>>> Freecad could be imported in Blender as a python library. I say could >>>>>> because there's a little problem with freecad using py2.7 >>>>>> Daniel Salazar >>>>>> patazstudio.com >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> On Wed, Mar 2, 2016 at 11:50 AM, matmenu <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>>>> Hi João, >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Good to see some interest in improving Blender's CAD capabilities :) I >>>>>>> think it would be a good idea to speak about it on Blenderartists, >>>>>>> giving some focus to avoid the Christmas list effect. From experience >>>>>>> and what I read on the forums though, improving the snapping system >>>>>>> would be very welcome. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> For dimensioning, there are already many addons, 2 of them are really >>>>>>> good: >>>>>>> >>> http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Extensions:2.6/Py/Scripts/Curve/Dimension >>>>>>> and >>>>>>> >>> https://www.blender3darchitect.com/2012/10/dimension-lines-for-blender-with-the-caliper-add-on/ >>>>>>> and https://github.com/Antonioya/blender/tree/master/measureit. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I find it interesting to have some work done in Python in this GSoC as >>>>>>> it will ensure users are able to use it in the end :) >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Regards >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On 02/03/2016 13:17, João Araújo wrote: >>>>>>>> Good afternoon, >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> I am a college student who has known Blender for a few years now, and >>>>>> would >>>>>>>> like to contribute in GSoC 2016 by adding CAD functionality. I would >>>>>> like >>>>>>>> to ear your thoughts on my project idea. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> I have been checking on what has been done to implement CAD in >>>>> Blender. >>>>>> I >>>>>>>> didn't find almost any software. Mostly there were forum discussions >>>>>> about >>>>>>>> how great it would be if Blender could have CAD features, while >>> others >>>>>>>> stated that it would be impractical. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> The only actual add-on I found was this one >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> http://www.cad4arch.com/cadtools/index.htm >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> but although it is still being developed, it is paid and only works >>>>> with >>>>>>>> Blender 2.49b. The author states an intention of embedding it into >>>>>> Blender, >>>>>>>> though. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> From what I read, and based on my experience working with CAD >>>>>> packages, I >>>>>>>> compiled a list of targets for what I would propose myself to achieve >>>>>>>> during GSoC: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> ordered from most important to less important >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> - Add a new editor that would allow the user to make >>> ISO-compliant >>>>>>>> drawings of individual parts. >>>>>>>> - This requires, from the top of my head, the ability of >>>>> drawing >>>>>> the >>>>>>>> 6 isometric views, at a standard scale, on standard sized paper (A4, >>>>> A3, >>>>>>>> etc.), adding dimensions (lengths and angles), centerlines, axes, >>>>> being >>>>>>>> able to do section views (with crosshatch drawing) and detail views. >>>>>>>> - Add sketch tools (the ability to draw lines, circles, >>> rectangles, >>>>>> etc. >>>>>>>> ; this serves the purpose of increasing the precision of drawing with >>>>>>>> Blender) >>>>>>>> - Add reference geometry (reference planes and axes) >>>>>>>> - Add a dimensioning tool (something that allows the user to edit >>>>> the >>>>>>>> dimensions a posteriori the sketch being created) >>>>>>>> - Modify the array modifier in order to allow explicit circular >>>>>> arrays >>>>>>>> - This can already be achieved using a trick with empties, >>>>> but I >>>>>>>> would like to clarify this workflow and simplify it (for example, >>>>>> instead >>>>>>>> of the user rotating the empty by 360/n degrees, where n is the >>> number >>>>>> of >>>>>>>> objects, he would simply select n and the modifier would take care of >>>>>> the >>>>>>>> rest) >>>>>>>> - Add a fillet tool (a very simple addition; can be done with >>>>> vertex >>>>>>>> groups and the bevel modifier currently; once again I simply want to >>>>>>>> simplify it) >>>>>>>> - Add a precise offset tool (currently, I can simply extrude and >>>>>> scale ; >>>>>>>> I want to make this work with the dimensioning tool mentioned above) >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> I believe these are all feasible by me, with the first one being the >>>>>> most >>>>>>>> complex and one of the few requiring C programming. The others could >>>>> be >>>>>>>> implemented as a Python Add-On. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Best regards, >>>>>>>> Joao >>>>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>>> Bf-committers mailing list >>>>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>>>> http://lists.blender.org/mailman/listinfo/bf-committers >>>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>> Bf-committers mailing list >>>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>>> http://lists.blender.org/mailman/listinfo/bf-committers >>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>> Bf-committers mailing list >>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>> http://lists.blender.org/mailman/listinfo/bf-committers >>>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Bf-committers mailing list >>>>> [email protected] >>>>> http://lists.blender.org/mailman/listinfo/bf-committers >>>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Bf-committers mailing list >>>> [email protected] >>>> http://lists.blender.org/mailman/listinfo/bf-committers >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Bf-committers mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> http://lists.blender.org/mailman/listinfo/bf-committers >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> Bf-committers mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.blender.org/mailman/listinfo/bf-committers > > _______________________________________________ > Bf-committers mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.blender.org/mailman/listinfo/bf-committers _______________________________________________ Bf-committers mailing list [email protected] http://lists.blender.org/mailman/listinfo/bf-committers
