The reason why I joined list is that I found the CAD files of the
Neo1973 at the openmoko.com <http://openmoko.com> site. It is great
that these files are
available, even if they are in a proprietary data format (the
ProE, not
the STEP one), and very likely developed using a proprietary CAD
application.
Developed with Pro/E if they are Pro/E files.
Personally, I have a software development company, in which I have
been developing tailored software for my clients, mostly with open
source technologies, and sometimes with, at least well known, closed
source techs like .NET . Therefore, it was a shockening moment
when I
during 2007 did a consultancy project for an industrial company
producing water taps. It meant going back at least ten years in
time,
back into proprietary hell! Proprietary systems (including
proprietary
interfaces between systems) and proprietary data. CAD was done with
proprietary software, often with more than one CAD system,
resulting in
incompatible, binary-only data.
Having come from inside that industry, I have to agree. A very big
mess.
So my questions for the OpenMoko community are:
* Does there exist any "usable" open source CAD systems? (Is perhaps
Open CASCAE a viable semi-open http://www.opencascade.org/ option?)
Open CASCADE may be an option for a kernel. I do not know much about
it, except it has been used for numerical finite analysis more than
modeling. It could probably do the work, but perhaps a bit slowly?
CAD is a very complex subject. There are many different solutions
for mechanical design, but only 3-4 for parametric controlled
modeling engines, and they are all high-dollar proprietary software
packages with extremely rigid licenses. To date, I know of no OSS
projects to try to create a parametric modeling engine. The original
and on-going development of the 3D parametric modeling engines (such
as ACIS or Parasolid) has taken many, many millions of dollars, so is
a major OSS undertaking, perhaps similar to the Linux kernel.
Blender has a sort of add-on parametric plugin, but it is quite
limited. Alibre Design Xpress is free, but proprietary.
* Is it possible to use a human readable format for CAD data? (Is
perhaps STEP enough for development, or just a format for
interchange
between different CAD applications?)
STEP is a good, complete standard format that I believe all major
packages support well. If I were going to create an OSS 3D modeler
with human readable format, STEP is a good way to go.
IGES is/can be a human readable format, but you lose the parametrics
with IGES. The format was design to drive CNC machines, so is more
about the model exterior than anything else. It's original design
was based on punch-cards, so is very heard to read by humans directly.
There are xml formats, too, but none are really very standardized.
And the most important question:
* Is the OpenMoko community interested in using open source tools
(possibly together with a human readable format) for developing
"non-software" parts?
I think this product has primarily attracted software engineering
types. We should get the word out to non-software people and
increase the audience for that question.
--Mark Arvidson
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