Re: [libreplanet-discuss] Updating the High Priority List

[Fabio Pesari]

On 02/06/2016 01:16 AM, arthur_torrey@comcast.net wrote:
> The thing I've been grumbling about almost since I started using Free 
> Software all to many years ago is the lack of a competent 3-D CAD package.... 
>  LibreCAD is OK for 2D, and it is being actively maintained and worked on, 
> but it is ONLY a 2-D package, and a lot of people look at you like you are 
> nuts for even considering using a 2-D package these days....
> 
> I have looked at several open / free 3-D packages and have yet to find one I 
> could actually do useful (as in can take the drawing to a machine and MAKE 
> the part....)
> 
> If we have ANYTHING that compares to SolidWorks for capability, or the 
> Autodesk Creative Suite, I have never heard about it...
> 
> There are a few 'Free Beer' trap programs like OnShape that offer 'free' 
> 'Software as a Service' 3-D capabilities but that is no less of a trap than 
> proprietary software....
> 
> As an 'inmate' at the Artisan's Asylum, one of the worlds largest hacker 
> spaces, I get a lot of grief because I refuse to use the Solidworks / 
> HSMworks / AutoDesk / MatLab / Simulink installs in our computer lab that are 
> 'Free' for me to use as a member....
> 
> What FLOSS 3D package can compete?  Solidworks / HSMWorks can do FEA analysis 
> on the drawing, can animate the moving parts to check for proper operation 
> and fit, and can then generate the G-code needed to make the part on most CNC 
> machines...
> 
> As an ethical Free Software person, I have to generate HAND WRITTEN G-code 
> (can take longer than drafting the part, and mistakes are potentially 
> catastrophic that we don't even ALLOW hand written code on some of our 
> machines....
> 
> Inkscape might be able to animate a drawing, as long as you don't care about 
> dimensions...
> 
> I'm told there are FEA tools, but not that take a drawing from anything 
> else....

Thanks for your perspective, and for sticking with free software despite
the pressure!

It seems that CAD is still a high priority project, then.

The only one I know is FreeCAD (http://www.freecadweb.org/), but I am
not an expert on this matter so I can't really tell you if it's good or
not. It is actively developed, though (last commit was yesterday). Too
bad they don't want to use the GPLv3, otherwise it'd have LibreDWG
support, but since the license is the LGPLv2+ you could fork FreeCAD
under the GPLv3+ (section 3 of the LGPL) and add LibreDWG support to it.

If that's not good enough, perhaps the Blender devs can build CAD
functionality on top of it, since it's the best 3D program out there and
already does plenty of things (compositing, video editing, game engine,
etc.). Why don't you try asking the Blender devs if that's possible?

Somebody already attempted it, after all:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/blendercad/

I have no idea how good it is or if it works with the latest version of
Blender but it could be a starting point.