Thread: Current Status

**jabuffi** · 10-22-2006, 05:16 AM

Being relatively new to the forum and even newer to opensource in general, I've been pouring over all the threads this evening... Seems like there were several (dozens?) of INCREDIBLE ideas, with several threads going to multiple pages of discussion & updates...

Could someone deeply involved with the bulk of this forum give an "integration" of the status of these projects? Death Adder (hope you're still out there and coding, let me know if there's and active string you're on I've missed) seemed to have a lot of steam behind his ideas, but either I can't find the code or the projects are on hold...

********
I guess what I'm really looking for is something (maye akin to an encyclopedia

) that would catch me up on what is currently possible with opensource software and what isn't (maybe just a basic overlook, such as "X software can do solidmodeling", "Y is a great cam package that can import from X", and "Z does both pretty well"). Help anyone?
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I think this is something woefully lacking, b/c for me personally I start to wonder what has been done opensource and what is missing before I want to dedicate time to coding something up...

Thanks in advance!

**ger21** · 10-22-2006, 06:21 AM

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not aware of a single open source software project on this forum ever being completed, or even just getting off the ground other than some basic discussion.

**Switcher** · 10-22-2006, 01:25 PM

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not aware of a single open source software project on this forum ever being completed, or even just getting off the ground other than some basic discussion.
__________________
Gerry

How about that cool Spiro program, that "spalm" made, it's open.

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showth...ighlight=spiro

.

**Dan Falck** · 10-22-2006, 03:55 PM

http://gcam.js.cx/index.php/Main_Page - this one is moving along, although how would one ever say a project is 'completed'?

http://aptos.sourceforge.net/ - this actually works. I have it set up on my machine for generating APT code.

http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/emc...emcinfo.pl?Cam - some links that you might not have seen previously.

Dan

**ger21** · 10-22-2006, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by Switcher

How about that cool Spiro program, that "spalm" made, it's open.

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showth...ighlight=spiro

.

But he wrote it himself.
I assumed the OP was talking about some of the collaborations that have been mentioned here in the past. Nothing has ever come of those.

And I was only talking about projects here. I'm aware that there are plenty of open source projects that get completed.

**jabuffi** · 10-22-2006, 06:23 PM

Dan Falck's reply was of GREAT help! After digging through those links, it seems to me that if one wanted to, it's probably possible to pull together a sweet package consisting of 2 or 3 pieces of open source that would do the entire flow path of CNC- namely a 3D part model -> Cam package-> cut part... Opinions wanted!!!

Ping: If YOU (i.e. anyone reading this) were to do such a thing, what software would you couple together? Seems to me like GCAM has a lot of potential for cam needs... What are opinions on OpenCascade? It obviously supports 3d modeling, but does it also support cam operations, or does it need another piece of software between itself and a machine tool?

**jabuffi** · 10-22-2006, 06:25 PM

p.s. the spiro program is pretty neat, could provide a nice finishing touch on some otherwise plain woodwork or even metalwork! Pieces of software like that would be nice to integrate into the package I'm talking about on my previous post...

**WayneHill** · 10-22-2006, 06:53 PM

I have a suggestion. How about having an area in the open source forum for just code routines? This way anyone can build a program by taking a little bit of this and a little bit of that to create a program for their needs? Or use the routines to create a larger program? I posted an opensource routine (written in Powerbasic) a while back to convert a G-Code file to a DXF file. There has been at least one other programmer that used this code to create a new program in Visual Basic.

I was involved in a large community opensource program for a Powerbasic program editor. The concept was to use only open source programs posted in the public domain, or have the programmers of original program souce to allow the use of their code in the project. It turned out great!

http://com.it-berater.org/sed.htm

**WayneHill** · 10-22-2006, 07:06 PM

OpenCascade is large and complex program. Yes, it has plenty of horsework for a CadCam system. But, who has the time and talent to devote to studing and implementing this complicated source code? Not me.

**Dan Falck** · 10-22-2006, 07:23 PM

Here's a small application that is based on Opencascade:

http://cam.occ.googlepages.com/home

The author is not a professional programmer, he's just having some fun with it.

Dan

**jabuffi** · 10-22-2006, 07:59 PM

So: OpenCascade contains both Cad & Cam capability right (let me know...). And, its sourcecode is pretty clunky or there is a VERY steep learning curve on its implementation...

If my above two suppostions are correct, then what we need (in my opinion) would be to integrate OpenCascade into a higher level program (probably similar to what Dan's post illustrated) that could simplify use of the sourcecode... I'm thinking something that lets one draw intuitivly (Think easy like SolidWorks) but translates back to what the source code needs. Second, it would allow for additional blocks of code to be input to do random things, like Wayne's suggestion (think "Add-Ins" in Excel). This way one could have a powerful solidmodeler with capability to perform a cam function after design is complete, output g-code to a machine, and allow for addition of opensourece modules like Spiro... A full, opensource solution for the entire gambut of Cad & Cam. Thoughts????

**Dan Falck** · 10-22-2006, 09:33 PM

I'm not a C++ programmer, so I can't comment if the code is 'clunky', but I think that it's very capable. The company that created it, Opencascade SA, was the same company that created Euclid, a Catia competitor in the early 90's. From what I understand, the code is derived from this experience. So, it is probably pretty complex. I have been reading the code studying projects based on it and it appears that one could go off in any direction with it, 3d modeller, CAM package, 2D CAD package, etc.

Dan

**Switcher** · 10-22-2006, 10:27 PM

But he wrote it himself.
I assumed the OP was talking about some of the collaborations that have been mentioned here in the past. Nothing has ever come of those.

And I was only talking about projects here. I'm aware that there are plenty of open source projects that get completed.
__________________
Gerry

I thought all "jabuffi" was looking for was cnczone specific projects, only (also).

Anywho ...

Spiro was a one man project, but spalm still left it open for anyone to add to.

Which is a good start for a larger project.

.

**jabuffi** · 10-22-2006, 10:38 PM

Initially I was, but after it became apparent that this forum had typically not gotten past the idea stages, I branched out and started proposing my own ideas... I'll admit I'm a sorry programmer too, but I still think it would be neat to use OpenCacsade as the basis for a powerful opensource application supporting both CAD & CAM... Dan, what "studying projects" were you reading about it? I'd like to see those...

**Dan Falck** · 10-22-2006, 11:57 PM

Here are a few Opencascade projects that I know of:

http://sourceforge.net/search/?type_...ds=opencascade

http://lignumcad.sourceforge.net/doc/en/HTML/index.html

http://cam.occ.googlepages.com/home

Dan

**jabuffi** · 10-23-2006, 03:16 AM

Dan- Thanks for the links. I've seen Cam.Occ, and I'll look into the other two...

Really obvious question (doing 3 things at once, so I'll ask it just in case someone answers before I have time to find it...) : Is OpenCascade written with the intention of being run in Linux, or something else? The reason I ask, if it were then that fact would greatly enhance the option of perhaps coupling it with EMC...

**jabuffi** · 10-23-2006, 03:46 AM

Wayne-
I think your previous reply on setting up a section code modules would be great! For now we could just start a string dedicated to that, just to get the ball rollin'...

**Dan Falck** · 10-23-2006, 04:23 AM

"Really obvious question (doing 3 things at once, so I'll ask it just in case someone answers before I have time to find it...) : Is OpenCascade written with the intention of being run in Linux, or something else? The reason I ask, if it were then that fact would greatly enhance the option of perhaps coupling it with EMC..."

Opencascade is open source and is currently set up for Windows and Linux. I run it under Ubuntu Linux.

Dan

**jabuffi** · 10-23-2006, 04:40 AM

Dan-

I'm curious: What do you currently use it for?

**Dan Falck** · 10-23-2006, 06:31 AM

I'm running and studying Opencascade, mainly to see how it's done. I am just a novice at it.
The guys who are writing the software in the links that I put up earlier can tell you a whole lot more about it than I can.

I am playing around with python programming and have found that I can write little scripts that can control larger programs in C. I have also taken other people's python programs, modified them and learned enough to be dangerous

If you want to check out a simple, but easy to understand python CAD type application, check this out:

http://members.localnet.com/~blanding/cadvas/

Doug made it really easy to understand how a CAD program can be written. I have been hacking it to extract entity data, in the hope to use it for CAM. I'm starting to make progress.

Dan

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