On Sun, Dec 17, 2006 at 01:31:48PM -0800, NickW wrote:
> >I also wanted to know the direction the pythoncad
would take
> >for the future . . . ie will there be 3D objects
incorporated
> in it or any .dwg and .dgn support
>
> That is a plan. I've run this program, autocad,
casmate, beta pagemaker
> with rotating line input formats and another auto
design prog. I know
> it's possible and the steps following acceptance of
deliverables is
> crucial to answering your question.
Hi.
Right now I'm still concentrating on getting the basic 2-D
functionality
working, so for the immediate future I'm not planning to try
and add
3-D functionality. I believe the program currently has a
number of
design limitations that would need resolving before a move
to 3-D could
be attempted. I definitely want PythonCAD to handle DWG and
DXF files;
I don't know what '.dgn' is but I'll guess another AutoCAD
file format.
> Tooling is another challenge that will likely take form
outside
> pythoncad but fits with its goals. What if you have a
program that makes
> tool call outs, for example, and run cnc? I've asked
Art Haas about this
> -- no response.
Sorry about that. Extending PythonCAD to handle CNC
machining would
be an incredible feature, but it is one I will definitely
need outside
help in achieving. One possible approach is to add
menus/dialogs
that are site-specific and loaded when the program starts.
I've always
envisioned the program to have this level of customizability
similar
in the way that people have extended XEmacs/Emacs and the
various
lisp-based addons for AutoCAD.
> I'm in the engine block, dimensioning & tolerances
and rocket science
> group. We are open source.
Neat.
> >There are basic functions available in it while I
miss the Snapping
> >part a lot.
PythonCAD will automatically connect to points in a layer,
and I'd like
to add feature like snapping to segment midpoints and other
useful
snap-to destinations. What does 'snapping part' do?
> Do you mean snap to a straight line or bezier curve?
When crafting lines
> in the operating environment I believe line and curve
are two actions
> following generation of a routine. Its job is to accept
input, plot and
> report x and y where you're shaping or cutting.
One drawing entity I started working on was a NURBS entity
for providing
nice smooth curves but things got bogged down. There is code
in
PythonCAD right now for an Ellipse entity but no means of
creating such
an entity or drawing it. Eventually both of these entities
will be
in the program.
Art Haas
--
Man once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard
against absurdities
the most monstrous, and like a ship without rudder, is the
sport of every wind.
-Thomas Jefferson to James Smith, 1822
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