Starting parts

About the development of the Part Design module/workbench. PLEASE DO NOT POST HELP REQUESTS HERE!
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jriegel
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Re: Starting parts

Post by jriegel »

It will for sure make sense to have different sets of templates, since even the methodology of design varies a lot.

First will be to build up that kind of library (in Git or whatever). Then we have to think about delivering it to the user.
Via the packages or some kind of library website with integration into the start-page or similar. But IMO we have to keep in mind
people with no big internet pipe. So it should be possible to install it via CD/DVD...
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yorik
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Re: Starting parts

Post by yorik »

Yes, the more FreeCAD grows, the more the different ways to use it grow too...

@bajsi Nice! These scripts are also very didactic, I didn't think you could manage constraints that far in python already...
Actually now I'm thinking that, apart from a Parts library, we could also start a macros library!
tarassboulba
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Re: Starting parts

Post by tarassboulba »

Hi,
Nice to follows an open discussion like this one. I would like to share my opinion.
I am pleased to see an up-scaling program to share a mass of Pre-parametric ( or even non-parametric) pieces design for FreeCAD or Parts-Library.

I can see at least three points of view about the buiding of the Library:
1-Automatic creation of Parts, depending of the evolution of FreeCAD, or underlying techniques such as python, macro, C modules, and the product of this, an evolving group of Parts which can be a living Library.
2-A Raw, fixed Parts Library. (Which parts don't depends of other structures, and eventually not in FreeCAD Format ?)
3-"Macro Parts" which constructs Parts as simple as possible.

A raw library, would have to be well classified to be used easily.

There is multiples way of creating Parts, as the one experimented by bajsi with macro and constraints.
I may probably propose another way of creating parametric Parts with the usage of the Properties
of "Feature python" but it's not the question here.

It would be interesting to see an access to this kind of Library in the Gui of FreeCAD, and by the way, to discuss about the opportunity to add and attach other Properties to each of this Parts, like thumbnails, small picture, schematic representation, and a small description, explanation and cotations. The problem of internationalisation is coming: And the translations ? Another question is what type of structure ( tree - group - technical division ) is commonly use to classified the parts of this growing Library.

For users/contributors, it would be interesting to see the evolution and to help with this part of the project.
In order to help having a global view, what about fixing rules and defining milestones?
It could be something like:
1- A Raw Library First ( Raw materials to thing about what is really needed by users )
2- Refining structure of Library
3- Discussion of up-level structures for classification/Presentation/Gui/translation
4- Implementation of target structure
5- Creation of tools for an "automatic creation" way.

If I can do something for help, I would be pleased to do so.

(Sorry for my english which is not my mother-tongue)
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yorik
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Re: Starting parts

Post by yorik »

Related to the discussion about diff and merge, look at this interesting presentation, shoogen & jriegel (and everyone else, actually) : http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~jdenning/p ... tation.pdf
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jriegel
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Re: Starting parts

Post by jriegel »

Thanks Yorik!
Very nice paper indeed!

I think its maybe a good idea to store always STL with the data to allow such techniques.

I have no strong opinion so far how to build a end-user standard/start-part library. I would support any way which appears and meet certain criteria.

One thing I know for sure. I would emphasize some hart conditions:
1. No library should include python-code! That would be a huge security risk!
2. All parts in such a library need to have a clear license and author attached. Otherwise we will have big trouble with the OpenSource distros, like Debian, and huge legals risk for the future...
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yorik
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Re: Starting parts

Post by yorik »

jriegel wrote: All parts in such a library need to have a clear license and author attached
This gives me an idea... In a freecad file, you have meta-fields where you can fill author name, project name, comments, etc. We could also have one more field specific for license, so a freecad file could have all that info embedded...

Right now there is a license information for the whole repo, in the readme file, but maybe it would be better to add a license text for each part, I'm still not too sure how to do that.
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jriegel
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Re: Starting parts

Post by jriegel »

Yes, I would do it for at least the document. I think a string property with the short of the license, like "CC-BY 3.0" or "All rights reserved"
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Re: Starting parts

Post by rockn »

Perhaps we need to have only the fcstd file (with licence embedded) in the "library".
And when we want directly the .stl (for example) freecad convert it on the fly.
And if the library is on the cloud the server need python and freecad installed to convert on demand. Is it possible ?
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jriegel
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Re: Starting parts

Post by jriegel »

Sure!
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yorik
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Re: Starting parts

Post by yorik »

Yes, but in the meantime, it's a good idea to furnish the stl too, so we can take advantage of the github stl viewer. Of course this is all provisory, one day we will surely have something better to store those objects and we can think of any wild thing...

I think I can add that license string, I'll make use of my C++ superpowers...
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