Say I wanted to do #3Dmodeling (for #3Dprinting), which #CAD software should I go for? Maker, selling some stuff. Parametric is a must.
I use #Shapr3D which is great but getting pricier ($300/year). My subscription is up for renewal and I’m on the fence. I don’t know if I want to get into #Fusion360 because I don’t trust Autodesk (free for <$1000 profit, $680/year otherwise).
Oddly enough, #SolidWorks has a maker version now ($48/year for <$2000 profit, a bajillion otherwise).
I'm at a crossroads with 4.0 and future development. For a long while, I've been considering a complete re-write. The only way I think I would consider that is if other devs signed on. Otherwise, there are various paths forward with refactoring. And/or splitting out CAM from the rest of the package to provide more freedom of UI expression.
...
there are so many things I would do differently looking back. JS has evolved, browsers have evolved, tool chains have evolved. I would like the final product to be able to be served statically without a server and retaining the options for cloud connected features (as long as they're not necessary for normal functions). I would focus on making a CLI / library for everything first instead of building the UI in lock step. nodejs was not a thing when this project started. I'd like to offload more code into WASM from the start, etc.
What's the intersection of the #javascript#cad and #maker communities here? Anyone interested in both high-performance JavaScript and CAD/CAM want to join in?
Met a really interesting person this morning who is setting up a bike business which includes frame building from recycled materials. They want to learn @FreeCAD so they have DL'd my book. I know very little about frames, but I wanted some #CAD practice so... #biketooter#fc3d
Feeling relatively clear today so thought I'd get a few of the wife's requested prints designed but for some reason #FreeCAD just wouldn't start so went looking for alternatives and stumbled upon #dune3d and OMG what a banging new #CAD tool, it's a very fast core clearly built around keyboard shortcuts but has a lovely context menu you bring up with space and for designing simple parts has absolutely everything I need today. I am very impressed. #3dprinting#design#partdesign
@sp4rkr4t Thank you for mentioning it! I've tried it today too, got many things without watching any tutorials, read all the short and comprehensive documentation, and feel ready to start my own projects now. I like all the complicated stuff FreeCAD can do, but here simple stuff is really simple.
I don't know if I shared this tool, F3D, or not:
Anyway it is a fast compact 3D model viewer for Mac, Win, and Lin. https://f3d.app/
Recommended as it is free and fine. #3d#cad#viewer
@inkscape isn't just a beauty and powerful application for #artists, but with extensions like #gCODEtools and #LinuxCNC it becomes a free & open hub for #CAD & #CAM projects. It only requires the investment of a @Raspberry_Pi 5 to set this up. Amazing that it works so much better than #Adobe#Illustrator while cheaper as an iMac (including the CNC machine), isn't it?
Synthesiser oscillator control panel schematic, redesigned to use an ARM microcontroller instead of logic chips. The second image is a sketch of what it will physically look like. 6 LED switches and 4 faders. #synth#electronics#cad#kicad
Unsere letzte Folge ist zwar schon etwas her, aber wer sie noch nicht gehört hat: Wir sprachen u.a. über #KiCad 8.0 – #Electronics#Design#Automation mit vielen
Okay I have to say having thumbnails for all #3dPrinting / #CAD files is an immense help and very satisfying, especially when drag'n'dropping files around or into :prusaslicer: #PrusaSlicer for example 👍