Ok, I need a decent Linux CAD package

Discussion in 'Software' started by Tim B, Dec 16, 2004.

  1. Tim B
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    Tim B Senior Member

    Ok, well Rhino 3 has license issues, and all the other cad packages for Linux seem to be designed with mechanical engineering in mind or do not have evaluation copies. For 3D capability, read cubes, spheres and pipes. not really a hull design system.
    My proposal is this, I take my existing hull design software (a screenshot of which is floating around at

    http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/showthread.php?t=4587&highlight=NURBS+Basis

    and re-write it as the base for a Linux Hull design program I am not suggesting anything too fancy, simplistically, a surface/Hydrostats/Lines plotting system. I would really like to keep this free. would anybody be interested in developing routines for it? All programming will be in Fortran 90 ('cos it's easy). The method currently uses B-Splines, but I am working on a NURBS surface routine. Perhaps a switch within the code to use either method?
    Also if anyone wants to beta-test the software that would be helpful.

    What do you think guys? worth a shot?

    If you want to help I'll dedicate part of my website to it for easy access to the binaries (would still have to e-mail for source code as I can't do secure transfer).

    Tim B.
     
  2. ABoatGuy
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    ABoatGuy Member

    I guess my only comment would be: WHY?

    In my humble opinion software is a tool and the operating system is incidental. If your trying to make a buck in this business you go for the best tool. Linux, at this point, certainly doesn't have the best tools for naval architechture/yacht design. With tools like Rhino floating around for less then a $1000 dollars, among dozens of others (some free), why start over simply to operate in Linux. I don't get it. I'm not a Windows junkie by any stretch, but I don't go to the hardware store and try and reinvent the screwdriver either.

    I'm not trying to start a war, just curious about the fasination with Linux. It may be the greatest operating system known to man, but 99% of the tools for naval architecture/yacht design are Windows based and they work quite well.

    I guess I just don't get it. O' well. It won't be the first thing I didn't get! :)
     
  3. Tim B
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    Tim B Senior Member

    You are, of course quite right, why on earth I should want to is a good question. Basically, I am developing some code and the people I am working with are developing everything under linux... can't say more than that, I'm afraid. Obviously, it is ridiculous to develope a system which requires both Windows and Linux. Furthermore, F90 isn't free under windows, which is a pain. So, I have almost everything I need, except the CAD/Surfacing package.

    I quite agree, I am not here to re-invent the wheel, I am just here to change the axle.

    Tim B.
     
  4. ABoatGuy
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    ABoatGuy Member

    Sounds good to me Tim.

    :)
     
  5. nero
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    nero Senior Member

    Beta testing

    Yes, I will try to run it under OSX.
     
  6. mistral
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    mistral Senior Member

    do you know anything about a software called "Blender"?? I heard it's an open source CAD package in linux environment; i'm thinking about leaving windows xp for linux but i need a good CAD package, otherwise i'll be forced to stay on win xp :-((

    Mistral
     
  7. nevd
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    nevd Junior Member

    LinuxCAD

    Does anybody have experience with LinuxCAD which is claimed to be a replacement for AutoCAD?
     
  8. Tim B
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    Tim B Senior Member

    Sorry for my recent inactivities, but girlfriends, families and degree work... you know the story. Many thanks Nero, when I finally get started on this (sometime early 2005) I will see if I can get someone to compile a MAC-OS X version. It is a little more difficult than I would like, as I don't run OS X. I run Mandrake Linux (and have access to Win 9x).

    I have had a play with the evaluation of QCad in preference to Linux CAD. and that is now my main 2D platform under linux... leaves a lot to be desired, though.

    In other news... It seems that both Rhino V1 and V2 will run under wine, though I have yet to inform Mcneel and Co. of this fact.

    Cheers for Now,

    Tim B
     
  9. Tim B
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    Tim B Senior Member

    Progress Announcement

    Ladies and Gentlemen,

    I would like to announce that I have developed a B-Spline curve routine and a NURBS curve routine that agree with Rhino's routines. I am now turning my efforts to validating the B-Spline and NURBS surface routines.

    Tim Brocklehurst.
     
  10. samh
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    samh Junior Member

    blender

    Someone mentioned blender - thats kind of interesting... it was originally designed for use by the neo-geo game console manufacturers, then purchased by the open source community when the company went under. It is more analogous to 3ds max than rhino or fastship.

    That being said, one could probably model a hull with it.. haven't used it in a while, it is free and does have some nurbs capabilities. It also has an active developers base, so getting output (IGES or linuxcad .dxf sections or whatever) probably wouldn't be too big of a deal.

    This is really using a wrench to hammer in a nail, but then again who hasn't used a wrench to hammer in a nail.

    SH
     
  11. Tim B
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    Tim B Senior Member

    Progress Report

    Well, you may be able to tell that I've had some time to get on with this project. I have done a validation case on my B-Spline surface and NURBS surface routines, in comparison with Rhino V3. The mean deviation is typically 0.00000000001 units (ie. 1e-10). I think this should probably be sufficienct similarity for even the demanding CFD jobs around.

    Interesting comment, sam. blender is certainly worth a look, but if it was developed for computer games it may not give the definition or control we are after for a hull.

    I suggest looking at OPEN NURBS. as I am told it has a definition of the *.3dm file type. if anyone knows any more, feel free to divulge information.


    Tim B.
     
  12. Tim B
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    Tim B Senior Member

    Quick Progress report...

    I have worked out how to use the Xwin plotting libraries, and how to compile them, so I am one step closer to drawing a hull. I may well write a utility to plot a Hull from an offsets file or an SDN file (I will supply the SDN file-type as it is easy to reverse-engineer) see 'free-stuff' on my website for some converters. Unfortunately I have been rather snowed under with uni work and research, so progress is slow at present.

    Cheers,

    Tim B.
     

  13. Tim B
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    Tim B Senior Member

    Correction to NURBS routine...

    It came to my attention that there was an in-accuracy in the NURBS routine. Essentially the control-point weighting was incorrect. This has now been rectified. Please note that this innaccuracy comes from the code at:

    http://www.nar-associates.com/nurbs/c_code.html

    Unfortunately I have been rather busy recently, but I hope work will resume shortly.

    Tim B.
     
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