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Wow. Any user of OpenSCAD should check out libfive Studio. It looks amazing.

by mayoff 8y ago

blt 8y ago
This is really cool but it looks like the constraint solver [1] is not much more complex than the one shown in this web page. I really want a program-driven functional CAD tool like libfive or OpenSCAD, but with powerful 3d constraint solving like, e.g. Solidworks can provide. [1] https://github.com/libfive/libfive/blob/master/libfive/include/libfive/solve/solver.hpp https://github.com/libfive/libfive/blob/master/libfive/inclu...
- pwnna 8y ago
  I've always wanted this as well but I haven't gotten the time to actually look into writing this. This would solve a lot of complaints I have and have heard about traditional CAD software, as they tend to constrain you with their very complex GUI.
  - blt 8y ago
    It might not be that difficult to implement a high level DSL around one of the geometric modeling kernels like Parasolid, ACIS, etc. that form the computational core of GUI CAD programs. But I don't know if any equally powerful CAD kernels exist in the open source world.
    - sjm-yc-acct 8y ago
      FreeCAD uses Open CASCADE, which is is a free software (LGPL) CAD kernel. Open CASCADE has a comprehensive modeling API which uses B-rep. For scripting, FreeCAD has a Python interface. CadQuery is another Python tool (DSL) which is a plug-in for FreeCAD. FreeCAD itself already has some constraint functionality. Libfive is layered and can be used without Studio to generate models with its extensible Guile Scheme binding. It uses F-rep modeling. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it should be possible today to add a programmatic (non-GUI) constraint solver to either FreeCAD or Libfive.
      - blt 8y ago
        You are probably right. I realize my previous post sounded pessimistic but I was only trying to state my ignorance :)
sjm-yc-acct 8y ago
Matt Keeter's Libfive is a very promising project. Our company has written a Common Lisp binding: https://common-lisp.net/project/tovero/ https://common-lisp.net/project/tovero/ and it would be useful to have a constraint solver. We are looking at ways of applying Libfive to mechanical design. I have also developed a prototype of a Libfive viewer--written in Guile Scheme for use with a REPL/Emacs: https://github.com/sjm-tl-gh/inspekt3d https://github.com/sjm-tl-gh/inspekt3d Coding 3D models in Lisp has been an amazing experience (even without a constraint solver). Libfive also has a FFI-friendly C API, so other language bindings (e.g. Python) are very feasible. One feature Libfive is currently missing is a general sweep of a shape along a curve--which seems to not be so straight forward with F-rep modeling.

Wow. Any user of OpenSCAD should check out libfive Studio. It looks amazing.

by mayoff 8y ago

Wow. Any user of OpenSCAD should check out libfive Studio. It looks amazing.

blt 8y ago

This is really cool but it looks like the constraint solver [1] is not much more complex than the one shown in this web page. I really want a program-driven functional CAD tool like libfive or OpenSCAD, but with powerful 3d constraint solving like, e.g. Solidworks can provide. [1] https://github.com/libfive/libfive/blob/master/libfive/include/libfive/solve/solver.hpp https://github.com/libfive/libfive/blob/master/libfive/inclu...

pwnna 8y ago
I've always wanted this as well but I haven't gotten the time to actually look into writing this. This would solve a lot of complaints I have and have heard about traditional CAD software, as they tend to constrain you with their very complex GUI.
- blt 8y ago
  It might not be that difficult to implement a high level DSL around one of the geometric modeling kernels like Parasolid, ACIS, etc. that form the computational core of GUI CAD programs. But I don't know if any equally powerful CAD kernels exist in the open source world.
  - sjm-yc-acct 8y ago
    FreeCAD uses Open CASCADE, which is is a free software (LGPL) CAD kernel. Open CASCADE has a comprehensive modeling API which uses B-rep. For scripting, FreeCAD has a Python interface. CadQuery is another Python tool (DSL) which is a plug-in for FreeCAD. FreeCAD itself already has some constraint functionality. Libfive is layered and can be used without Studio to generate models with its extensible Guile Scheme binding. It uses F-rep modeling. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it should be possible today to add a programmatic (non-GUI) constraint solver to either FreeCAD or Libfive.
    - blt 8y ago
      You are probably right. I realize my previous post sounded pessimistic but I was only trying to state my ignorance :)

sjm-yc-acct 8y ago

Matt Keeter's Libfive is a very promising project. Our company has written a Common Lisp binding: https://common-lisp.net/project/tovero/ https://common-lisp.net/project/tovero/ and it would be useful to have a constraint solver. We are looking at ways of applying Libfive to mechanical design. I have also developed a prototype of a Libfive viewer--written in Guile Scheme for use with a REPL/Emacs: https://github.com/sjm-tl-gh/inspekt3d https://github.com/sjm-tl-gh/inspekt3d Coding 3D models in Lisp has been an amazing experience (even without a constraint solver). Libfive also has a FFI-friendly C API, so other language bindings (e.g. Python) are very feasible. One feature Libfive is currently missing is a general sweep of a shape along a curve--which seems to not be so straight forward with F-rep modeling.