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I've had a horrible time with finding good vector software for my needs, especially since my requirements tend towards needing it to create physical assets in t

I've had a horrible time with finding good vector software for my needs, especially since my requirements tend towards needing it to create physical assets in the real world (laser cutting) or the basis for game assets. There isn't any good constraint based / procedural vector software. Best I've able to find for my needs is Fusion 360 but it's really for 3D not for 2D. I want things to reflow automatically based on parameterized constraints and nothing does that except for Fusion 360 and/or OpenSCAD but those are both horrible for 2D vector. I've even resorted to use React and SVG to dynamically generate vectored laser cut designs. https://github.com/brennancheung/lasercut-react-svg/blob/master/src/HoleGuide.js https://github.com/brennancheung/lasercut-react-svg/blob/mas... If anyone has any recommendations I'd love to hear them.

pier25 7y ago
> I want things to reflow automatically based on parameterized constraints Can you expand on that? You mean like having a UI solver for drawing gears?
- bcheung 7y ago
  Not quite that detailed but along those lines. Usually it's simpler like resize a dimension based on another shape that is supposed to be in a fixed location. Vectors should snap and/or resize to other vectors based on midpoint, center, tangent, concentric, etc. Other times there is constraint based solving going on. And other times there are simple formulae based on the dimensions of other vectors (think spreadsheet style reactive).
archi42 7y ago
I'm quite happy with Autodesk Inventor. Though I get it a the student rate (for free), and would not pay for it since I just design simple things for 3D printing.
- arthurcolle 7y ago
  What is the process by which one goes from a cad file to actually something that can be 3d printed? I recently got a new ipad pro and got this app sketchr3d and I was blown away by how intuitive it is to design really sophisticated structures. I tried blender on and off like 4 times over 5 years and found it basically impossible to use. After making some really cool designs in s3d I started to wonder how easy it is to just print it with some kind of decent 3d printer model. Is it really plug and play/drag and drop your file?
  - kd5bjo 7y ago
    I haven’t played with 3d printers in a while, but my understanding is that they’ve pretty much standardized on the STL file format to describe prints. CAD packages should be able to export it, and printer software can read it. Other than that, there’s likely a bunch of parameters that control the actual printing process— there are a lot of tradeoffs to make between print speed, material usage, part strength, etc. The printer software will ask you about these before starting a print. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format)
    - colejohnson66 7y ago
      > I haven’t played with 3d printers in a while, but my understanding is that they’ve pretty much standardized on the STL file format to describe prints. Not quite. The STL is the model. A slicer “slices” the model into tens to thousands of layers and creates a GCode file that tells the printer exactly what to do.
  - OJFord 7y ago
    (I don't have a 3D printer but I have been reading up on it recently.) As sibling comment says, the design is saved as an STL file, a format they all use, which basically describes the shape of your print in a (variabally sized) load of triangles. However, most use 'slicer' software on the computer as an intermediate step between the STL export from whatever CAD software your using before actually sending (specific instructions for your model) to the printer. So, if you wanted to print directly from an iPad, my guess is that you'd need a model of printer that 'slices' STL itself, without desktop software. Even then, you'd probably need (a Lightning <-> USB adapter and) a USB drive to actually get the file from iPad to printer.
TheSpiceIsLife 7y ago
Laser cutter operator here. Going from vector graphics to laser cut product is fucking painful when the design isn’t simple. Parameterised constrains with sub-millimetre precision in a vector graphics app is the holy grail.
spizweel 7y ago
All the laser cutting job shops seem to use CorelDraw. I do my designs in qcad, submit as a vector PDF, and the laser guys get that into Corel somehow. There might be some trickiness to the conversion due to how curves are represented in the PDFs? Maybe not. All I know is my parts come out fine. I believe some people use Inkscape, but I found it unusably clunky. YMMV.
jononor 7y ago
I do quite lot of laser-cutting (and a bit of mostly-planar CNC), and find FreeCAD to be quite practical for that. It is similar to Fusion360, in that it is a 3D CAD software - but primarily driven by 2d sketches with constraints. If your creations are rather "mechanical" in shapes, their constraint system should get you pretty far. Unfortunately the more "graphical" aspects, like text, Beziers etc. are not good. So I tend to use Inkscape for that, and import the vectors into FreeCAD. Would looove if FreeCAD got Inkscape-level usability for those workflows. One can also do cross-object relationships using mathematical expressions. This can also be used to make eerything can driven form a single spreadsheet of input values. Note that in FreeCAD you can always jump down to the Python scripting layer when you hit limits. Either directly (open View -> Panels -> Python console, then do an action in the UI), or using CadQuery: a OpenSCAD like eDSL for FreeCAD models in Python. For over 150 models I have done this twice. Note that (semi)automated layout of a sheet for production, there is no good solution in FreeCAD right now. I am quite interested in plugging that hole, but don't have the resources for it at this time...
garaetjjte 7y ago
I use Solvespace. http://solvespace.com/ http://solvespace.com/
- bcheung 7y ago
  Thanks for the recommendation. I'll check it out.

pier25 7y ago

> I want things to reflow automatically based on parameterized constraints Can you expand on that? You mean like having a UI solver for drawing gears?

bcheung 7y ago
Not quite that detailed but along those lines. Usually it's simpler like resize a dimension based on another shape that is supposed to be in a fixed location. Vectors should snap and/or resize to other vectors based on midpoint, center, tangent, concentric, etc. Other times there is constraint based solving going on. And other times there are simple formulae based on the dimensions of other vectors (think spreadsheet style reactive).

archi42 7y ago

I'm quite happy with Autodesk Inventor. Though I get it a the student rate (for free), and would not pay for it since I just design simple things for 3D printing.

arthurcolle 7y ago
What is the process by which one goes from a cad file to actually something that can be 3d printed? I recently got a new ipad pro and got this app sketchr3d and I was blown away by how intuitive it is to design really sophisticated structures. I tried blender on and off like 4 times over 5 years and found it basically impossible to use. After making some really cool designs in s3d I started to wonder how easy it is to just print it with some kind of decent 3d printer model. Is it really plug and play/drag and drop your file?
- kd5bjo 7y ago
  I haven’t played with 3d printers in a while, but my understanding is that they’ve pretty much standardized on the STL file format to describe prints. CAD packages should be able to export it, and printer software can read it. Other than that, there’s likely a bunch of parameters that control the actual printing process— there are a lot of tradeoffs to make between print speed, material usage, part strength, etc. The printer software will ask you about these before starting a print. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format)
  - colejohnson66 7y ago
    > I haven’t played with 3d printers in a while, but my understanding is that they’ve pretty much standardized on the STL file format to describe prints. Not quite. The STL is the model. A slicer “slices” the model into tens to thousands of layers and creates a GCode file that tells the printer exactly what to do.
- OJFord 7y ago
  (I don't have a 3D printer but I have been reading up on it recently.) As sibling comment says, the design is saved as an STL file, a format they all use, which basically describes the shape of your print in a (variabally sized) load of triangles. However, most use 'slicer' software on the computer as an intermediate step between the STL export from whatever CAD software your using before actually sending (specific instructions for your model) to the printer. So, if you wanted to print directly from an iPad, my guess is that you'd need a model of printer that 'slices' STL itself, without desktop software. Even then, you'd probably need (a Lightning <-> USB adapter and) a USB drive to actually get the file from iPad to printer.

TheSpiceIsLife 7y ago

Laser cutter operator here. Going from vector graphics to laser cut product is fucking painful when the design isn’t simple. Parameterised constrains with sub-millimetre precision in a vector graphics app is the holy grail.

spizweel 7y ago

All the laser cutting job shops seem to use CorelDraw. I do my designs in qcad, submit as a vector PDF, and the laser guys get that into Corel somehow. There might be some trickiness to the conversion due to how curves are represented in the PDFs? Maybe not. All I know is my parts come out fine. I believe some people use Inkscape, but I found it unusably clunky. YMMV.

jononor 7y ago

I do quite lot of laser-cutting (and a bit of mostly-planar CNC), and find FreeCAD to be quite practical for that. It is similar to Fusion360, in that it is a 3D CAD software - but primarily driven by 2d sketches with constraints. If your creations are rather "mechanical" in shapes, their constraint system should get you pretty far. Unfortunately the more "graphical" aspects, like text, Beziers etc. are not good. So I tend to use Inkscape for that, and import the vectors into FreeCAD. Would looove if FreeCAD got Inkscape-level usability for those workflows. One can also do cross-object relationships using mathematical expressions. This can also be used to make eerything can driven form a single spreadsheet of input values. Note that in FreeCAD you can always jump down to the Python scripting layer when you hit limits. Either directly (open View -> Panels -> Python console, then do an action in the UI), or using CadQuery: a OpenSCAD like eDSL for FreeCAD models in Python. For over 150 models I have done this twice. Note that (semi)automated layout of a sheet for production, there is no good solution in FreeCAD right now. I am quite interested in plugging that hole, but don't have the resources for it at this time...

garaetjjte 7y ago

I use Solvespace. http://solvespace.com/ http://solvespace.com/

bcheung 7y ago
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll check it out.