Difference between revisions of "Free and open-source computer-aided design/Creating an advanced open-source CAD application"
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| + | Proprietary off-the-shelf components and assemblies could be browsed and incorporated into the user's model too, although they would not be part of the freely available universal commons. It might be that these items just show the external envelope of the part, it's interfaces, connections, mass and volume, but not commercially sensitive internal details. | ||
====Concept information and comments on parts==== | ====Concept information and comments on parts==== | ||
Revision as of 03:17, 9 January 2007
There needs to be an effort to create a high quality and capable open-source CAD program with capabilities matching those of high-end commercial CAD packages. This is key to opening up the full potential of open collaborative design.
There should be serious effort put in to making the application as intuitive as possible from the outset for people who are new to 3D design, by giving them a simplified user-interface, built-in tutorials, animated overviews and access to a wiki-compiled handbook. It is very important not to put users off while taking their first exploratory steps, as it is easily done. The more people that take part in open collaborative design, the richer the 'universal commons' will be for all.
Contents
Picking from the universal commons
Easy access to tagged and categorised parts, assemblies and whole machines from an indexed 'copylefted' 'universal commons' through a browser panel built-in to the CAD program. This should make it easy to create a starting point for a new project by re-using bits and pieces that other people have already made. Most of the effort of a new project can then go towards creating new parts and evolving the concept, rather than duplicating the effort others have already done.
Commercial components
Proprietary off-the-shelf components and assemblies could be browsed and incorporated into the user's model too, although they would not be part of the freely available universal commons. It might be that these items just show the external envelope of the part, it's interfaces, connections, mass and volume, but not commercially sensitive internal details.
