[Bf-committers] Google Summer of Code 2016 - Adding CAD functionality to Blender

Daniel Salazar - patazstudio.com zanqdo at gmail.com
Wed Mar 2 21:05:28 CET 2016


Freecad could be imported in Blender as a python library. I say could
because there's a little problem with freecad using py2.7
Daniel Salazar
patazstudio.com


On Wed, Mar 2, 2016 at 11:50 AM, matmenu <matmenu at live.fr> wrote:
> Hi João,
>
> Good to see some interest in improving Blender's CAD capabilities :) I
> think it would be a good idea to speak about it on Blenderartists,
> giving some focus to avoid the Christmas list effect. From experience
> and what I read on the forums though, improving the snapping system
> would be very welcome.
>
> For dimensioning, there are already many addons, 2 of them are really
> good:
> http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Extensions:2.6/Py/Scripts/Curve/Dimension
> and
> https://www.blender3darchitect.com/2012/10/dimension-lines-for-blender-with-the-caliper-add-on/
> and https://github.com/Antonioya/blender/tree/master/measureit.
>
> I find it interesting to have some work done in Python in this GSoC as
> it will ensure users are able to use it in the end :)
>
> Regards
>
> On 02/03/2016 13:17, João Araújo wrote:
>> Good afternoon,
>>
>> I am a college student who has known Blender for a few years now, and would
>> like to contribute in GSoC 2016 by adding CAD functionality. I would like
>> to ear your thoughts on my project idea.
>>
>> I have been checking on what has been done to implement CAD in Blender. I
>> didn't find almost any software. Mostly there were forum discussions about
>> how great it would be if Blender could have CAD features, while others
>> stated that it would be impractical.
>>
>> The only actual add-on I found was this one
>>
>> http://www.cad4arch.com/cadtools/index.htm
>>
>> but although it is still being developed, it is paid and only works with
>> Blender 2.49b. The author states an intention of embedding it into Blender,
>> though.
>>
>> >From what I read, and based on my experience working with CAD packages, I
>> compiled a list of targets for what I would propose myself to achieve
>> during GSoC:
>>
>> ordered from most important to less important
>>
>>    - Add a new editor that would allow the user to make ISO-compliant
>> drawings of individual parts.
>>        - This requires, from the top of my head, the ability of drawing the
>> 6 isometric views, at a standard scale, on standard sized paper (A4, A3,
>> etc.), adding dimensions (lengths and angles), centerlines, axes, being
>> able to do section views (with crosshatch drawing) and detail views.
>>    - Add sketch tools (the ability to draw lines, circles, rectangles, etc.
>> ; this serves the purpose of increasing the precision of drawing with
>> Blender)
>>    - Add reference geometry (reference planes and axes)
>>    - Add a dimensioning tool (something that allows the user to edit the
>> dimensions a posteriori the sketch being created)
>>    - Modify the array modifier in order to allow explicit circular arrays
>>         - This can already be achieved using a trick with empties, but I
>> would like to clarify this workflow and simplify it (for example, instead
>> of the user rotating the empty by 360/n degrees, where n is the number of
>> objects, he would simply select n and the modifier would take care of the
>> rest)
>>    - Add a fillet tool (a very simple addition; can be done with vertex
>> groups and the bevel modifier currently; once again I simply want to
>> simplify it)
>>    - Add a precise offset tool (currently, I can simply extrude and scale ;
>> I want to make this work with the dimensioning tool mentioned above)
>>
>>
>> I believe these are all feasible by me, with the first one being the most
>> complex and one of the few requiring C programming. The others could be
>> implemented as a Python Add-On.
>>
>> Best regards,
>> Joao
>> _______________________________________________
>> Bf-committers mailing list
>> Bf-committers at blender.org
>> http://lists.blender.org/mailman/listinfo/bf-committers
>
> _______________________________________________
> Bf-committers mailing list
> Bf-committers at blender.org
> http://lists.blender.org/mailman/listinfo/bf-committers


More information about the Bf-committers mailing list