[cad-linux] Base file format for our efforts...

  • From: john kosty <john_kosty@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: cad-linux@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2003 11:33:31 -0800 (PST)

To all,

From the input that I've read so far today and
yesterday, it appears that Andrew is the most
experienced programmer posting feedback.  Still, I
hope that Kim L. is on the right track:  wrapping or
adapting a familiar GUI around our best hope.  To take
that a step further, I pose this question:  What if we
wrap this GUI around a familiar FILE FORMAT?

In my mind -- as an INexperienced programmer but with
much experience trying to extract info from
proprietary files -- this would make a good
foundation.

Objects would be natively [spelling?] web-enabled.  No
screwing around with exporting -- if a client or
consultant needs what you have right this second, he
may log into your file through a [hopefully]
secure-server/VPN.  

Working with an open, accessible, standard format
would generate a larger pool of talent -- both
volunteers and users.

It's comforting to be able to open up your file with a
simple text editor.  Not just when things go wrong,
but to be able to extact embedded info with all sort
of database tools.  Hence, hopefully, your vector
model just became a GIS system as well:  finite
element analysis; Bills of Materials [BOM's]; etc.

The obvious downsides might be:

VRML files get big and sluggish rather quickly -- so
I've read.

OpenGL and X3D are big with game designers and more
than a few CAD/CAM outfits.  There must be a reason
for this.  Are they that superior?  The reading I've
done says they are but we're talking about
constructing useful elements as opposed to speedy
rendering.  I don't mind taking my base model(s) into
a renderer for creating walk-throughs.  What I really
want is a universal format for the design process.

Please let me know what you think.  Thanks,

John K.

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