On Tue, Jun 25, 2013 at 4:57 PM, Harmanpreet Singh <[email protected]> wrote: > We all admit that BRL-CAD is wonderful software, but still new users > faces a lot of problem due to its GUI (mged and Archer). I am trying > remove this issue to make it browser based GUI. That demand for > knowing more about current implementation, options available and what > suits to road-map of BRL-CAD.
Exactly! Same happened with me, I am a mechanical engineer and I had past experience with solidworks. When I shifted to BRL-CAD, I faced a lot of difficulties. For a CAD software, UI needs to be something really awesome. One should be easily able to add a primitive to work area, resize it, move it, change viewing angle without so much commands that we give in Mged. IMO This will make BRL-CAD more easy to use, good to eyes and will be somewhat more interactive. > I summarized my findings and struggle on my blog. Please take a look: > http://singhharman.wordpress.com/ under topic "'Rise of OpenGL' and > Qt". Today we have OpenGL, an industry standard cross-language, > multi-platform API for rendering 2D and 3D computer graphics, widely > used in CAD, flight simulation, and video games; and Qt, a > cross-platform complete development framework with tools designed to > streamline the creation of stunning native applications and amazing > user interfaces for desktop, embedded and mobile platforms. I am not so efficient with computer graphics but your blog clearly explains all the deep research you have done regarding this. > OpenGL is fully capable of visualizing geometry. Qt provides support > for integration with OpenGL implementations on all platforms, giving <snip> > Once we succeed to achieve above mentioned target, it is possible to > shift BRL-CAD's all(or most of) functionality to this new GUI making > itself a new BRL-CAD. In this way, we will keep on depreciating > obsolete code that demand much maintenance efforts and moving useful > code to this new system. Agreed on this. <snip> > Following are some of the prominent features that this proposed system > is promised to deliver: > > 1. Since we will be using openGL and Qt, both are cross platform > tools, so this will solve the problem of being platform independent. > This will also reduce the maintenance efforts to keep alive BRL-CAD on > different platforms. > > 2. Although I am not sure how much time and effort is required to add > a primitive in BRL-CAD, but I can take an idea from previous and > current GSoC projects whose purpose was to add an entity or primitive, > that this task need significant efforts and time. In the new proposed > GUI it is easy to add primitive atleast upto the visualization aspect. > > 3. Currently we have MGED a GUI of BRL-CAD. But we all know that it > lacks attractiveness and user friendliness that every graphical > software must possess. Also we are now putting our efforts on Archer, > the new GUI of BRL-CAD, but still it lagging far behind from the day > when it will be fully available for production use. Both these GUIs > are Tcl/Tk based. Why not using Qt, a framework to make amazing user > interfaces. Moreover, we can think to acquire already made GUI from > similar software, for example, FreeCAD has its GUI in Qt, and FreeCAD > is itself a 3D modeling software, so we can also work in this > direction in order to reduce our efforts. Yes, I am right now using FreeCAD for my most applications as it has a nicer, easier and userfriendly GUI. I believe you can make that for BRL-CAD too. > 4. Finally we will get rid of wireframes. However, we will be able to > easily enable or disable shaded geometry or vice versa. > > 5. Code of this system will be object oriented, so we will have > optimized and easy maintainable and future compatible code. > > Reviews, suggestions and comments are appreciated. Finally I would say you have done deep research regarding all this concept and IMO BRL-CAD needs a better and easier GUI. I would really appreciate this. I seriously need a good opensource CAD program!!!!!! -- Thanks Gaganjyot http://codeify.wordpress.com "Jai Sai Naath" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This SF.net email is sponsored by Windows: Build for Windows Store. http://p.sf.net/sfu/windows-dev2dev _______________________________________________ BRL-CAD Developer mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/brlcad-devel
