Hello,
In a new project I'm about to start in the garment design industry, I will need to extract some surfaces from the scanned body of a person in order to customize parametrized pieces of clothing based on these surface measurements.
I already used Rhino on another manufacturing project. All its algorithms can be called from Python scripts and reusing its visualization, object creation, geometric algorithms was a big time saver. The problems I encountered were the following:
- Non standard Python 2.7 version (Iron Python) not compatible with lots of recent libraries (difficult to use NumPy, SciPy, etc).
- Non robust mesh algorithms (intersections, boolean operations, etc.)
I would like to get advices from people using other CAD like CATIA, SolidWorks, Pro-E, etc about the ease with which one can extend and customize these software to serve as "frameworks" for custom applications. Which language can be used? Can it call standard C/C++ code or Python code? Are they offering advanced and robust algorithms on triangular meshes?
Thanks
I'm quite new to this topic so I'm not sure it will be up to your requirements, but I've been looking for a CAD library working with both C++ and Python and CGAL seems pretty nice...
http://www.cgal.org/
Thanks Tanguy,
I know and have used CGAL but it is way too low level for what I have in mind. Most CAD commands call the equivalent of 1-10 CGAL algorithms. The cost of developing the whole processing pipeline I need (and testing/debugging/ making it industrially robust) with CGAL compared to Rhino for example is at least an order of magnitude longer/more expensive.
That being said, CGAL is a very nice and robust library and I personally suggested that Rhino use some of it as its building block to increase its own mesh algorithm robustness...
Regards,
Bruno
"Best" is a relative word in the software world. Eventually it boils down to your requirements which may be different from other's. But have you considered the following?:
(1) FreeCAD -- http://freecadweb.org/
(2) BRL-CAD -- http://brlcad.org/
(3) BricsCAD -- https://www.bricsys.com/en_INTL/
The first two are open-source which gives you a lot to play with. BricsCAD is proprietary. However, they all provide an API for extensions. I'm not sure Bricsys has integrated Python scripting into BricsCAD. C and LISP APIs are already there. All the options above have features for CAM.
Have fun.
Thanks Onyeibo, I didn't know any of the CAD you suggested. I will certainly look at them!
Bruno
I might start a new project for another company and would like people to give me updates on CAD softwares that could be scripted like Rhino. Any new ideas since I posted this question more than 2 years ago?
P.S.: It can be an expensive software as the goal is to use it internally and spend as little time as possible to develop basic functionalities that should already exist in CAD.
Did you look at suggested CAD applications above? If you're looking for an application with substantial user-base that is already feature-rich, then AutoCAD and Bricscad may provide basis for takeoff. There may be other very competitive products from Vendors other than Autodesk. Most industry standard CAD applications out there can be scripted.
Yes, I've look at them but none of them seems to be strong working with triangular meshes which is a major requirement for reverse engineering from laser scans.
I'm looking for first hand experience feedback from people having successfully extended a commercial CAD to work extensively on meshes.
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