small collection of FREE stuff for SolidWorks:

www.markkulehtola.net/sw



-- 
regards
Markku

www.markkulehtola.net

Markku Lehtola wrote:
> small collection of FREE stuff for SolidWorks:
> 
> www.markkulehtola.net/sw
> 
> 
> 
Your swProp2 seems to be nice and neat. Will try that for sure.

Can I help with revisions and drawing properties?

Johnny Geling

In article <bpl3ne$1ou66i$1@ID-172080.news.uni-berlin.de>, Johnny Geling wrote:
> Markku Lehtola wrote:
>> small collection of FREE stuff for SolidWorks:
>> 
>> www.markkulehtola.net/sw
>> 
>> 
>> 
> Your swProp2 seems to be nice and neat. Will try that for sure.
> 
> Can I help with revisions and drawing properties?
> 

If you read the page carefully, you will notice that it's made by Vinodh 
Kumar M, not me. So you should contact him. Same goes with the other stuff 
as well, it's just a collection of something that I have found useful.

-- 
regards
Markku

www.markkulehtola.net

Markku Lehtola wrote:

> In article <bpl3ne$1ou66i$1@ID-172080.news.uni-berlin.de>, Johnny Geling wrote:
> 
>>Markku Lehtola wrote:
>>
>>>small collection of FREE stuff for SolidWorks:
>>>
>>>www.markkulehtola.net/sw
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>Your swProp2 seems to be nice and neat. Will try that for sure.
>>
>>Can I help with revisions and drawing properties?
>>
> 
> 
> If you read the page carefully, you will notice that it's made by Vinodh 
> Kumar M, not me. So you should contact him. Same goes with the other stuff 
> as well, it's just a collection of something that I have found useful.
> 
sorry I just was to quick.

Very kewl stuff, indeed!


"Markku Lehtola" <markku@markkulehtola_NOSPAM.net> wrote in message
news:bpklri$eb5$1@phys-news1.kolumbus.fi...
> small collection of FREE stuff for SolidWorks:
>
> www.markkulehtola.net/sw
>
>
>
> -- 
> regards
> Markku
>
> www.markkulehtola.net

That swProp2 macro is VERY NEAT!  Ive seen another VB macro like this
called "Parameter Input", but it didnt incorporate into the SW
interface as well as this program, plus it isnt as easy to modify.

Does anyone know a better Properties manager than this?  We havent
been taking advantage of custom properties, but would like to soon. 
So im looking for the best way to go about it.

In the PDF file, the author states he is working on a INI editor.  Is
this out yet?  There isnt a link to a website, just his email (at
indiatimes.com).

One last thing, im looking for a better way to show revisions in a
drawing.  Im not using SW2004 yet, but I heard this is a new feature. 
Is this correct?

In article <aedbc5c7.0311211411.5c4c523a@posting.google.com>, SW Monkey wrote:
> That swProp2 macro is VERY NEAT!  Ive seen another VB macro like this
> called "Parameter Input", but it didnt incorporate into the SW
> interface as well as this program, plus it isnt as easy to modify.
> 
> Does anyone know a better Properties manager than this?  We havent
> been taking advantage of custom properties, but would like to soon. 
> So im looking for the best way to go about it.
> 
> In the PDF file, the author states he is working on a INI editor.  Is
> this out yet?  There isnt a link to a website, just his email (at
> indiatimes.com).

I think editor is the next goal for him. And let's see how long the ui 
stays in property manager that is not working with this stuff at all 
(..yes it's integrated but _not_ good). But this is only my opinion. 
Anyway, our friend is doing excellent work, it's easy to see that he is 
actually working with SW as well. Many times even commercial CP-softwares 
really don't do the work because they are made to look nice or they have 
all kind of funny sql etc. stuff in them when the purpose of these 
softwares is to be fast and reliable :-)  

-- 
regards
Markku

www.markkulehtola.net

What do you mean its "not good" that its intergrated?  Please explain :)

Markku Lehtola <markku@markkulehtola_NOSPAM.net> wrote in message news:<bpocam$dql$1@phys-news1.kolumbus.fi>...
> In article <aedbc5c7.0311211411.5c4c523a@posting.google.com>, SW Monkey wrote:
> > That swProp2 macro is VERY NEAT!  Ive seen another VB macro like this
> > called "Parameter Input", but it didnt incorporate into the SW
> > interface as well as this program, plus it isnt as easy to modify.
> > 
> > Does anyone know a better Properties manager than this?  We havent
> > been taking advantage of custom properties, but would like to soon. 
> > So im looking for the best way to go about it.
> > 
> > In the PDF file, the author states he is working on a INI editor.  Is
> > this out yet?  There isnt a link to a website, just his email (at
> > indiatimes.com).
> 
> I think editor is the next goal for him. And let's see how long the ui 
> stays in property manager that is not working with this stuff at all 
> (..yes it's integrated but _not_ good). But this is only my opinion. 
> Anyway, our friend is doing excellent work, it's easy to see that he is 
> actually working with SW as well. Many times even commercial CP-softwares 
> really don't do the work because they are made to look nice or they have 
> all kind of funny sql etc. stuff in them when the purpose of these 
> softwares is to be fast and reliable :-)

In article <aedbc5c7.0311221956.6c946345@posting.google.com>, SW Monkey wrote:
> What do you mean its "not good" that its intergrated?  Please explain :)


Because PropertyManager is very narrow it makes ui designing very limited 
which gets you  slow result. 

Example: in my own CP-software I can use listbox 
to get all the configuration names visible at the same time. If you put (i 
guess it's possible?) listbox to PM it takes really much space 
vertically and the whole thing gets too high to use fast, like if you have 
design something really difficult and have 100 features in FeatureManager
   

> 
> Markku Lehtola <markku@markkulehtola_NOSPAM.net> wrote in message news:<bpocam$dql$1@phys-news1.kolumbus.fi>...
>> In article <aedbc5c7.0311211411.5c4c523a@posting.google.com>, SW Monkey wrote:
>> > That swProp2 macro is VERY NEAT!  Ive seen another VB macro like this
>> > called "Parameter Input", but it didnt incorporate into the SW
>> > interface as well as this program, plus it isnt as easy to modify.
>> > 
>> > Does anyone know a better Properties manager than this?  We havent
>> > been taking advantage of custom properties, but would like to soon. 
>> > So im looking for the best way to go about it.
>> > 
>> > In the PDF file, the author states he is working on a INI editor.  Is
>> > this out yet?  There isnt a link to a website, just his email (at
>> > indiatimes.com).
>> 
>> I think editor is the next goal for him. And let's see how long the ui 
>> stays in property manager that is not working with this stuff at all 
>> (..yes it's integrated but _not_ good). But this is only my opinion. 
>> Anyway, our friend is doing excellent work, it's easy to see that he is 
>> actually working with SW as well. Many times even commercial CP-softwares 
>> really don't do the work because they are made to look nice or they have 
>> all kind of funny sql etc. stuff in them when the purpose of these 
>> softwares is to be fast and reliable :-)


-- 
regards
Markku

www.markkulehtola.net

Guys! you were talking about me. (I did not check into Google Groups for a
few days...)

To clarify:

1) In retrospect, putting the CP editor in the Properties Manager turned
   out to be a very bad thing and like Mr. Lehtola has mentioned, it's
   too narrow and there are only limited things you can do with the kind
   of features SW API provides... (for one, just try capitalising input text!)

2) Yes, the plan now is to move the UI out of SW and also to make a
   INI file editor. (When I get the time, but basically I am getting bored
   with doing the same thing over and over again...). The current UI may be 
   appropriate/ adequate for some applications, so I let it be.

3) A request (if someone has the time). Can someone debug swBatchPrint?
   There seems to be some mistake in the stuff that actually prints out
   SW drgs because of which the output turns out 1/4 size... (it was
   working fine initially and suddenly things went wrong.)

To answer SW Monkey's question, the work on the editor has not even started
and I am not too sure about 2004 and revisions as I use 2003.

Now, I must thank Markku Lehtola for donating space at his website some of
my programs.

Regards,

Vinodh Kumar M
GreenHex@indiatimes.com

> 
> Can I help with revisions and drawing properties?
> 
> Johnny Geling

w.r.t. SW Custom Properties... there are two interesting problems worth
breaking our heads about:

- An efficient way of storing (in models) and displaying (in drgs)
  revision history.

- Getting the *next* drawing number (remember there are infinite
  drawing numbering schemes) (Note to Markku Lehtola: I am not too happy
  about reading from a file, it's not a "universal" solution)  

If someone comes up any good schemes for doing this, it will be nice to
incorporate it into swProp3 (when it comes out!)

Regards,

Vinodh Kumar M
GreenHex@indiatimes.com

"Vinodh Kumar M" wrote:
> there are two interesting problems worth breaking our heads about:
> - An efficient way of storing (in models) and displaying (in drgs)
revision history.
Why not XML ?
Why not in a separate (synchronized) file, which would enable external tools
to do nice things without requiring SW ?
This is part of the idea of our CadML project (www.cadml.com)

> - Getting the *next* drawing number (remember there are infinite
>   drawing numbering schemes) (Note to Markku Lehtola: I am not too happy
>   about reading from a file, it's not a "universal" solution)
Why not a simple VBA function, which could even be evaluated by a
ScriptControl ?
Users could write their own very easily...

-- 
Philippe Guglielmetti - www.dynabits.com

In article <3fc1e167$0$3234$5402220f@news.sunrise.ch>, Philippe Guglielmetti wrote:
> "Vinodh Kumar M" wrote:
>> there are two interesting problems worth breaking our heads about:
>> - An efficient way of storing (in models) and displaying (in drgs)
> revision history.
> Why not XML ?


This XML-thing pops out every now and then, so I really would like to know 
what are the advantages against txt?


> Why not in a separate (synchronized) file, which would enable external tools
> to do nice things without requiring SW ?
> This is part of the idea of our CadML project (www.cadml.com)
> 
>> - Getting the *next* drawing number (remember there are infinite
>>   drawing numbering schemes) (Note to Markku Lehtola: I am not too happy
>>   about reading from a file, it's not a "universal" solution)
> Why not a simple VBA function, which could even be evaluated by a
> ScriptControl ?
> Users could write their own very easily...
> 


-- 
regards
Markku

www.markkulehtola.net

In article <d421a50f.0311240214.1a46bd3@posting.google.com>, Vinodh Kumar M wrote:
>> 
>> Can I help with revisions and drawing properties?
>> 
>> Johnny Geling
> 
> w.r.t. SW Custom Properties... there are two interesting problems worth
> breaking our heads about:
> 
> - An efficient way of storing (in models) and displaying (in drgs)
>   revision history.

2004 revision table is good enough for me, if we want to store all changes 
into the model do we have any other possibility than use configurations? 
It would be really nice to have all these possibilities built into free 
software, but is it just too big "piece of cake" ;-)

> 
> - Getting the *next* drawing number (remember there are infinite
>   drawing numbering schemes) (Note to Markku Lehtola: I am not too happy
>   about reading from a file, it's not a "universal" solution)  
> 

You have to store it somewhere in any case. Xml/txt or something like 
that are easy to read and handle. For me the most important things are 
that the software (in this case) is fast and the UI is good...and I can 
modify it myself easily. I don't want any real databases or anything more 
complicated because if I really need them then I should buy PDM-software 
instead. Or are we developing first free PDM-package for SW here?!:-)

-- 
regards
Markku

www.markkulehtola.net

"Markku Lehtola" wrote
> This XML-thing pops out every now and then, so I really would like to know
> what are the advantages against txt?

well, XML is text + structure information, and more and more programs can
now read XML, and even process it while a custom text format would require
specific translators.
I just added a quick macro that writes SW files as XML and some example
files on www.cadml.com
Anyone wanting to help is warmly welcome.
-- 
Philippe Guglielmetti - www.dynabits.com

"Philippe Guglielmetti" <news@dynabits.com> wrote in message news:<3fc1e167$0$3234$5402220f@news.sunrise.ch>...

On revision history...
> Why not XML ?
> Why not in a separate (synchronized) file, which would enable external tools
> to do nice things without requiring SW ?

That's the problem. I would like the revision history information to be
embedded into the model file itself. What you have suggested will surely
work if it's a PDM like elaborate software where the user is "protected"
from the underlying complexity.

It should be easy to "place" the history into the drg like a BOM table...
(and just as easily updated. (Don't know if 2004 does this... already)

> > - Getting the *next* drawing number (remember there are infinite
> Why not a simple VBA function, which could even be evaluated by a
> ScriptControl ?
> Users could write their own very easily...

I gotta figure this one out... (can't make out what you are saying, I am *not*
a programmer)

Regards,

mvk

Markku Lehtola <markku@markkulehtola_NOSPAM.net> wrote in message news:<bpst80$psc$2@phys-news1.kolumbus.fi>...
 
> 2004 revision table is good enough for me, if we want to store all changes 
> into the model do we have any other possibility than use configurations? 
> It would be really nice to have all these possibilities built into free 
> software, but is it just too big "piece of cake" ;-)

Oh!, so 2004 already does this... Is it like the BOM?

> complicated because if I really need them then I should buy PDM-software 
> instead. Or are we developing first free PDM-package for SW here?!:-)

That is (was!) the plan...

Regards,

mvk

In article <3fc23867$0$3223$5402220f@news.sunrise.ch>, Philippe Guglielmetti wrote:
> "Markku Lehtola" wrote
>> This XML-thing pops out every now and then, so I really would like to know
>> what are the advantages against txt?
> 
> well, XML is text + structure information, and more and more programs can
> now read XML,
> and even process it while a custom text format would require
> specific translators.
> I just added a quick macro that writes SW files as XML and some example
> files on www.cadml.com
> Anyone wanting to help is warmly welcome.

So the processing is one advantage against txt/whatever. I can understand 
it now when we are talking more like PDM-software than just simple 
CP-software. 

-- 
regards
Markku

www.markkulehtola.net

In article <d421a50f.0311241956.7dd15530@posting.google.com>, Vinodh Kumar M wrote:
> Markku Lehtola <markku@markkulehtola_NOSPAM.net> wrote in message news:<bpst80$psc$2@phys-news1.kolumbus.fi>...
>  
>> 2004 revision table is good enough for me, if we want to store all changes 
>> into the model do we have any other possibility than use configurations? 
>> It would be really nice to have all these possibilities built into free 
>> software, but is it just too big "piece of cake" ;-)
> 
> Oh!, so 2004 already does this... Is it like the BOM?
> 

The idea is the same, you can basicly modify table template like 
Excel-BOM-template now. To show revision data in a drawing is not a 
problem, but saving that to the part/assy is more comlicated, you can use 
configurations or like most of the PDM-softwares I guess, save a new copy 
of files when you create new revision (you need a big harddrive ;-))


>> complicated because if I really need them then I should buy PDM-software 
>> instead. Or are we developing first free PDM-package for SW here?!:-)
> 
> That is (was!) the plan...
> 

Great! I've been trying to keep things simple because I thought that we 
are just going to have a nice CP-software, but this is totally different.. 

-- 
regards
Markku

www.markkulehtola.net

Philippe Guglielmetti wrote:
> "Markku Lehtola" wrote
> 
>>This XML-thing pops out every now and then, so I really would like to know
>>what are the advantages against txt?
> 
> 
> well, XML is text + structure information, and more and more programs can
> now read XML, and even process it while a custom text format would require
> specific translators.
> I just added a quick macro that writes SW files as XML and some example
> files on www.cadml.com
> Anyone wanting to help is warmly welcome.

I looked at the site and the examples. Do I understand it right that you 
are proposing a general file format for CAD models? And what about the 
drawings? The SVG format? I looked at the SVG format (using sodipodi on 
linux) Look promising. Maybe better then pdf.

About the xml files for cad. For me there are 2 main parts to 
distinguise 1. The geometical description; 2. The administrative 
description. Therefor 2 different clients working on the file. An 
adminstrative and a geometrical like Solidworks. They should be able to 
access the file indepently and at the same time. Changes in fileformat 
for the geometrical part should not influence the administrative part. 
Then you could have even very complex design software and simple design 
software and an administrative client all working on the same file and 
even backwards compatible.

Well Phillipe what do you think?

Johnny

"Johnny Geling" wrote:
> I looked at the site and the examples. Do I understand it right that you
> are proposing a general file format for CAD models?

a format for the STRUCTURE of (feature-based, parametric) CAD models.
There are already too many formats for the 3D geometry itself, which may be
referenced in the XML format if needed.

>And what about the drawings? The SVG format?
SVG is great for drawing (maybe even sketch..) GEOMETRY (See
http://www.dynabits.com/services/vector/index.htm ). But SVG  does not say
anything about the structure of the documents (which parts are referenced,
view characteristics properties, tables etc.). I'll do a CadML of a SW
drawing very soon as an example.

> About the xml files for cad. For me there are 2 main parts to
> distinguise 1. The geometical description; 2. The administrative
> description. Therefor 2 different clients working on the file.

Right, but I make a distinction between the geometry description (sketches,
features, dimensions) and the resulting 3D (B-REP) representation (edges,
faces...) which takes a lot of space but can be rebuilt from the
description.
However, If you keep everything in a properietary file format, admin tools
will be CAD-specific (they all are...)
My idea with cadML is to export admin+geometry structure as XML, which can
either be stored in a separate file or in the cad file in a zone that can be
read by an external tool.

> even backwards compatible.
Yup. I'd like to be able, one day, to re-build a part completely from its
cadML description, allowing backward compatibility and interoperability
between CADs...
-- 
Philippe Guglielmetti - www.dynabits.com

Markku Lehtola wrote:

> In article <d421a50f.0311240214.1a46bd3@posting.google.com>, Vinodh Kumar M wrote:
> 
>>>Can I help with revisions and drawing properties?
>>>
>>>Johnny Geling
>>
>>w.r.t. SW Custom Properties... there are two interesting problems worth
>>breaking our heads about:
>>
>>- An efficient way of storing (in models) and displaying (in drgs)
>>  revision history.
> 
> 
> 2004 revision table is good enough for me, if we want to store all changes 
> into the model do we have any other possibility than use configurations?

Well, if Philippe's CadML is the storage mechanism, revision control 
becomes easy.  There are dozens of time-tested, powerful tools 
performing revision control for source code text files already.  CVS for 
example.  Imagine being able to create a new 'branch' in your model 
where you explore an alternate way of modeling a dozen features, and 
then being able to back out of all those changes, returing to the model 
you started with.

Jim S.

In article <bql8ft02e24@enews3.newsguy.com>, Jim Sculley wrote:
> Markku Lehtola wrote:
> 
>> In article <d421a50f.0311240214.1a46bd3@posting.google.com>, Vinodh Kumar M wrote:
>> 
>>>>Can I help with revisions and drawing properties?
>>>>
>>>>Johnny Geling
>>>
>>>w.r.t. SW Custom Properties... there are two interesting problems worth
>>>breaking our heads about:
>>>
>>>- An efficient way of storing (in models) and displaying (in drgs)
>>>  revision history.
>> 
>> 
>> 2004 revision table is good enough for me, if we want to store all changes 
>> into the model do we have any other possibility than use configurations?
> 
> Well, if Philippe's CadML is the storage mechanism, revision control 
> becomes easy.  There are dozens of time-tested, powerful tools 
> performing revision control for source code text files already.  CVS for 
> example.  Imagine being able to create a new 'branch' in your model 
> where you explore an alternate way of modeling a dozen features, and 
> then being able to back out of all those changes, returing to the model 
> you started with.
> 
> Jim S.
> 

Is it using one file to store all modelling information (huge and slow 
file?) or one file for each rev.?

So...where's the free tool that works with SW then ;-)

I know that many users are already quite confused with configurations 
(maybe not here but generally) and if there is going to be something quite 
similar but for revisions is it all getting too complex for most of the 
people?

-- 
regards
Markku

www.markkulehtola.net

Markku Lehtola wrote:

<snip>

> 
> 
> Is it using one file to store all modelling information (huge and slow 
> file?) or one file for each rev.?

Well, for something like CVS, it is a single file.  The CVS system 
injects text to mark what has been added/removed, etc, between changes. 
  The end user never sees the injected text, as it is stripped out when 
the user 'check out' the file.

CVS overall, is one of the less intelligent systems.  IBM has a current 
open source project called Stellation which has a finer grained aproach 
to source code storage, in which individual program elements (i.e. a 
function declaration) can be tracked.  As a user, you can say, show me 
the function foo() as it was last Tuesday at 11:30 AM, and *poof*, it 
appears.

Once again, this is for source code, but my mind gets spinning when I 
think about the possibilities for other areas.  A solid model, when 
expressed as text, isn't all that different from a computer program. 
Interdependencies between smaller elements are used to create larger 
elements and so on.

> 
> So...where's the free tool that works with SW then ;-)
> 
> I know that many users are already quite confused with configurations 
> (maybe not here but generally) and if there is going to be something quite 
> similar but for revisions is it all getting too complex for most of the 
> people?
> 

I suspect that configurations are overused.  I avoid them for the most 
part because of the problems they cause when the time comes to make 
drawings and BOMs.

Revisions are another matter.  There are two types of revisions: public 
and private.  Public revisions are the ones that go through official 
channels to let mfg, sales, etc know that something changed.  Private 
revisions occur when I think of an alternate way to do something and 
want to explore it.  Currently, you can use configs for this, but it is 
cumbersome.  You have to pay close attention to suppression state, and 
even closer attention to avoid changing dimensions globally that you 
only intended to change in the current configuration.  The other option 
is to copy the file and then hack away on it, but then you may have 
issues if the 'hacked on' version turns out to be better.  You have to 
track down the places the part may be used and so on.

I want the freedom to fiddle with things without having to worry about 
getting back to where I started.  If a nice revision control system for 
public revisions can come from that as well, I'm all for it.

Jim S.

In article <bqnskq02il9@enews2.newsguy.com>, Jim Sculley wrote:
> Markku Lehtola wrote:
> 
><snip>
> 
> Once again, this is for source code, but my mind gets spinning when I 
> think about the possibilities for other areas.  A solid model, when 
> expressed as text, isn't all that different from a computer program. 
> Interdependencies between smaller elements are used to create larger 
> elements and so on.
> 

Little bit afraid to see a part that has let's say 10 configurations and 
each has several revisions and all that information is in one file..there 
should be a tool to strip off some revisions that you propably don't need 
anymore (but you never really know what you need and what you don't:-))


 >> >> 
So...where's the free tool that works with SW then ;-) >> 
>> I know that many users are already quite confused with configurations 
>> (maybe not here but generally) and if there is going to be something quite 
>> similar but for revisions is it all getting too complex for most of the 
>> people?
>> 
> 
> I suspect that configurations are overused.  I avoid them for the most 
> part because of the problems they cause when the time comes to make 
> drawings and BOMs.

Only "problem" for me seems to be that you can't have the same file name 
for part and a drawing, but because..of course...I know that I'm using 
configurations it's not a problem at all. Custom Property softwares can 
handle configurations...and if they don't you should switch
to one that can. Never had any other problems..

> 
> Revisions are another matter.  There are two types of revisions: public 
> and private.  Public revisions are the ones that go through official 
> channels to let mfg, sales, etc know that something changed.  Private 
> revisions occur when I think of an alternate way to do something and 
> want to explore it.  Currently, you can use configs for this, but it is 
> cumbersome.  You have to pay close attention to suppression state, and 
> even closer attention to avoid changing dimensions globally that you 
> only intended to change in the current configuration.  The other option 
> is to copy the file and then hack away on it, but then you may have 
> issues if the 'hacked on' version turns out to be better.  You have to 
> track down the places the part may be used and so on.
> 
> I want the freedom to fiddle with things without having to worry about 
> getting back to where I started.  If a nice revision control system for 
> public revisions can come from that as well, I'm all for it.
> 

I agree. Maybe some day..it's good to have something to dream about :-)

-- 
regards
Markku

www.markkulehtola.net

Philippe,

I wholeheartedly agree that XML makes for a great structure to store SW
information, especially since its flexibility is well-matched to the
flexibility of SW models.  I've been using XML on kind of an ad-hoc basis in
building configurator type programs, so I was interested to see that you are
proposing a standardized vocabulary.

I was curious about how far you envisioned going with this, and what sort of
benefits you see in standardization.  Depending on how much time you want to
invest in this, oasis-open.org has a forum for establishing Technical
Committees to develop standardized XML vocabularies.  This could, however,
complicate the issue beyond what you're envisioning.  BTW, in searching for
CadML, I came across another CadML proposal that seemed to focus more on
functional aspects of the modeled objects:
http://bingo.crema.unimi.it/ontology/doc/ontology/ont.pdf

For myself, the ad hoc methodology is still a great tool.  I'd be interested
in learning how to take it further, though, if standardization opens some
new potential.

Best Regards,
Brenda
-----------------------------------------------
Brenda D. Bosley, PE
CustomSolids

"Philippe Guglielmetti" <news@dynabits.com> wrote in message
news:3fc4a9a6$0$3227$5402220f@news.sunrise.ch...
> "Johnny Geling" wrote:
> > I looked at the site and the examples. Do I understand it right that you
> > are proposing a general file format for CAD models?
>
> a format for the STRUCTURE of (feature-based, parametric) CAD models.
> There are already too many formats for the 3D geometry itself, which may
be
> referenced in the XML format if needed.
>
> >And what about the drawings? The SVG format?
> SVG is great for drawing (maybe even sketch..) GEOMETRY (See
> http://www.dynabits.com/services/vector/index.htm ). But SVG  does not say
> anything about the structure of the documents (which parts are referenced,
> view characteristics properties, tables etc.). I'll do a CadML of a SW
> drawing very soon as an example.
>
> > About the xml files for cad. For me there are 2 main parts to
> > distinguise 1. The geometical description; 2. The administrative
> > description. Therefor 2 different clients working on the file.
>
> Right, but I make a distinction between the geometry description
(sketches,
> features, dimensions) and the resulting 3D (B-REP) representation (edges,
> faces...) which takes a lot of space but can be rebuilt from the
> description.
> However, If you keep everything in a properietary file format, admin tools
> will be CAD-specific (they all are...)
> My idea with cadML is to export admin+geometry structure as XML, which can
> either be stored in a separate file or in the cad file in a zone that can
be
> read by an external tool.
>
> > even backwards compatible.
> Yup. I'd like to be able, one day, to re-build a part completely from its
> cadML description, allowing backward compatibility and interoperability
> between CADs...
> -- 
> Philippe Guglielmetti - www.dynabits.com
>
>