<mumptai>
just ran across solvespace, and it feel comfortable to try something more complex, but i'm looking for a step import function (don't want to modell connectors myself)
<mumptai>
is it just not there or am I missing something?
<whitequark>
there is no step import
<whitequark>
the only currently available import function is for 2d dxf
<whitequark>
in fact I'm not sure whether STEP import is easily solvable at all, given that I'm unaware of any OSS libraries except OpenCASCADE that can read it...
<mumptai>
ohh, i didn't imply a feature request ;)
<whitequark>
no, STEP import would definitely be useful to me personally even
<whitequark>
it's just... have you *looked* into the STEP files?
<whitequark>
they start by defining a system of units.
<whitequark>
at least they don't try to define Euclidean spaces through axiomatics first
<mumptai>
(...) i did that, and i have stop swearing by now
<mumptai>
and translating it to a mesh by some external means eleminates most of its use
<mumptai>
so an mesh import would wind up in a lot of constrains to keep the solver very busy?
<whitequark>
DXF import currently imports and infers constraints, since the idea is that you could modify it
<whitequark>
DXF *linking* (like the Link / Assemble function) would, on the other hand, create immovable geometry
<whitequark>
there's currently no way to import any meshes and I don't there ever will be
<whitequark>
since solvespace is not going to grow a mesh editor, there are specialized packages for that purpose
<whitequark>
mesh *linking* on the other hand, as well as surface linking, makes a lot of sense
<mumptai>
if i understand the terminology right, linking would enable the user to have an assembly with constraints to the elements from the step file(s)
<whitequark>
correct
<mumptai>
(.. which is an essential step in designing almost any machine today)
<whitequark>
well, i've avoided that so far
<whitequark>
80/20 profile comes with 2d dxfs, and the vacuum components I needed I modelled from scratch
<whitequark>
but yeah.
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<mumptai>
actually i shoudl check if there is a way to get step from kicad
<whitequark>
I imagine direct IDF import into SolveSpace might actually make even more sense
<whitequark>
since that's *far* easier to implement
<mumptai>
hmm, automatic generation of PCB mounting strucutres ;)
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<mumptai>
or maybe rather the other direction
<whitequark>
you would start with a PCB normally
<whitequark>
in the data flow, not design flow that is
<mumptai>
usually yes
<mumptai>
but i like my mechanical drawings to have nice round dimensions, so i'm moving at back and forth at least once
<whitequark>
it's somewhat of a pain currently ues
<mumptai>
schematic entry, component test placement, mechanical design, transfer of origins into pcb's layout
<mumptai>
and even with altium and some $$$ mcad it is a surprisingly manual task
<whitequark>
indeed, I'm unaware of any package that solves it elegantly
<whitequark>
mcad and ecad are different worlds
<mumptai>
and eda has a painfull high tolerance for bad software
<whitequark>
indeed. I don't know how people manage to use kicad ;)
<mumptai>
they actually made the lib management worse
<mumptai>
the whole git plugin thing ist hillarious, and they don't have a license on the lib
<whitequark>
huh?
<mumptai>
the automatic github thing
<mumptai>
i want a fork of the lib at the moment i start the project, but that is rather complicated to do
<mumptai>
the decent way would be to use the git hash, but ehhhh
<mumptai>
anyways, my second kicad pcb turned out okay, i guess i can live with it for simple stuff and for personal & non-profit work i want the toolchain to be as open as possible, therefore no eagle or altium
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<ohsix>
yay
<mumptai>
hi ohsix
<ohsix>
hi
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<reportingsjr>
mumptai: the nightly version of kicad has STEP import/export
<reportingsjr>
That was added in about a month ago
<d42>
gentlemen, for some reason 'draw triangle back faces in red' option seems to highlight every extruded object, when i'm in 2d workplane
<d42>
i take it's not supposed to happen? :^)
<whitequark>
version?
<whitequark>
d42: ^
<d42>
whitequark: current git head :^)
<d42>
This is SolveSpace version 3.0~345c982b.
<whitequark>
ok, that will be fixed after some long upcoming renderer changes are merged, I think