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CADmium: A local-first CAD program built for the browser

mattferraro.dev

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Re: CADmium: A local-first CAD program built for the browser

#41

Post by bombela »

sliptonic wrote: post #26
ecjhdnc2025 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Aside from the cloud bits I think the most notable way they are different at the moment is that they have their new configuration variable sets functionality, which maybe core FreeCAD hasn't agreed on yet (it's also not finished I believe). Ondsel are seemingly using that to integrate with recalculation of designs in the cloud compute facility (think Thingiverse customiser but a bit less basic). I eagerly anticipate…

Correct. Variable sets (varsets) is partially merged into upstream main development branch. Other work is ongoing. Varsets are much more important than just our web service though. Being able to configure and control variants in a design is underappreciated and will be essential to having complex assemblies with multiple copies of identical parts. Imagine a hinge that is reused in many places in the design. The curre…

In the realthunder form of freecad, I wrote a macro to give me a form of parametric variant generation. I am so looking forward to this.

Re: CADmium: A local-first CAD program built for the browser

#42

Post by tgsovlerkhgsel »

WillAdams wrote: post #40

Why in a browser if it's local-first? Solvespace has the benefit of being a single download/executable. It also has a constraint solver which has been used in a couple of projects: CADsketcher as you noted, and Dune 3D: https://github.com/dune3d/dune3d where the author noted: >I ended up directly using solvespace's solver instead of the suggested wrapper code since it didn't expose all of the features I needed. I als…

> Why in a browser if it's local-first?

Because it means it'll work regardless of whether I have a Linux, Mac, Windows, ChromeOS, iPad, or just try to check some detail of my part on my phone.

When I design a part at home, need to make an adjustment at work, and then need to make it using whatever is available in the makerspace, not having to install something is a big win.

Re: CADmium: A local-first CAD program built for the browser

#43

Post by datavirtue »

samwillis wrote: post #30

I'm very excited about what Matt is building, the world desperately needs a good open source parametric CAD package. One where the UI/UX is designed to be as "easy" to use a SolidWorks. The biggest reason this hasn't happened so far is the lack of a truly capable parametric kernel, Truck, the kernel that Matt is using looks like an incredible project and exactly whats needed. The only other kennel till now that been…

I love this idea. However, the value of solid works (and other expensive solutions) are the domain-specific assets that are available.

SketchUp has a lot of community assets but these still leave you hanging almost immediately.

You need to be able to scrounge up drawings of certain parts by part number that can be inserted quickly.

This is surmountable but I think it would take at least a decade to reach parity...in a best case scenario where CADmium is readily adopted.

I would put in the time to learn CADmium. Having worked in FreeCAD some and SketchUp moreso.

I hate that I can't automate things easier or build my drawings from scriptable components--like a XAML file.

Re: CADmium: A local-first CAD program built for the browser

#44

Post by sliptonic »

A 2D solver works great for sketches and some kinds of assemblies. However, it is insufficient for many kinds of 3D assemblies. The solver Ondsel released (LGPL) which underlies the new integrated assembly workbench is a true 3D solver. https://github.com/Ondsel-Development/OndselSolver

Re: CADmium: A local-first CAD program built for the browser

#45

Post by prokoudine »

loughnane wrote: post #36
nicce wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Onshape is an excellent tool in terms of performance and usability. As total newbie I was able to design fully working robot arm with 3d printed joints, design all the motors, their placements and other stuff and even animate movement. The model even worked on my phone, while it was not very practical...

I had 10y or so experience with CAD when onshape showed up around 2014. You could tell from the beginning that they cared a ton about usability and had their minds wrapped around how people use CAD. It’s only got better since. I highly recommend the cadmium folks just soak themselves in onshape’s UX.

> You could tell from the beginning that they cared a ton about usability and had their minds wrapped around how people use CAD.

Well, what else can you expect from the very same guy who came up with SolidWorks in the 1990s? :)

Re: CADmium: A local-first CAD program built for the browser

#46

Post by Animats »

samwillis wrote: post #30

I'm very excited about what Matt is building, the world desperately needs a good open source parametric CAD package. One where the UI/UX is designed to be as "easy" to use a SolidWorks. The biggest reason this hasn't happened so far is the lack of a truly capable parametric kernel, Truck, the kernel that Matt is using looks like an incredible project and exactly whats needed. The only other kennel till now that been…

> The biggest reason this hasn't happened so far is the lack of a truly capable parametric kernel, Truck, the kernel that Matt is using looks like an incredible project and exactly whats needed.

Indeed. This is a great application for Rust. It's something that's complicated, difficult, and has to work right.

Re: CADmium: A local-first CAD program built for the browser

#47

Post by ecjhdnc2025 »

bombela wrote: post #41
sliptonic wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Correct. Variable sets (varsets) is partially merged into upstream main development branch. Other work is ongoing. Varsets are much more important than just our web service though. Being able to configure and control variants in a design is underappreciated and will be essential to having complex assemblies with multiple copies of identical parts. Imagine a hinge that is reused in many places in the design. The curre…

In the realthunder form of freecad, I wrote a macro to give me a form of parametric variant generation. I am so looking forward to this.

In the meantime, have you ever watched the Brodie Fairhall video I mention in a sibling comment?

The shapebinder technique near the end of this video is amazing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp6cIMA7LsI

And there's another clever technique using variant links (which you can take a bit further with BaseFeatures):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9C_ahIVKOI

It's funny. People describe FreeCAD as maddening or sadistic, and for sure there are elements of the workflow that are frustrating (I'd be happy if I could do the five things I use the Draft workbench for without ever having to open it), but at the same time, it's so liberating and enthralling once you get your head into its way of thinking.

For me it's like QGIS or Inkscape: it's mindblowing that this tool is available to me for free. The trivial things I've been able to do have really changed my life (and I don't mean to overstate that -- these are things I never thought I'd learn and the impacts on my creativity have been striking).

Re: CADmium: A local-first CAD program built for the browser

#48

Post by PrivateButts »

I recently messed around with using OpenSCAD's WASM build to make a serial plate generator for Voron printers[1], and the one take away from it is that we desperately need a cad export format that preserves variables and history so that parts can be regenerated with new parameters. OpenSCAD, or some other project built on top of it could get there, but not without some major work. Currently building complex projects in OpenSCAD feels like a form of self harm.

[1] https://serial-generator.privatebutts.dev/voron

Re: CADmium: A local-first CAD program built for the browser

#49

Post by s1mon »

It's exciting to see a new entry into this space, especially one that is trying to create a new kernel. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely to be successful. The top kernels in the industry have been in development for decades by armies of CAGD PhDs and programmers, with funding from automotive and aerospace companies. Getting to table-stakes with the feature set will take a long time.

I also question what user problems this is trying to solve. CAD users don't necessarily need things to be open source. They may have limited budgets, but open source is not a user facing feature in this space the way it might be for some developers. Plasticity has shown that it is possible to license Parasolid and make money at a very low price point.

I've been using parametric CAD tools for 30+ years. I find that Onshape is a pretty amazing solution to many of the issues that exist with Creo or Solidworks. I never loose data. Having the equivalent of Google Docs for collaborative CAD with unlimited undo based on a ground up database instead of a file system is life changing. That said, its modeling capabilities are still playing catch up with other tools.

A big downside to Onshape (and Creo and Solidworks) is that it started as 2D sketches to extrude/revovle/loft etc into 3D objects. 3D tools are an add on and afterthought to the fundamentals. Plasticity (and Rhino and Alias) are all much more 3D first.

Onshape's FeatureScript is really cool and powerful, but it is not as good for CAD users to build their own tools as say Grasshopper in Rhino.

I would focus on what user problems are being solved. How will CADmium be a better CAD tool for a certain market than any of the others paid or free? Even though this is very early days in the development process, it's not too early to try to understand user needs. Open source is not in and of itself a goal.

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