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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

#201

Post by wg0 »

pompino wrote: post #171
postalrat wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why in a browser if it's local-first? Because the web browser did what systems developers have failed at for at least 60 years: creating a platform that can host an application that just works on many different devices.

There is no serious comparison to the performance and richness offered by native applications. Famously (and wisely), Apple quickly reversed their decision on web apps for iOS devices.

That's long gone. Long long gone actually. Now browser is such a huge and capable platform that there's nothing comparable available anywhere.

Even XBox controller's drivers come baked into browser. Just check the number of APIs on MDN.

As for performance, that's already not anywhere into discussion. Check Google Docs. Everything single thing you are on screen is drawn using Canvas and it works just.... everywhere.

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

#202

Post by ecjhdnc2025 »

wdfx wrote: post #200
ecjhdnc2025 wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It might take more than several hours. But the Mango Jelly Solutions videos on Youtube will get you into FreeCAD.

Sure, but my primary objective is not "to learn CAD systems" - I just want to get models done for making things.

Right. But this is the choice, isn't it?

I don't know if you can really get away without learning general things about CAD systems if you want to make complex things, because those general things are so influential on the existence and design of real world objects.

It's like saying "but I don't really want to learn about different programming languages or software design, because I only want to write apps for iPhone."

If you want to make very simple objects and not learn deeper concepts, use TinkerCAD. It's fine. Weirdly competent in places; people pull off crazy stuff. It uses a simple physical world model.

Beyond that, you need more abstract tools. Ultimately you have to decide whether you want to exist within the (shifting) free plan limitations of a commercial cloud package, spend money on something like Alibre Atom3D, pay the cloud firms, or use something open source.

I'm not sure if it should be surprising that the open source systems are more of a commitment.

FreeCAD (main branch) has one fundamental limitation which is being mitigated -- the topological naming issues -- and some smaller issues to do with fillets/chamfers, but apart from that is a disorganised-but-competent, open source workbench-based system.

And the tradeoffs are not straightforward. This is less like Photoshop vs GIMP and more like ArcGIS vs QGIS. Is ArcGIS initially more coherent? Yes, allegedly. Is it universally more powerful? No.

FreeCAD is really a lot like QGIS, IMO.

You can learn QGIS, and when you learn it, you might decide that the freedoms and flexibility it offers are worth the pain. Or you might front up the cash for ArcGIS.

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

#203

Post by highdeserthackr »

phkahler wrote: post #55

As one of the Solvespace maintainers I have a few comments: 1) You don't want just 2D constraints, 3D is better. If you were writing in C++ I'd say just take our constraint solver (Like Dune3D did). Since you're loving Rust, I can point you to the work of Michael F Bryan who wrote one in Rust and blogged about it here: https://adventures.michaelfbryan.com/posts/constraints-part-... I think his code is over at gitlab.…

Solvespace is freaking awesome. I tried so many different tools and it hits the sweet spot for reasonable learning curve (esp. for someone that is not a mech engineer), power, Linux, cost (free), and safe from disruption (no way I'm subjecting designs to all the risks of hosted offerings). Keep up the great work!

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

#204

Post by postalrat »

pompino wrote: post #171
postalrat wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why in a browser if it's local-first? Because the web browser did what systems developers have failed at for at least 60 years: creating a platform that can host an application that just works on many different devices.

There is no serious comparison to the performance and richness offered by native applications. Famously (and wisely), Apple quickly reversed their decision on web apps for iOS devices.

They make money getting their cut of ios app payments. They wouldn't be able to do that for web apps. So they've done their best slowing down adoption of pwa's to keep that revenue coming.

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

#205

Post by phkahler »

pca006132 wrote: post #195
phkahler wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> Manifold was not mentioned Manifold is a triangle mesh library. CAD should use NURBS surfaces and only triangulate them for rendering. I had looked at replacing the solvespace triangle mesh code with Manfold, but it's a lot of work and what we really need is to fix the NURBS bugs so we don't need to lean on the mesh code so much. BTW the solvespace constraint solver is also used in the Assembly 3 workbench of Free…

Yeah, triangle mesh library and NURBS are very different, they do different things. Interesting to know that the solvespace folks wanted to try integrating manifold. Feel free to open an issue or discussion if needed, there were many changes as manifold was actively developed and gaining more users. I am also interested in having a simple constraint solver for some kind of constructive geometry useful for CAD modelin…

>> Interesting to know that the solvespace folks wanted to try integrating manifold.

It was just me. It might fix our remaining issues with meshes.

>> Feel free to open an issue or discussion if needed

I have an open issue for Solvespace here: https://github.com/solvespace/solvespace/issues/1371

It's a low priority though.

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

#206

Post by jonathankoren »

prokoudine wrote: post #177
jonathankoren wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’ve proven my point. A bunch of data loading crap, but nothing substantial on the usability. This is a simple tutorial task. Is it this easy in Gimp? No. It’s not. But hey, we have the same crappy ScriptFu plugins from a quarter century ago. Anyway, you have the source! Shut up and be grateful you insensitive clod! https://youtu.be/K25F9RPrP9Q

> You’ve proven my point. No, not really. You did say 'feature set'. > A bunch of data loading crap, Sure, if you like editing with color fidelity loss. > but nothing substantial on the usability. Except non-destructive editing is a major UX improvement. Except unified transform tool is a major UX improvement. Except... Well, you get the idea. And I barely got started. It's almost like you just hate the project and w…

You can keep assert these things, but do you really think this is acceptable progress of two and a half decades? Look around. It’s not.

I gave a concrete example of a task that is trivial in 2024, and it just does not work nearly as well or as easily. It’s the same functionality of 30 years ago.

Instead, you’re sticking your fingers in your ears and screaming, “it is progress!” Yeah, well maybe technically correct, but the gap has widened. As a project it should be shutdown. It’s zombieware.

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

#207

Post by schmidtleonard »

ecjhdnc2025 wrote: post #166
ajmurmann wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you do any tutorials? I've done like 10 hrs of the MangojellySolutions beginner tutorials on YouTube and after that I've been pretty much able to do what I want or only had to look up solutions to a very specific problem. I one time had an issue where I messed up and had to post on the FreeCAD forum and got two of the best responses I've gotten anywhere on the internet ever. Two people opened up my model and took…

This. And I think it now has the best tutorials on youtube. And the Facebook group is weirdly fantastic. It’s such a nice community. But there’s no denying that FreeCAD is still a bit of a lifestyle choice :-) I love it, but I don’t try to sell everyone on it yet.

Agreed. The UI is painful, but the project priorities are correct: fixing TNP and fillet/chamfer needs to come before the polish. First make it minimum viable for the non-zealous, then we can talk about drawing attention with a sexy dark-mode-by-default UI overhaul. It's getting close, but that makes this the most important time to exercise restraint.

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

#208

Post by schmidtleonard »

numpad0 wrote: post #163
LeifCarrotson wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe I'm not enough of an evangelist, but I just want a good, non-subscription local-first CAD package. I've recently moved over to Alibre Atom3D, which, while not open-source, costs $200. Once. Then (as long as your host OS doesn't change too much) you can access your designs forever. It runs on the ACIS kernel. "Browser first" and (from the readme) "Beyond that, I will try to monetize by offering a hosted version…

Even $2k per year in 3D CAD is entry level pricing. Good CAD for $200 once is probably a prank tier idea to suitspeople, even though it's a necessity for 3D printing community.

Suits gonna get Blendered, but that's a good thing :-)

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

#209

Post by prokoudine »

jonathankoren wrote: post #206
prokoudine wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You’ve proven my point. No, not really. You did say 'feature set'. > A bunch of data loading crap, Sure, if you like editing with color fidelity loss. > but nothing substantial on the usability. Except non-destructive editing is a major UX improvement. Except unified transform tool is a major UX improvement. Except... Well, you get the idea. And I barely got started. It's almost like you just hate the project and w…

You can keep assert these things, but do you really think this is acceptable progress of two and a half decades? Look around. It’s not. I gave a concrete example of a task that is trivial in 2024, and it just does not work nearly as well or as easily. It’s the same functionality of 30 years ago. Instead, you’re sticking your fingers in your ears and screaming, “it is progress!” Yeah, well maybe technically correct, b…

Sounds like you are mad at the world and I got in the middle of it. Sorry, I'll see myself out.

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

#210

Post by iancmceachern »

alpaca128 wrote: post #190
iancmceachern wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is true, but for customers of nx, solidworks, etc it's someone's job to fix the bugs for you

Which doesn't necessarily mean that job will ever get done.

In my experience it always has, every single time.
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