dune3d VS FreeCAD

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 also had to patch the solver to make it sufficiently fast for the kinds of equations I was generating by symbolically solving equations where applicable.

Any relation to: https://github.com/jay3sh/cadmium ?

Also, for CAD kernels, Manifold was not mentioned: https://github.com/elalish/manifold/wiki/Manifold-Library --- while I understand it to have many of the same disadvantages as OpenCASCADE, it does seem worth mentioning.

Interestingly the kernel was previously discussed here:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35071317

It seems really interesting/promising, esp. the compleat history and editability (I'd love to see that history listed in a pane which could be opened/closed --- add a series of disclosure triangles which would allow hiding finished elements so that one could focus on the current task and it would be a dream come true for me --- if I can puzzle out the 3D stuff, so far I've crashed and burned on all the apps I've tried (BRL-CAD, FreeCAD, Solvespace, Alibre Atom...) --- the only thing I've been successful w/ is OpenSCAD and similar coding tools).

The footnote from the main page:

https://github.com/dune3d/dune3d

is notable:

>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 also had to patch the solver to make it sufficiently fast for the kinds of equations I was generating by symbolically solving equations where applicable.

There's also a top-level domain:

https://dune3d.org/

and documentation: https://docs.dune3d.org/en/latest/

i was able to get this building (https://github.com/dune3d/dune3d/issues/3) and running on debian trixie. worth noting that the workflow seems to be mostly keyboard driven with no toolbox to create shapes that i could find.

I used to use SolidWorks. Now I use FreeCAD as a complete replacement.

Two tips:

(1) use RealThunder's Link Branch (https://github.com/realthunder/FreeCAD/releases). This fixes one of FreeCAD's fundamental problems.

(2) use the "Part Design" workbench. That's the one that is built around the SolidWorks workflow: sketches with constraints -> parts, etc.

FreeCAD still hasn't settled on "one correct way" to do assemblies of parts. There are various plugins that each offer their own take on how to do it. You'll have to pick the one that you like most.

You don't need to use Python. You can use spreadsheets, equation-driven dimenisons, and so on. You can make dimensioned drawings using the TechDraw workbench.

Nice! I'd add FreeCAD, and also the RealThunder fork https://github.com/realthunder/FreeCAD which adds enhancement(seems to be getting slowly merged to mainline).

Lithium Titanate batteries. Nothing else is lightweight, safe, currently available, and lasts 20000 cycles.

ESPHome. It's a framework for declaratively building firmware for microcontrollers, based on rules like "This pin is an input with debouncing, when it changes, toggle this".

Contributing to them has probably been the most fun I've had programming in years.

We just need power management, and a C++ implementation of the Native API client. It's so close to being able to replace most of what I'd normally code by hand in Arduino.

https://esphome.io/

RealThunder's fork of FreeCAD: https://github.com/realthunder/FreeCAD

They fix so many issues. Linear patterns can duplicate other linear patterns!

Vorta: It's the best backup technology I've seen. Just an easy guided GUI for Borg, which gives you deduplication. I just wish they let you deduplicate across multiple repositories somehow.

JFTR, FCStd-files produced by RealThunder's LinkStage[0] (fork of FreeCAD) is not fully backward compatible with an official FreeCAD app, and wise versa.

So, if you are planning to use LinkStage app for some large project, be ready to use only one app for the whole project and be ready to lost in whole or in part compatibility with the users of an official FreeCAD.

[0] https://github.com/realthunder/FreeCAD

edge is where all the exciting new features got released. It contains the latest commit from the FreeCAD Link Branch (https://github.com/realthunder/FreeCAD). Unlike the convention, here, the user is encouraged to try the edge release, to help improve all new features so that they can one day land in upstream FreeCAD.

I downloaded this latest version 2023.01.31 from Github but i have no idea how to install it and if it is the right version that will work with Midnigh GUI.

My setup I'm using RealThunders 2023.05.21 release

Alternative solution is to use Realthunder's build. It doesn't have that limitation in addition to a whole bunch of other QoL additions.

As for your question, better to open a ticket on realthunder's Link repo: https://github.com/realthunder/FreeCAD/issues

I don't know for regular FC, but Realthunders Branch allows multiple solids in a PartDesign body, so with that one, you could use Multitransform to create a Mirror and linear pattern transformation (probably before adding the grooves for the links)