The ideal outcome would be to have a unique toolbar button that would open the measurement tool dialogue, which would then allow the user to measure what he needs, and that would be closed when the user has finished so it doesn't clutter the screen. This tool should recognise 3D geometries, linked geometries and datum geometries. Or, completely opposite, present to the user a UI with the list of possible measurement tools (distance, angle, length, diameters, dist-X, dist-Y.) and display as result only the information the user wanted.Ĭode the agreed-on UI in Python-Qt, either in QtDesigner or as a pure Python fileĪdd the back-end measurement functions and connect them to the UI The user then has to find in all the bunch of stuff the information he wants. In essence, there are two possible approaches, both having their advantages and drawbacks:Ī very intelligent tool that would infer from the user selection all possible parameters, and show them in a user-friendly manner. Propose to the forum/community several UI design mock-ups to validate the desired work-flow. If possible, in the existing Part WB, study the measurement tools source code (C++): In the existing Manipulator WB, study the caliper tool (Python): The starting point of this project would be to analyse both of them, isolate in the code the useful tools, and wrap them into a usable Qt dialogue window. DetailsįreeCAD has, as of v0.19, two such measure tools (In Manipulator WB and in Part WB), but unfortunately none of them has the level of usefulness found in other similar 3D CAD systems. This GSoC propsal aims to build a unique measurement tool that would be both powerful and practical to use, and would recognise traditional 3D geometries, but also the new geometries that v0.19 of FreeCAD has introduced: App::Link and Datum objects. Therefore, in order to know by how much a given parameter needs to be modified it is mandatory to be able to measure relevant dimensions of the resulting design, after all assemblies have been done. In the case of assemblies, there is no single design history, the dimensions between geometries is the result of parameters in individual parts and also of parameters in the assembly constraints. In the case of the design of a single part, it is mostly possible to follow the design history, and re-calculate the resulting cumulated dimensions, which allows to infer by how much a given parameter needs to be changed in order to achieve the desired result. In order to change the parameters after construction, it is mandatory to know by how much those parameters needs to be changed. When designing complex models, it is impossible to know in advance the correct parameters of a design feature, and changing parameters after construction is a fundamental aspect of FreeCAD, and any parametric design tool. ) can be modified after construction by changing its internal parameters (length, angle, distance.). Parametric modeling means that a design feature (extrusion, revolution, chamfer. FreeCAD is a parametric 3D modeling system, and has many different workbenches to adapt to various 3D modeling workflows.
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