CAD

CAD requirements

NOTE: this is a collector page showing specific features which is required some basic CAD capabilities.

CAD

CAD is an acronym of Computer-aided design, which means basically some tech drawing abilities.

Some plans already exists at 0.52 milestone of the Roadmap.

This page is basically an effort to expand what is in the roadmap and provide some background of this planned features and add some more needed capabilities.

Data Exchange

Computer Aided Design systems commonly exchange data in the following formats:

• AutoCAD DXF
• Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES)
• ISO 10303 STandard for the Exchange of Product model data (STEP)

Implementation

Maximilian Albert are working many of these features, in GSOC 2008! Please see the detailed BlueprintGeometricAndTechDrawing blueprint for more info.

Needed capabilities

• Numerical input
• Measure tool
• Units should be consistent all over the codebase
• Transpose of the object center
• Geometrical constraints
  • "Perpendicular-to", "Parallel-to", etc.
• More circle creating options
• Path trimming/extending/offset
• Filleting tool
• Dia-like smart shapes support

Numerical input

Ability to input the coordinates, distances, angles via keyboard. The include:

• Angle
• X-coordinate
• Y-coordinate
• Distance

Measure tool

Simple tool to measure the distance between two points. Could be extended into a poly-line measure tool.

Already exists an extension (not included in 0.46) which provides limited support. For more info please see #170018.

Albert is working a built-in solution in GSoC 2008, please see Picture 10 of section Desired Constructions/Other Features.

Inkscape units

Architecture and engineering require different units, and different countries have different standards.

Most of the world: Metric

• Meters (architecture)
• Centimeters (architecture - europe)
• Millimeters (architecture and engineering)
• Nanometers?

US, some others: Imperial

• Inches
• Feet
• Yards

Please view BlueprintRealUnit for more details.

Transpose of the object center

TODO

Geometrical constraints

• Vertical
• Horizontal
• 15 degree increments
• Arbitrary increments

More circle creating options

Allow user to create circles

• Specifying 3 points
• Specifying the center and the radius (currently possible)

For more information please see the section "Typical workflow" of Albert's GSoC proposal.

Trim/Extend tool

• Trim cuts one path, or object at a point where it crosses another line. This could perhaps be an extension of the "path>cut" tool.

"Intersection of two line" can be used as a workaround.

Fillet/Chamfer tool

Cuts the corner off two intersecting paths, and replaces it with another line

• Chamfer cuts a straight line
• Fillet replaces the corner with a curve (this is similar to the rounded corners on a rectangle, already implemented, perhaps some code could be reused)

Dia-like smart shapes support

applications:

• Dia
• Visio
• yEd