avoCADo, the open source 3D CAD program for engineers and artists alike, has released its third preAlpha version for download.

Here is what's new in avoCADo 08.03:

• added revolve tool to the Build menu
• holes can now exist within a region
• arcs can be referenced now by unique ID
• sketches permitted on new faces after a build operation
• added feedback for selecting regions and 2D elements
• material selection (color only for now)
• lots of CSG debugging (still more is needed)
• updated graphics (startup, fonts, some icons)

avoCADo continues to push forward, albeit a bit slower than I would like. Feedback from the community has been a wonderful help over the past few months to find bugs and reflect on what is most important as the application grows. The next big step is to increase the number of developers to really get avoCADo off the ground. If you are interested in helping out, take a look at the "Get Involved" page of the avoCADo Wiki. There is a LOT to do!

        - whollyguacamole @ 11:48pm EST, Mar. 01, 2008

After a few months of down time, development of avoCADo is picking back up. Interest from the open source community is rapidly growing and I am hopeful that with a bit more functionality, debugging, and documentation, we may soon reach "critical mass" (i.e., enough excited users and developers that the community will be self-supporting). If there are specific features you think should be a part of avoCADo, please feel free to voice your suggestions in the forums.

Thanks for all of the letters and posts encouraging development and sharing references. The principle file format for saving 3D models, assemblies, and settings in avoCADo is still being discussed. 3DXML was originally the plan, but some issues regarding "openness" have made it unfavorable. Of course, importing/exporting in other formats should also be supported at some point, but I think it is important that the main file type avoCADo uses is completely open, scalable, and supports version control cleanly; an XML based format seems like a good choice.

        - whollyguacamole @ 11:17pm EST, Jan. 21, 2008

avoCADo has released its second preAlpha version now available for download.

Here is what's new in avoCADo 07.05:

• more sensible 2D region formation algorithm (much faster)
• ability to reference faces by a unique ID
• various sketch plane rotation code for relative features
• deleting selected 2D shapes in the Sketch mode
• a few structural changes to allow for future expansion
• some new icons
• a bit of code cleanup and documentation

The avoCADo community is beginning to grow as more people show their interest and support for an open source alternative to commercial CAD software. If you are interested in helping out, take a look at the Get Involved page of the avoCADo Wiki.

        - whollyguacamole @ 2:04pm EST, May. 01, 2007

avoCADo, the new open source 3D CAD program for engineers and artists alike, is now available for download.

Following the philosophy of "release early, release often" I have decided to go ahead and release avoCADo, even though its functionality is currently very limited. However, I do feel that the application gives a good sense for what could be to come if the community is excited about a new direction in open source 3D CAD.

Please feel free to download avoCADo and give it a try. The program is just getting started so input from users and interested developers would be greatly appreciated! If open source CAD excites you and you would like to see avoCADo grow, consider becoming an active member of the community by posting to the forums, contributing to the wiki (now up and running!), and submitting feature requests and/or bug reports.

I am looking forward to getting valuable feedback from the community of excited users and developers of avoCADo!

        - whollyguacamole @ 11:50pm EST, Mar. 25, 2007

It has become increasingly apparent that Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG) would allow for greater flexibility when manipulating 3D solids that what is currently being used. A significant amount of code needs to be reworked to allow for CSG, but I believe it is important and therefore have chosen to go forward with it now before avoCADo gets too much larger.

A TON of code needs to be written before the first alpha release, but I hope to have something at least partially functional by then built with structural expansion in mind. I am spending a lot of time trying to get the high-level decisions on the right track instead of just plowing forward with the hope that avoCADo will be better for it in the end. :)

Input regarding features, support, tasks, capabilities, etc. from the community would be great to keep as many doors open as possible for avoCADo's future as the initial codebase is being written. Feel free to join and post to the avocado-cad-discuss mailing list with ideas as well as comment in the avoCADo forums.

        - whollyguacamole @ 1:01pm EST, Mar. 10, 2007

avoCADo reached 10,000 lines of code today! While that may not be a lot for most large-scale applications, it is certainly a good start for the new open source CAD program that was started less than a month ago. The code has been shuffled around quite a few times, as can be seen in the code's revision history, to try out various implementations and structural frameworks over the past few weeks. There are sure to be many more big changes in the near future, but I believe avoCADo is off to a great start!

I look forward to growing the code-base much more rapidly with additional developers after the first alpha release on March 25, 2007. If you are interested, feel free to share comments via the avoCADo forums and join the mailing list to get notified of software releases.

        - whollyguacamole @ 10:14pm EST, Feb. 20, 2007

Here's the schedule that I plan to follow over the next few months:

• Thu Feb 01, 2007 to Mon Feb 05, 2007
  -- Initial Structural Setup --
  Layout the basic framework needed to support the project. This is mainly provided by sourceforge. SVN setup to allow for code revisions and community development.
  
  
• Tue Feb 06, 2007 to Wed Feb 28, 2007
  -- Develop Initial Code Base --
  The first pass at getting a CAD program with the basic functionality and form desired. Hacks are acceptable at this stage but still strongly discouraged if possible. Interactions are likely to be cookbooky with such little overall functionality.
  
  
• Thu Mar 01, 2007 to Sat Mar 24, 2007
  -- Debug and Rework Code --
  Prepare for the alpha release by trying to increase the program's stability. The focus is on show-stopper bugs, not tweaks or increased functionality.
  
  
• Sun Mar 25, 2007
  -- ALPHA RELEASE 1 --
  First release of avoCADo!! This should be a taste of the form, style, and capabilities that avoCADo aims for, but will be severely limited in functionality. Alpha 1 is still just a prototype in the since that it will need a lot of work before having the chance to be a mainstream application.
  
  
• Mon Mar 26, 2007 to Mon Apr 30, 2007
  -- Community Development --
  The most important part of any open source project is the community! One full month of community involvement should give avoCADo the chance to become something bigger. Forums, mailing lists, bug tracking, and a wiki will be an integral part of this exciting process.
  
  
• Tue May 01, 2007
  -- ALPHA RELEASE 2 --
  The first "mostly functional" release of avoCADo!
  
  

        - whollyguacamole @ 11:27am EST, Feb. 06, 2007

avoCADo (often written avoCADo-CAD to distinguish it from the fruit) is an Open Source 3D CAD design/modeling program written under the GPL. It is an attempt to offer a real alternative to commercial mechanical CAD and 3D modeling software. Many Open Source CAD programs have been developed over the years, but all seem to fall short in some form or another. By starting from a solid foundation and allowing for rapid expansion of both functionality and collaboration via plugins, avoCADo aims to be an indispensable tool with an intuitive interface for both engineers and artists alike.

The key elements of avoCADo will be:

• Simple 3D object design environment
• Expandable plugin framework (tools,conversion,elements,materials,etc.)
• Collaboration and sharing with others
• Integrated part library support
• XML based open file formats
• Careful attention to usability
• Minimal restrictions to creative thinking

Like any good Open Source project, there will also be a very big emphasis on community. I will create the basic direction and framework over the next few months, and then release it (likely with very, very little total functionality) as an alpha version. Once the first alpha release has been made, feedback and community support will be crucial to avoCADo's future. Forums, mailing-lists, trackers, and a developers wiki will all be setup through sourceforge to encourage and support the community of excited engineers, artists, and designers!

Keep and eye on avoCADo over the next few months... I am looking forward to a great Open Source 3D CAD solution!

        - whollyguacamole @ 1:48pm EST, Jan. 22, 2007