GtkCAD

Free modular CAD/CAM/CAE Software

1. What is GtkCAD ?

GtkCAD is an Integrated Design Environment for engineers. It allows an engineer to create a single three dimensional model to be used throughout the design process, form concept to production.

GtkCAD should be considered a framework future engineering applications.

2. Who should use GtkCAD ?

GtkCAD was originally designed to be used by the author as part of a small engineering firm. However the design of GtkCAD should allow any sized organization the ability to take advantage of the program.

The use of a SQL database allows GtkCAD to be integrated into a larger part of a businesses infrastructure, allowing the sharing of data between multiple applications. For example, client contact or billing information stored in the SQL database can be accessed by both GtkCAD and a contact manager or accounting software.

3. Why use GtkCAD ?

Studies have shown that up to 80% of an design analysists time is spent importing data models between the various applications. One of GtkCAD's goals is to use a common model between all the applications being run as plug-ins.

As shown above, the ways GtkCAD can be integrated into a firms infrastructure is only limited by the imagination

4. How does GtkCAD conform to the UNIX design philosophy ?

The UNIX design philosophy is that a program should do only one thing and do it very well. The program should be simple and bullet-proof, thus easily understood and debugged. The program should have a standard interface, and data format (usually ASCII text) allowing other programs to interact with it.

This philosophy allows programs to be chained together, to do things the original author never dreamed about doing.

GtkCAD tries to conform with this design philosophy. All components are separated from each other, thus allowing easy replacement as long as the API is maintained. The data format of the models is consistent among all plug-in modules, or at least easily translated. And the use of plug-in modules allows the easy chaining together of applications enable the end-user total control over the system.

5. Is GtkCAD ready for use ? When will it be finished ?

GtkCAD is currently under active development as the author's Master's Thesis in Ocean Engineering. Most portions of GtkCAD will be released under the Free Software Foundations General Public License upon successful defense of the Thesis.

While productive work can be accomplished with GtkCAD, early releases should be considered developer's releases, and not for serious production work.