Neil Blanchard wrote:That does look interesting.
Interesting aspect of it being open-source is that I can develop functionality to view DataCAD files (2D/3D) right in the browser. Let me clarify what I mean - Imagine you are using DropBox or One Drive and you can click on the DataCAD file and it can open a viewer (2D/3D) right in the web-browser - Just like a PDF or a Word file. Now since Dropbox or Onedrive it proprietary/closed source, I cant add that functionality to Dropbox or OneDrive, but I can for ownCloud.
In addition, you can configure it so that when you select a DataCAD file, you can add an option to add Zoom meeting like functionality to discuss the file with clients, co-workers or other collaborators over a video call and share the 2D/3D model on the screen. It is a much better workflow for collaboration than jumping through 10 different tools like FTP, Dropbox, constant exchange of emails to keep everyone in sync.
The problems I see discussed here are faced by software developers for very long time (many people working on same file simultaneously at different locations across the globe) and there is a very good solution to it already - Git (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Git). It is developed by Linus Torvals, father of Linux and it has changed the software development for good forever.
It was meant for Software development but it is SO useful that advanced CAD development houses started making Git like functionality an integral part of their CAD software. For example:
1. Onshape:
https://www.onshape.com/cad-blog/tech-t ... ng-designs and
2, Fusion 360:
https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusio ... usion-360/It is hard to explain it to non-programmers but trust me, once you understand it, there is no going back.
The future of CAD Applications is that they will have some sort cloud functionality integral to it - either being the CAD software cloud based itself or leveraging other tools such as file storage, versioning, collaboration tools such as screen sharing, video calls etc.