Objects library sharing
Posted by Cyberwan
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Objects library sharing June 25, 2009 02:17PM |
Hi everyone !
I'm quite new to the RepRap project, but I really think the concept is innovative and will be used massively in the future. One thing that came to me is about sharing the objects library. For now, there are only a few available objects on the site, which one can download and "print" with the Java application. In the future, there may be thousands of objects, and I think about the end-user who got a RepRap from his neighbor and wants a pair of shoe. Will he have to go to the site and find among the objects, the one he wants ?
Of course not, he should open his favorite application, go to the Clothe section, the to the Shoe sub-section, and watch pictures to find the shoes he wants. When he's found the right one, he chooses the color, and the machine starts. !
I think this project deserves someone to think about it. There should be a secured distribution system, probably taking the experience of the debian packages system, as an Object may depend on other objects, which version may change, etc.. I've been thinking about it on the last days, from the data storage to the user interface, packaging an object into a file to transfer it easily, etc ... And there's a lot of work !
Has someone thought about it already ? If not, I would be glad to open a Sourceforge project, start discussions, find what the user needs, then find a technical solution, and code !
I think this has to begin now, so that when a fully-featured replication machine is designed, this part will be mature and will not limit the possibilities of this great system.
What do you thing about it ?
I'm quite new to the RepRap project, but I really think the concept is innovative and will be used massively in the future. One thing that came to me is about sharing the objects library. For now, there are only a few available objects on the site, which one can download and "print" with the Java application. In the future, there may be thousands of objects, and I think about the end-user who got a RepRap from his neighbor and wants a pair of shoe. Will he have to go to the site and find among the objects, the one he wants ?
Of course not, he should open his favorite application, go to the Clothe section, the to the Shoe sub-section, and watch pictures to find the shoes he wants. When he's found the right one, he chooses the color, and the machine starts. !
I think this project deserves someone to think about it. There should be a secured distribution system, probably taking the experience of the debian packages system, as an Object may depend on other objects, which version may change, etc.. I've been thinking about it on the last days, from the data storage to the user interface, packaging an object into a file to transfer it easily, etc ... And there's a lot of work !
Has someone thought about it already ? If not, I would be glad to open a Sourceforge project, start discussions, find what the user needs, then find a technical solution, and code !
I think this has to begin now, so that when a fully-featured replication machine is designed, this part will be mature and will not limit the possibilities of this great system.
What do you thing about it ?
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Re: Objects library sharing June 25, 2009 03:25PM |
Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 186 |
starting with
[www.thingiverse.com] ?
:-)
Nice idea
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/2009 03:26PM by David Reynolds.
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Reprapping blog and other rants: [renoirsrants.blogspot.com]
My Reprap: [sites.google.com]
[www.thingiverse.com] ?
:-)
Nice idea
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/2009 03:26PM by David Reynolds.
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Reprapping blog and other rants: [renoirsrants.blogspot.com]
My Reprap: [sites.google.com]
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Re: Objects library sharing June 25, 2009 04:27PM |
DaveR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> starting with
> [www.thingiverse.com] ?
Yeah, that's a good start ! And it shows very well what an "object package" should contain : pictures, title, description, assembling instructions, required machine, required assembling tools, ...
On the other hand, I can see that it is quite hard to access the objects definition files needed to build them, so I confirm the need for such a sharing system. By now, such a site is convenient enough because replication machines are really rare, but in the future, everyone may have one ;-) and I think it would be very helpful to bring the RepRap to "normal people" !
-------------------------------------------------------
> starting with
> [www.thingiverse.com] ?
Yeah, that's a good start ! And it shows very well what an "object package" should contain : pictures, title, description, assembling instructions, required machine, required assembling tools, ...
On the other hand, I can see that it is quite hard to access the objects definition files needed to build them, so I confirm the need for such a sharing system. By now, such a site is convenient enough because replication machines are really rare, but in the future, everyone may have one ;-) and I think it would be very helpful to bring the RepRap to "normal people" !
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Re: Objects library sharing June 26, 2009 12:13PM |
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Re: Objects library sharing June 26, 2009 06:53PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 161 |
I've thought about some related ideas before:
1) It would be nice to have some kind of model format that can be varied from various options after design time. e.g. you could design an extruder where the size of the motor can be selected when someone comes to print it, from the sizes the model can accept, and the model is adjusted to fit that motor.
2) I thought about a site where people can enter the details of their reprap/strap. People would be able to build up a machine by selecting parts from various categories (and add new parts). e.g. all the versions of electronics would be on there. This would make it easy for people to decide on their own design, as they can grab parts from other people breakdowns, then get a list of everything they need, basically a completely dynamic bom.
It would also have the ability to link between parent / child machines.
Back to your idea:
I don't think you would need security in the way that you need it for software distribution, but thats not to say people can't sign packages anyway. I like the idea of having models that have dependencies upon each other rather than relying on one focal repository / website.
1) It would be nice to have some kind of model format that can be varied from various options after design time. e.g. you could design an extruder where the size of the motor can be selected when someone comes to print it, from the sizes the model can accept, and the model is adjusted to fit that motor.
2) I thought about a site where people can enter the details of their reprap/strap. People would be able to build up a machine by selecting parts from various categories (and add new parts). e.g. all the versions of electronics would be on there. This would make it easy for people to decide on their own design, as they can grab parts from other people breakdowns, then get a list of everything they need, basically a completely dynamic bom.
It would also have the ability to link between parent / child machines.
Back to your idea:
I don't think you would need security in the way that you need it for software distribution, but thats not to say people can't sign packages anyway. I like the idea of having models that have dependencies upon each other rather than relying on one focal repository / website.
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Re: Objects library sharing July 05, 2009 05:26PM |
Thanks for your answer !
About your ideas : I had thought already that some options needed configuration, would it be only for the pieces colors, the size, or some basic things that need to be expensive ! And about the other part, I had thought the basic packages should contain the basic pieces, for example if someone designs a screw, anyone should then be able to import it into an other larger project ! It would be the same for electronic parts, ...
As I see and think, there is now enough work to do to open a project. It will be on long-term, because the first part will be to find what will have to be done ! Actually I think I will try to follow the V cycle for the project, because I'm now used to work with it, and it really provides strong softwares !
More information when the project will be named and opened on Sourceforge !
About your ideas : I had thought already that some options needed configuration, would it be only for the pieces colors, the size, or some basic things that need to be expensive ! And about the other part, I had thought the basic packages should contain the basic pieces, for example if someone designs a screw, anyone should then be able to import it into an other larger project ! It would be the same for electronic parts, ...
As I see and think, there is now enough work to do to open a project. It will be on long-term, because the first part will be to find what will have to be done ! Actually I think I will try to follow the V cycle for the project, because I'm now used to work with it, and it really provides strong softwares !
More information when the project will be named and opened on Sourceforge !
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Re: Objects library sharing July 06, 2009 04:31PM |
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Re: Objects library sharing July 07, 2009 02:05AM |
Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 186 |
[sourceforge.net]
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Reprapping blog and other rants: [renoirsrants.blogspot.com]
My Reprap: [sites.google.com]
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Reprapping blog and other rants: [renoirsrants.blogspot.com]
My Reprap: [sites.google.com]
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