I'd like to announce the thirteenth development release of PythonCAD, a CAD package for open-source software users. As the name implies, PythonCAD is written entirely in Python. The goal of this project is to create a fully scriptable drafting program that will match and eventually exceed features found in commercial CAD software. PythonCAD is released under the GNU Public License (GPL). PythonCAD requires Python 2.2 or Python 2.3. The interface is GTK 2.0 based, and uses the PyGTK module for interfacing to GTK. The design of PythonCAD is built around the idea of separating the interface from the back end as much as possible. By doing this, it is hoped that both GNOME and KDE interfaces can be added to PythonCAD through usage of the appropriate Python module. Addition of other interfaces will depend on the availability of a Python module for that particular interface and developer interest and action. The thirteenth release of PythonCAD is the first release to offer undo/redo abilities. The undo/redo work is in its initial stage, and upcoming releases will enhance the robustness of the code. The long term goal with undo/redo work is to make both as unlimited as possible, but for the first release the functionality works best if only the last action is undone or redone. Undoing and redoing multiple operations works in certain cases, but not not in others. Development efforts for the next release will concentrate on enhancing the undo/redo abilities of the program. This release also has the ability to save the current background and foreground colors, and offers the user the ability to specify the color for boxes drawn around points. As for code cleanups, a number of deprecated methods have been removed, and several existing methods are now deprecated. An assortment of bug fixes and code improvements have been added as well. The mailing list for the development and use of PythonCAD is available. Visit the following page for information about subscribing and viewing the mailing list archive: http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/pythoncad Visit the PythonCAD web site for more information about what PythonCAD does and aims to be: http://www.pythoncad.org/ Come and join me in developing PythonCAD into a world class drafting program, and Happy New Year to everyone! Art Haas -- Man once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous, and like a ship without rudder, is the sport of every wind. -Thomas Jefferson to James Smith, 1822