I'd like to announce the eleventh 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 eleventh release adds a few more fixes for running PythonCAD under Python 2.3 that were missed in the tenth release. This release improves the transfer of entities with associated dimensions from one layer to another. Prior to this release the dimension would be deleted, but now the dimension is preserved. This release also contains a number of file saving and loading cleanups applied to the code. A small number of bug fixes have been applied as well, and the addition of Ellipse and Spline entities has begun, though neither is complete yet.

PythonCAD marked its first birthday on December 21, 2003! Yay!

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