[PythonCAD] DXF Import/Export + Auto Constructor

[Eric Wilhelm]

# The following was supposedly scribed by
# Gustavo Barbieri
# on Friday 08 October 2004 03:56 pm:

>to convert their lisp implementation to
> something better, since they asked me -- a python lover -- I
> suggested Python ;)

I'll grant you that autolisp is a restrictive platform.  But, watch 
your step on the lisp vs. python issue.  How about Perl?  There is 
the CAD::Drawing module (if you'll forgive my shameless promotion.)

>Since their base for the Auto Constructor is in autocad format and
>they want to keep it in DXF, I need to know if PythonCAD will
>read/write this format and when it's planed.

I think the plan is that it won't do it directly, but that the 
conversion will be available via the uber-converter (at least, that's 
what I would like the plan to be.)  Ultimately, it might look like 
pythoncad can import/export dxf because it could be making calls to 
the uber-converter.

>The Auto Constructor software basically needs to position, rotate,
>mirror and change some walls width, are those functions available?

The uber-converter will also establish a connection between dxf 
formats and the Draft program.  This may be another thing to 
consider.

>If you have some recommendation, I'm welcome... I'm also looking for
>QCad and Blender responses, the first is mature, but lack python
>scripts, the later doesn't have cad features, 

This is not completely true.  Talk to Janek about when this will get 
done.

>but reads dxf and is 
>programmable in python...
>
>BTW, QCad have dxflib and some things more that you could work
>togheter in PythonCAD!

dxflib is rather limited in that it does not support all of autocad's 
entities and is only intended to handle 2D data.  Granted, pythoncad 
is only 2D, but the uber-converter will handle 3D, which also gives 
you a chance to make a "smart" flattening of 3D drawings.

You might want to look through the archives of the cad-linux-dev 
mailing list.  There has been a lot of discussion there about 
integration between multiple CAD packages, and this is where most 
discussion about the uber-converter happens.
  http://www.freelists.org/webpage/cad-linux-dev

Also, feel free to irc into #cadfs on irc.freenode.net

--Eric