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RattleCAD

archive.org

98 pointsapp4soft30 comments

Should the link be http://rattlecad.com/ instead of the archive?

Looks pretty cool. With a recent release. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RattleCAD

Summary: it's a bicycle design tool, went from open source to proprietary in 2019.

the archive.org page says:

> Since release of rattleCAD 4.0 it turned into proprietary sotware, all the old source and binary files has been removed from its page on SourceForge, and a new official site has been launched.

I think there's an argument to link to both. Since the OSS version was posted I think it's good to note the author's updated version even if it's no longer OSS. Looks like they want 30€/yr, which is far from extortionate if it's a good tool.

At €30/year they're underpricing their tool.

> Since the OSS version was posted I think it's good to note the author's updated version even if it's no longer OSS.

To be clear, in the description on Internet Archive page all this info exists, including active link to "new official site" and a link to Wikipedia article, I've wrote, where all the story of rattleCAD development has been described in details.

Awesome, recently took a TIG welding class and would love to build my own bike someday.

Seems better suited than something like fusion 360 for bikes

On GrabCAD there is a free 3D model of Frame Jig tool[0] made by author of rattleCAD.[img]

[0] https://grabcad.com/library/rattlecad-framjig-1

[img] https://www.rattlecad.com/images/rattleCAD_aim_00.png

Can you share more about where you took the class? Continuing education, or a vocational school? Did you take it purely as a hobbyist, or hope to get into the trade?

Initially I had actually looked at a local community college's TIG welding class which while comprehensive seemed to be more than I needed and was a larger time commitment than I could easily make (had been thinking about it for about 4 years but there were always other things I wanted to do). Only really interested as a hobby and for other DIY projects.

I found out about this local hobby shop that teaches classes and took a 6 hour TIG class https://www.wildcathobbyclasses.com/tig-welding-class It was just enough to get a taste/feel for what it was like (I had never welded anything before) and learn some basic safety stuff.

My plan going forward is to figure out a few easier projects (build a couple of railing and maybe some stairs) to get some more practice, and then try building a cargo bike from an existing bike: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDlnDEXlfm8

There are some online TIG classes that seem ok, but the upfront cost is kinda high because you need your own welder and stuff, and I had no idea how hard it would be. (Easier than I thought to get something working, and about as hard as I thought it would be to be "good")

A while back, I put together a list of bike-oriented software at:

https://old.reddit.com/r/BicycleGear/wiki/software

which lists this and some other potentially useful software for folks making bicycles.

There's also a list of books:

https://old.reddit.com/r/BicycleGear/wiki/books

> A while back, I put together a list of bike-oriented software at:

> https://old.reddit.com/r/BicycleGear/wiki/software

Nice list. It yet complete, but has somes software I've not seen before, such as "Bike-Draw".[0]

One I've found recently is Brent Curry's Linkage[1] bike design app, which looks like a serious competitor for BikeCAD and rattleCAD.

And there are few other not listed in your list SaaS for bike design, I've listed in previous comment.[2]

Also, I'm trying to create own bike design template/macro for FreeCAD.[3,4]

N.B. Reymon Reyes' Bike Builder app (bike parts cost calculator) on your list is not available on Google Play anymore, but its APK could be found on other sites.[5]

[0] https://github.com/occamsshavingkit/Bike-Draw

[1] https://bikechecker.com/

[2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38096780

[3] https://fosstodon.org/@app4soft/111282227406105616

[4] https://forum.freecad.org/viewtopic.php?t=82131

[5] https://apkpure.com/bike-builder/com.yurreka.bikebuilderapp

> One I've found recently is Brent Curry's Linkage

Correction: Gergely Kovacs' Linkage (Brent Curry is dev of BikeCAD)

Thanks! I've edited those in --- let me know if I made any mistakes or if it can be improved on in some fashion.

> let me know if it can be improved on in some fashion.

Might be good to replace rattleCAD link in the list from official site to Wikipeda article, where there are many rattleCAD related links already collected, including a link to old opensource versions on Internet Archive.

Good point. Added that link.

Today this would be a SaaS application that can only be accessed from a browser and your designs can't be downloaded. It would cost a monthly fee, and if you don't pay all your data would be locked and erased after one year.

> Today this would be a SaaS application

It exists for years, and rattleCAD has been inspired by it — its name is BikeCAD (it also available as a standalone app). Also, rattleCAD has been inspired by Linkage app.

Read Wikipedia article.[0]

Also there are freeware no-login SaaS: BikeGeoCalc[1] and BikeConfig[2].

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RattleCAD

[1] https://www.bikegeocalc.com/

[2] http://www.bikeconfig.com/

>> Also, rattleCAD has been inspired by Linkage app.

If you like Linkage, you might also like Solvespace.

https://solvespace.com/

> If you like Linkage, you might also like Solvespace.

No, I mean Brent Curry's Linkage[1] bicycle design software, not David Rector's Linkage Mechanism Designer and Simulator[2].

You should read Wikipedia article.[0]

N.B. About SolveSpace, as I'm its experienced user[youtube,patreon], I may say next: yes, it could be used for bike mockup, as any other CAD, but it still has a lot of limitations and even does not export correct STEP files yet[3], and in FreeCAD such STEP could fixed only partially.[video]

So, for serious 3D CAD work I highly recommend use FreeCAD (and LibreCAD for 2D CAD work) instead of SolveSpace, and use SolveSpace only as a helper tool like a calc or as a notepad for noting ideas.

About Linkage Mechanism Designer and Simulator, it is only useful for planar (2D) kinematics analyze, and if You are looking an alternative for it take a look on Pyslvs[4], that is in part based on SolveSpace's solver.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/rattleCAD#History

[1] https://bikechecker.com/

[2] https://blog.rectorsquid.com/linkage-mechanism-designer-and-...

[3] https://github.com/solvespace/solvespace/issues/206

[4] https://github.com/KmolYuan/Pyslvs-UI

[video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3LJMeqUDrU

[youtube] https://www.youtube.com/@appsoft

[patreon] https://patreon.com/app4soft

> No, I mean Brent Curry's Linkage

Correction: Gergely Kovacs' Linkage (Brent Curry is dev of BikeCAD)

RattleCAD still exists. It is a SAAS: 30 Euro/year for non-commercial usage 120 for commercial. Not a browser app.

I have been looking at OpenSCAD for some things I want to build / 3d print.

It is better suited for programmers I think. In my case I wrote a wrapper in Python (did the general design) and had chat-gpt generate some subclasses using a template I provided. Now to try and use it. (Yak shaving first haha)

In case you haven't come across this: https://github.com/JustinSDK/dotSCAD you may find it handy.

I have seen this. It seems original author for dotSCAD is dead? (glad it is open source, so it lives beyond the life of the author). Still this looks useful I did not play with it yet.

I've used this to draft (and build) a couple of frames. Went back to pencil and paper for the most recent framebuild.

> I've used this to draft (and build) a couple of frames.

If You still has files of some old versions of rattleCAD backuped, and it is not listed on Internet Archive[0] yet, please share it.

[0] https://archive.org/download/rattlecad

I like BRLcad.

BRL-CAD is a 3D solid modeler while RattleCAD is parametric 2D CAD package. Aside form both products being in the MCAD space they're hardly comparable.

> RattleCAD is parametric 2D CAD package

Yes, but since rattleCAD 3.4.05 there is an addon which generates a FreeCAD Macro.[0,1,img1,img2]

If execute resulted FreeCAD Macro in FreeCAD app, 3D model of frame (for rattleCAD Free) or full assembly (rattleCAD Privat/Professional) would be generated inside FreeCAD.[img3]

Sadly, I can't find this addon in rattleCAD 3.x source backups, but it distributed with rattleCAD 4.x releases.

Guess, it might be possible to recreate such macro if look inside rattleCAD source and XML-files that rattleCAD 3.x saves projects data in.

[0] https://www.facebook.com/groups/274884125918265/posts/145031...

[1] https://forum.freecad.org/viewtopic.php?p=95663#p95663

[img1] https://www.rattlecad.com/docs/features/images/feature_3x/3....

[img2] https://www.rattlecad.com/docs/features/images/feature_3x/3....

[img3] https://www.rattlecad.com/docs/features/images/feature_3x/3....

UPD: Here is guide for rattleCAD 3D plugin for export FreeCAD Macro.[0,1]

[0] http://web.archive.org/web/20180603133516/http://rattlecad.s...

[1] https://www.rattlecad.com/docs/features/feature_mockup3D.htm...

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