I’ve have started up an open source project for creating a CAD-program for surfboards. I’m aware that there already exist several programs for designing surfboards (surfcad, APS3000, DAT designer, Shape3D…) but with these programs your models are either closed to that specific program or you have to buy an expensive license in order to export your models. I want to create an open program where you can export your models to any other CAD-tool or CNC-machine.
The program is written in Java and in the current version you can design and view the board in 3D, print full scale templates, and export the model using STEP format. It is far from being a complete system, but I think it can be useful even in the current state.
If you are interested in participating in the project, or just want try out or learn more about the program, visit our homepage:
Thanks for the interest! I’ll post more information on how to compile the code and get started on our developer forum. If you are interested in participating in the development please send me a mail or write a note on the developer forum so we can organize the work. I’ll spend the next few weeks on documentation to give people a chance to play around with the system and understand the code before we decide what to do next. I’m sure there are many improvements that can be done.
It’s a noble Ideal. However Shape 3d is state of the art and your can export to most machines (KKL, Brazillian, APS3000, 3DM, PROCamm). It’s the best program for the money. Why reinvent the wheel?
We reinvent the wheel everytime we make a new surfboard as well. While we can buy a standard board in the shop, we insist on making our own. The reasons are many. We might not afford to buy the boards in the shop, we may want to customize the boards to fit our specific needs, or we may simply do it because we like it…
You can participate in the development of BoardCAD for any of these reasons. Maybe you want something just like Shape3d, but you can’t pay the 4000 Euros, maybe you have slightly different ideas on how you want the program to work, or you simply enjoy programming…
Of course the first versions of the program will not be up to the current state of the art, and it may never be the perfect program for everyone, but I’m sure it can be the perfect program for you if you just take your time and either participate directly in the development or tell us what you want from the program so we can try to implement it.
I think it’s a great idea! I’d like to participate, given I have the spare time.
That said, from the little I saw of the program(before it crashed), although nurbs are great for organic shapes, I think using nurbs are way overkill for a simple surfboard shape. Compared to APS3000 (for instance) which only have 3 controlpoint to make a very smooth outline there are alot of control points all over the place. This makes it harder to make an outline without a wobble and to change the width of, say the tail, without creating a wobbly outline that need adjusting in several control point to get back to smooth. I guess you are familiar with the expression K.I.S.S?
Secondly, doesn’t the 3D render of java support other shading than flat? (maybe at the high setting, which crashed on my 'puter)
Oh yeah, and add this piece of code:
Graphics2D g2d = (Graphics2D)g.create();
//Turn on antialiasing, so painting is smooth.
g2d.setRenderingHint(
RenderingHints.KEY_ANTIALIASING,
RenderingHints.VALUE_ANTIALIAS_ON);
Other than that I think the features presented are good, I like the idea of being able to export to a common fileformat.
Thanks for your comments! We chose to use nurbs (or actually b-splines) because they guarantee a continuous curvature. Bezier curves are easier to model and may look smooth in 2D, but if you render them you will probably notice that they are not…
Java3D supports other types of shading than flat, but I was lacy when I wrote the triangulation function and set the normals for each edge of the triangle to the same value. The whole texture part will have to be rewritten anyway since it has been deprecated… The program doesn’t crash with the high resolution (at least it shouldn’t), but it gets stuck for several minutes while computing so please be patient…
Yeah, I agree nurbs aren’t the way to go. APS 3000 and Shape 3d use Bezier splines which are what you find in 2d draw programs like Illustrator. Exporting the mesh as a DFX file would be nice too.
I use Shape 3D. Your point about DXF files is a good point. The lastest version of Shape 3D has this export function.
The Ideal of an open source CAD program for surf designs sounds pretty cool. To be able to take any file and convert it into G-code or any other code could be a nice feature like Shape 3D has developed. This way more people could get involved in the new technology in board design. It’s becoming a science. The Art in board building is how you use science to create the best surfboard possible. I look forward to seeing this open forum and what becomes of it?
Thanks for your comments! We chose to use nurbs (or actually b-splines) because they guarantee a continuous curvature. Bezier curves are easier to model and may look smooth in 2D, but if you render them you will probably notice that they are not…
The beziers are as smooth as you need them for a surfboard. I inititally had the same arguments as you when I first saw them, but they are more then adequate for a surfboard. If I remember my numerical analyses classes correctly(it’s been a while) you really need to look at the (first and second) derivate of the functions to analyse it’s smoothness. Compare that to handshaped board made from a handmade template, it’s overkill. Secondly, you may want and abrubt change in curvature. The only way you can do that with a ‘better’ spline algorithm is by adding alot of control points at the break in the curve.
