Software:RattleCAD

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rattleCAD
rattleCAD logo
rattleCAD logo
rattleCAD 3.6.24 on Windows 10
Developer(s)Manfred Rosenberger
Initial release2008; 18 years ago (2008)
Stable release
v4.3.03 / October 9, 2023; 2 years ago (2023-10-09)
Repositoryhttps://sourceforge.net/p/rattlecad
Written inTcl
EngineTk
Operating systemWindows, Linux, macOS
PlatformIA-32, x86-64
Size26 MB
Available inEnglish
Typecomputer-aided design
LicenseUp to v3.6.30: GNU General Public License v2;
Since v4.0.0: proprietary with commercial, freeware and demoware editions
Websiterattlecad.com

rattleCAD is a parametric 2D computer-aided design (CAD) software specific for bicycle design,[1][2] in particular for design bicycle frame,[3][4] developed by the Austrian cyclist and programmer Manfred Rosenberger since 2008.[5] The application is written in the programming language Tcl using the Tk-based graphical user interface (GUI).[6]

In 2019, after 10 years being open-source software, rattleCAD switched to a proprietary software development model.[7]

History

In 2008, Manfred Rosenberger began developing rattleCAD as open-source software for bicycle do it yourself (DIY) makers and bike shops, hosting source code and binary code on SourceForge since January 2010,[8][9][10][11] as an alternative to only few existing proprietary apps in this field at the time, such as BikeCAD, one of the oldest CAD software specific for bicycle design, developed by a Canadian bicycle rental businessperson and a programmer Brent Curry since 2002,[12][13][14][15][16] and Linkage, a CAD and CAE software for bicycle design and bicycle suspension simulation,[17][18] developed by a Hungarian software developer Gergely Kovacs.[19][20][21][22]

From 31 March to 1 April 2012, the app was exhibited at the European Handmade Bicycle Exhibition (EHBE) in Schwäbisch Gmünd.[23]

On 11 April 2012, app has been presented at the Bespoked 2014 (the UK handmade bicycle show) in London.[24]

On 8 July 2017, Rosenberger presented rattleCAD at the EuroTcl 2017 (15th European Tcl/Tk User Meeting) in Berlin.[25][26][27]

On 7 July 2018, at the EuroTcl 2018 (16th European Tcl/Tk User Meeting) in Munich, Rosenberger presented the cad4tcl – an open-source CAD graphics library for Tcl/Tk, extracted from the main rattleCAD source.[28][29][30]

On 10 December 2018, first rattleCAD 4.0.0 preview release has been rolled out.[31]

In January 2019, rattleCAD 3.6.30 has been released. It was the last open-source release.

Bicycle base geometry in rattleCAD 4.0.22 Free.

Source closing

In 2019, Rosenberger announced ceasing open-source development and switching to proprietary development model for the next rattleCAD 4.x releases on the new website.[7]

rattleCAD 4.0 will not be free and open source anymore. Basically, there will be timely limited licenses for rattleCAD - a kind of user fee. This will allow me to continue to develop rattleCAD in the future. Since last autumn (2018) a lot has been done in rattleCAD.

— Manfred Rosenberger

Since then app provided via Gumroad as a limited freeware version[32][33][34] under donationware payment model (later freeware version replaced with a more restricted demoware version) and as commercial editions for private and professional use under subscription payment model.

As of June 2023, project page on SourceForge still actively used as a discussion board by users and app developers.[35]

Despite the fact that all the old source and binary builds licensed as an open-source has been deleted from SourceForge by developer in 2019, few code snapshots of original code and a fork of rattleCAD 3.x, hosted on GitHub,[36][37][38] and binary of the last open-source rattleCAD 3.6.30 and older releases, still circulated on the internet as of October 2023,[39][40][41][42] are now collected on the Internet Archive.[43]

Features

Template:Video rattleCAD provides all the tools needed for design bicycle from preliminary design of basic geometry, adjusted to cyclist body size,[44] to producing full assembly and frame manufacturing documentation:

  • Step-by-step GUI for bicycle design.
  • Parametric design for basic geometry, then used to calculate detailed bicycle geometry, including shop drawings for frame tubes cutting.
  • Vector graphics representation of CAD data.
  • Catalog of bicycle parts CAD blocks.
  • Automatic generation of manufacturing 2D plans and documentation.
  • Export FreeCAD Macro, via rattleCAD 3D (extra plugin), to generate 3D model of bicycle frame and whole assembly model inside FreeCAD app.[45][46][47]

File formats

rattleCAD supports the next file formats:

  • XML – for storing rattleCAD 3.x bike design projects and templates.[48]
  • *.rc4 – JSON-based file format for storing rattleCAD 4.x bike design projects and templates.
  • SVG – for import, export drawings and docs, and as a bicycle parts libraries files (CAD blocks).
  • HTML – for export project report as a webpage (with a project file and a set of drawings in SVG) ready to publish on own website.
  • DXF – for export drawings and docs.
  • PDF – for export drawings and docs.
  • STEP – for export 3D assembly model.[47]
  • Python (*.py, *.FCMacro) – for export FreeCAD Macro to generate 3D models inside FreeCAD.[45][46][47]

Release history

  • Change logs on official site and SourceForge page
Version Release date Information
unk Template:SortDate Initial release
2.8 Template:SortDate development become open via SourceForge
3.1 Template:SortDate
3.2 Template:SortDate
3.3 Template:SortDate new definition of Saddle Position, Rear Mockup
3.4 Template:SortDate add samples to rattleCAD and loop through them, demo mode (File -> Demo), rattleCAD 3D (Plugin)
3.5 Template:SortDate
3.6 Template:SortDate accordion menu, bike fitting (enter Position, import Position, import Frame), extracted libraries (cad4tcl, svgDOM)[49]
4.0 Template:SortDate development switched to proprietary (with Professional, Private and Demo versions), revised UI, new file format (*.rc4)
4.1 Template:SortDate bent tubes
4.2 Template:SortDate additional features to configure HeadTube, configure bent SeatStay, components separated into independent library
4.3 Template:SortDate
{{{2}}}

cad4tcl

cad4tcl[50] – is an open-source graphics library for Tcl/Tk to build CAD software, developed as a part of rattleCAD. It supports importing SVG and exporting SVG, PDF and DXF files.[29]

svgDOM

svgDOM[51] – is an open-source SVG graphics processing and optimization library for Tcl/Tk, developed as a part of rattleCAD.[29]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Bike of Your Dreams Does Exist – You Might Just Have to Build It" (in en-US). 2022-04-15. https://www.bicycling.com/skills-tips/a34833674/how-to-build-your-own-bike/. 
  2. ↑ "Meet the Vet who crafts custom steel bikes" (in en). 2017-01-19. https://www.redbull.com/za-en/dave-mercer-custom-steel-bikes. "Mercer designs his frames on RattleCad, an open-source software. Once the proposed design has been signed off by the customer he’s ready to start." 
  3. ↑ Carson, Paul Edward (2020-02-09). "All About Framebuilding 3: Design Tools" (in en). https://paulcarsondesigns.com/2020/02/09/all-about-framebuilding-3-design-tools/. 
  4. ↑ Vallette, Alexandre (2023-09-09), Bicycle, https://github.com/vallettea/Bicycle, retrieved 2023-10-25, "Here is how I've build my own bicycle." 
  5. ↑ "Author Manfred Rosenberger". https://www.rattlecad.com/author.html. 
  6. ↑ "rattleCAD" (in de). 2015-08-11. https://bikeboard.at/magazin/rattlecad-th6047. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "rattleCAD 4.0 - Bicycle FrameBuilding CAD". http://www.rattlecad.com/. 
  8. ↑ "rattleCAD" (in en). 2019-02-05. https://sourceforge.net/projects/rattlecad/. 
  9. ↑ "Introducing rattleCAD: open source frame design software". 2015-09-12. http://www.spanner.org.uk/2015/09/introducing-rattlecad-open-source-frame-design-software/. 
  10. ↑ "RattleCAD: Portable Bicycle Frames Design Software" (in en). 2018-06-25. https://www.trishtech.com/2018/06/rattlecad-portable-bicycle-frames-design-software/. 
  11. ↑ Castro, Hélio; Putnik, Goran; Castro, Alrenice; Bosco Fontana, Rodrigo Dal (2019-01-01). "Open Design initiatives: an evaluation of CAD Open Source Software". Procedia CIRP. 29th CIRP Design Conference 2019, 08-10 May 2019, Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal 84: 1116–1119. doi:10.1016/j.procir.2019.08.001. ISSN 2212-8271. 
  12. ↑ "www.bikecad.ca | Bicycle Design Software" (in en). https://www.bikecad.ca/. 
  13. ↑ "The Bicycle Forest: About" (in en-US). http://www.bikeforest.com/about.php. 
  14. ↑ "BikeCAD lets you design your dream bicycle online, for free" (in en-US). 2010-02-22. https://newatlas.com/bikecad-frame-design-software/14268/. 
  15. ↑ Masoner, Richard (22 February 2010). "Free online bike design tool – Cyclelicious" (in en). http://www.cyclelicio.us/2010/free-online-bike-design-tool/. 
  16. ↑ "ONLINE Course. Bicycle Design and Frame-Building" (in en-US). https://etbicicleta.com/courses/online-course-bicycle-design-and-frame-building/?lang=en. 
  17. ↑ Waechter, Matthias; Riess, Falk; Zacharias, Norbert (2002-01-01). "A Multibody Model for the Simulation of Bicycle Suspension Systems". Vehicle System Dynamics 37 (1): 3–28. doi:10.1076/vesd.37.1.3.3539. ISSN 0042-3114. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1076/vesd.37.1.3.3539. Retrieved 2023-10-25. 
  18. ↑ Segľa, Štefan; Antonescu, Ovidiu; Orečný, Martin; Elbaghar, Abdel (2015-03-31). "Optimization of a Motorcycle Rear Suspension Mechanism with Four-bar Linkage" (in en). Acta Mechanica Slovaca 19 (1): 52–59. doi:10.21496/ams.2015.007. 
  19. ↑ "Linkage: Suspension Bike Simulation and Design Software - Home". https://bikechecker.com/. 
  20. ↑ Kovacs, Gergely. "Racooz software: Linkage, Freeware". http://www.racooz.com/. 
  21. ↑ "Linkage: Suspension Bike Simulation and Design Software - Bikometry" (in en-US). 2020-08-22. https://bikometry.com/linkage-bike-suspension-software/. 
  22. ↑ Benziger, Macrae (18 March 2021). "Mountain Bike Suspension Linkage and Frame Design MQP" (PDF). https://digital.wpi.edu/downloads/0v838356t?locale=en. "In order to design an enduro mountain bike that maximizes uphill and downhill performance, I plan to combine features from various other bicycle designs. I will use a suspension design software specifically created for mountain bikes called Linkage X3. This software will be used to create a 2D simulation of a suspension design created to have the optimal amounts of bottom out resistance, pedaling support, and small bump sensitivity." 
  23. ↑ Rosenberger, Manfred (3 March 2012). "rattleCAD - Bicycle FrameBuilding CAD - News: rattleCAD on EHBE". http://rattlecad.codesmith.at/3.6/news.html. "rattleCAD is invited for a presentation at the European Handmade Bicycle Exhibition in Schwäbisch Gmünd (Germany)." 
  24. ↑ "Bespoked 2014 - Events Talks". 11 April 2014. http://www.bespoked.cc/eventstalks.html. "Friday 11th April: 16.00 - 17.00 - RattleCAD - Bicycle Design Software - In this talk rattleCAD will be presented with its main features and the parametric model based on stack and reach will be discussed against seat and toptube length." 
  25. ↑ "EuroTcl 2017 - Program". https://ssl.webpack.de/www.eurotcl.eu/eurotcl-2017/program.html#Rosenberger. 
  26. ↑ Rosenberger, Manfred (8 July 2017). "Refactoring approaches for rattleCAD, a domain specific CAD-application written in pure Tcl". https://ssl.webpack.de/www.eurotcl.eu/presentations/EuroTcl2017-Rosenberger-rattleCAD.pdf. "rattleCAD is an open source CAD software that supports bicycle frame builder in building customized bicycle frames. Based on a wireframe geometry rattleCAD visualizes the new bike with all its parts and creates drawings for the workshop. rattleCAD is written in pure Tcl and is hosted on SourceForge." 
  27. ↑ (in en) EuroTcl 2017: Refactoring approaches for rattleCAD (Manfred Rosenberger), 13 July 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgtIh2anmL8, retrieved 2023-10-25 
  28. ↑ "EuroTcl 2018 - Program". https://ssl.webpack.de/www.eurotcl.eu/eurotcl-2018/program.html#Rosenberger. 
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 Rosenberger, Manfred (7 July 2018). "A CAD-like graphic package for Tcl/Tk". https://ssl.webpack.de/www.eurotcl.eu/presentations/EuroTcl2018-Rosenberger-rattleCAD.pdf. "rattleCAD is an open source CAD-application to design bicycle frames and used the standard tk::canvas for the rendering of the grahics. (...) In my talk I will present and discuss the package cad4tcl." 
  30. ↑ (in en) EuroTcl2018: A CAD-like graphic package for Tcl/Tk (Manfred Rosenberger), 14 July 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XNUvHGLOuk, retrieved 2023-11-01 
  31. ↑ Manfred, Rosenberger. "rattleCAD 4.0" (TXT). https://www.rattlecad.com/docs/features/changeLog.txt. 
  32. ↑ Marculescu, Ana (21 July 2020). "rattleCAD". https://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Graphic/Graphic-Others/rattleCAD.shtml. 
  33. ↑ "rattleCAD" (in en). https://www.bytesin.com/software/rattleCAD/. 
  34. ↑ "rattleCAD" (in en). https://rattlecad.en.lo4d.com/windows. 
  35. ↑ "rattleCAD / Discussion". https://sourceforge.net/p/rattlecad/discussion/. 
  36. ↑ wonderificdave (2022-12-04), wonderificdave/rattlecad, https://github.com/wonderificdave/rattlecad, retrieved 2023-10-25 
  37. ↑ wonderificdave (2019-10-03), wonderificdave/rattlecad-import, https://github.com/wonderificdave/rattlecad-import, retrieved 2023-10-25 
  38. ↑ Khan, Rashid (2022-12-04), RattleCAD TF, https://github.com/rashidkpc/rattlecad-tf, retrieved 2023-10-25 
  39. ↑ "Download rattleCAD". http://www.softsea.com/download/rattleCAD.html. 
  40. ↑ "rattleCAD" (in en). https://download.cnet.com/rattlecad/3000-18496_4-75766239.html. "Version 3.4.00.49 has added additional Bent of ChainStay in RearMockup." 
  41. ↑ "rattleCAD Review" (in en). https://rattlecad.findmysoft.com/?. 
  42. ↑ "RattleCAD 3.6.30" (in vi). https://taimienphi.vn/download-rattlecad-5591/-3630-phien-ban. 
  43. ↑ Manfred Rosenberger, rattleCAD, http://archive.org/details/rattlecad, retrieved 2023-10-29 
  44. ↑ "Road Positioning Chart" (in en). https://www.parktool.com/en-int/blog/repair-help/road-positioning-chart. 
  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 Manfred, Rosenberger. "rattleCAD - Bicycle FrameBuilding CAD - Feature - rattleCAD 3D (Plugin)". https://rattlecad.sourceforge.net/features_plugin_rattleCAD_3D.html. 
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 "rattleCAD 4.0 - Bicycle FrameBuilding CAD - Features - Mockup 3D - using FreeCAD". https://www.rattlecad.com/docs/features/feature_mockup3D.html. 
  47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 47.2 "rattleCAD - Oversice Road Frame". 8 February 2017. https://grabcad.com/library/rattlecad-oversice-road-frame-1. "This is an oversized Frame exported from rattleCAD via the rattleCAD_3D plugin." 
  48. ↑ "rattleCAD - Bicycle FrameBuilding CAD - Templates". https://rattlecad.sourceforge.net/templates.html. 
  49. ↑ "News: rattleCAD 3.6". 14 August 2018. http://rattlecad.codesmith.at/3.6/news.html. 
  50. ↑ "cad4tcl - CAD Library for Tcl". https://cad4tcl.sourceforge.io/. 
  51. ↑ "svgDOM - SVG parser based on tdom". https://svgdom.sourceforge.io/. 




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