Ask HN: Should CAD be more like video games?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36762378

by bcon • 3 years ago

2 1 3 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Comments appreciated here as well as responses on the poll: https://twitter.com/mechanomy_/status/1680966484921556992

CAD could very much use some of the stuff from level editors. I'd love to take a 3D feature, drag it around, and have it smart snap onto faces with smart alignment based on rules in the feature library...

Reusable high level building blocks aren't as common in CAD as in programming it seems like. Mechanical parts are a common failure mode, and injection molds cost money, so it would be nice if commercial products had more reused common swappable parts and interfaces, and less made to fit unique designs.

Minecraft seems to be the world's favorite CAD. I wonder what potential there is for any ideas from that in "Real" CAD? Possibly none, but maybe it could make sense in some kind of mass market GIS for making maps, or Sweethome3D like app.

In practice, my opinion doesn't matter much though, I'm just gonna keep using FreeCAD and ignore everything else most likely, and I mostly do 3D printed one offs with CAD.

Ask HN: Should CAD be more like video games?

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