RattleCAD
Bicycle computer aided design software
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
| rattleCAD | |
|---|---|
rattleCAD logo | |
.png) rattleCAD 3.6.24 on Windows 10 | |
| Developer | Manfred Rosenberger |
| Initial release | 2008 |
| Stable release | v4.3.03
/ October 9, 2023 |
| Written in | Tcl |
| Engine | Tk |
| Operating system | Windows, Linux, macOS |
| Platform | IA-32, x86-64 |
| Size | 26 MB |
| Available in | English |
| Type | computer-aided design |
| License | Up to v3.6.30: GNU General Public License v2; Since v4.0.0: proprietary with commercial, freeware and demoware editions |
| Website | rattlecad |
| Repository | https://sourceforge.net/p/rattlecad |
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.
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
| Design your bicycle - the rattleCAD method (3.4.01.38) | |
|---|---|
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMbzEKe4HN8 |
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 | 2008 | Initial release |
| 2.8 | January 2010 | development become open via SourceForge |
| 3.1 | September 2010 | |
| 3.2 | October 25, 2010 | |
| 3.3 | April 28, 2012 | new definition of Saddle Position, Rear Mockup |
| 3.4 | February 17, 2013 | add samples to rattleCAD and loop through them, demo mode (File -> Demo), rattleCAD 3D (Plugin) |
| 3.5 | February 24, 2018 | |
| 3.6 | August 14, 2018 | accordion menu, bike fitting (enter Position, import Position, import Frame), extracted libraries (cad4tcl, svgDOM)[49] |
| 4.0 | December 10, 2018 | development switched to proprietary (with Professional, Private and Demo versions), revised UI, new file format (*.rc4) |
| 4.1 | October 31, 2020 | bent tubes |
| 4.2 | June 19, 2022 | additional features to configure HeadTube, configure bent SeatStay, components separated into independent library |
| 4.3 | September 1, 2023 | |
Legend: Unsupported Supported Latest version Preview version Future version | ||
