FreeCAD Managing Expectations

From FreeCAD Documentation
Revision as of 15:15, 27 February 2020 by Kunda1 (talk | contribs) (cont.)
Other languages:
This documentation is a work in progress. Please don't mark it as translatable since it will change in the next hours and days.

Purpose

The purpose of this wiki page is to 'Manage Expectations' of users using FreeCAD, especially those coming from other proprietary CAD/CAM solutions.

The Eternal Open Source Conundrum

I really like using [Insert your favorite proprietary program] but I:

  • can't afford it
  • resent that I need to pay for it
  • don't want to be locked in to proprietary format/technology
  • want to own my work
  • want to work on my local machine (not on the cloud)
  • really like using FOSS better
  • don't want to be involved because I don't have: time, skills the community needs
  • don't want to involved because someone else is probably doing that

Reflections

  • How do people conceive the way open source software is created?
  • Do people expect that when a group of people with common interest come together that they will magically self-organize in to a highly productive and well-oiled machine?


Common Perspectives

FreeCAD has not reached v1.0

FreeCAD is not stable

FreeCAD UI is ugly

Where is my favorite feature?

Realities

OpenCascade Kernel

A core external dependency that FreeCAD is utterly dependent on. There are ATM no FreeCAD devs that have any upstream interaction on the OpenCascade code.

Qt

Volunteers

Timelines, unpaid... it's done when it's done.

History

FreeCAD's history along with departures (jriegel) and pivots (PartDesign Next, App:Link etc...)

Discussion Threads

Links to forum thread discussions related to this topic