Documented the overall idea of the continious integration system now. Full working document:
https://github.com/jonnor/projects/tree ... on-for-cad
Here is an excerpt of the most important.
Continious integration (CI) is a best-pratice in software development. A CI system picks up
very change made to source/project files in a shared revisioning system (like git).
It then runs a bunch of automated tasks, including verification, documentation generation.
If all checks pass, and - publishes the results to an accessible place online (intra/internet).
It helps in keeping quality up because all the tedious (and error-prone) aspects of quality assurance
and publishing are automated.
What would such a workflow look like for CAD?
Particularly one centered on open source digital fabrication?
And overall flow could be like this:
* Check in changes in git, push to something like Github
* A CI service, something like Travis picks up the changes
* Export individual artifacts from the project sources.
3d-models, renders/previews (images/interactive), fabrication data (CNC/laser cutsheets), assembly drawings.
* Generate documentation from sources + other descriptions.
Webpage(s) describing the model/project, including links/embedding exported artifacts.
* Verifies that the outputs are good.
Individual models checks like watertightness, etc.
Checking project-wide constraints like stable 'interfaces' of parts, assemblies fitting together, maximum material or cost budgets.
FEM analysis.
* If checks pass, publishes/deploys the results.
To local website, but also to sharing services like Thingiverse/Youmagine or production services like Shapeways/Ponoko/Sculpteo
Most parts I have pretty concrete idea of how I want to implement initial prototype with (see full doc). But for instance testing/verification of models is an interesting topic that I don't really have any clue about yet. Would love input!
