Open Sourcing my 5/6-axis CNC-Toolkit

[rab]

I think it's about time to release the whole source code for my my 5/6-axis CNC-Toolkit as I'm sure that many users would benefit from from this and I really don't have the time to provide proper support.

Basically, I'd like to enable it to grow as a user-community project with any changes shared and being added to back into the Toolkit. I'd also be happy for my work to be used in another open-source project.

Any thoughts from anyone as to the best open-source license to use ?
and any ideas as to the best way to host and project-manage this ?

thank you,
Rab

[Dan Falck]

Hi Rab,

What programming language is CNC-Toolkit written in? I know that it is a plugin for Gmax, but if the langauge itself is flexible enough and the licensing is broad enough, your code might be applicable to something like this:

http://code.google.com/p/heekscad/
http://code.google.com/p/heekscnc/

Which uses a plugin system. HeeksCNC is a plugin for HeeksCAD. Within that system, lots of other modules are introduced- profiling, pocketing, adaptive roughing, and Pycam surfacing. So, the system seems to be very flexible.

I've been using HeeksCAD for about 6 months now and since Dan Heeks opened up the source, and made a Linux port, the growth in development has been running at a very fast pace. Maybe if you lay out the logic for CNCToolkit, it could be adapted or used with HeeksCAD/HeeksCNC.

On the licensing issue, it might be good to choose an established open source license like the gpl. If you want to retain the right to use the code in commercial software later, it might be good to use the bsd license. Sorry, I am not a license guru, so I don't have a very deep view into licensing.

Thanks,
Dan

[rab]

Hi Dan,
The Toolkit is written in MaxScript which is pretty quick and easy to use.
It may very well lend itself to a migration over to HeeksCAD/CNC, if I can get hold of the author I'll make sure that the license I release the Toolkit under allows for this.
Rab

[rlwoodjr]

Originally Posted by rab I think it's about time to release the whole source code for my my 5/6-axis CNC-Toolkit as I'm sure that many users would benefit from from this and I really don't have the time to provide proper support. Basically, I'd like to enable it to grow as a user-community project with any changes shared and being added to back into the Toolkit. I'd also be happy for my work to be used in another open-source project. Any thoughts from anyone as to the best open-source license to use ? and any ideas as to the best way to host and project-manage this ? thank you, Rab

I am excited about this. I am moving slowly, but I am going to finish building a router and use GMAX and the CNC tool kit for my modeling/g code. I am also writing a vb6 cnc controller....too many projects, not enough time.

[danheeks]

Rab,

5-axis machining is something we would all love to have some of for free.

I don't know anything about MaxScript.

The Google Code hosting is working nicely for my HeeksCAD project. It has a nice "issue" list for bug tracking.

The best license from my point of view would be BSD. This is a permissive license, so I would be able to take all your source code and put it in my customer's commercial application without asking your permission. This is the license I chose for HeeksCAD. It means that I can use any of my contributors' bug fixes and enhancements for anything I want, but so can anyone else.

GPL could be a good choice for you, commercially, if the software is pretty much finished. Because you own all the copyright, you can also sell the software under a commercial license, but the rest of us are forced to only use it in free software applications.

Dan Heeks

[yohudi]

Originally Posted by danheeks Rab, GPL could be a good choice for you, commercially, if the software is pretty much finished. Because you own all the copyright, you can also sell the software under a commercial license, but the rest of us are forced to only use it in free software applications. Dan Heeks

Hi Rab, Dan Heeks,

Meant to chip in on this last week....

Bearing in mind the work you have in this Rab, GPL sounds like it might be the best of all worlds... if there is any worthwhile development you still get to derive some benefit..

just my two penneth..

Danny

[rab]

My CNC Toolkit is now available for download under the GPL license at;
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNC_Toolkit/

Rab