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Thread: Free Doors Update

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    , South Jordan Utah
    Posts
    1,693

    Default

    Bruce,
    We need to talk. My intention was to allow totally free use of the software to the Shopbot community, but possibly charge for those using non-sbp code.

    Your G-code generator and DXF generator are great extensions to the program that will enable router operators outside the Shopbot community to cut MDF doors, so there is possibly a fairly nice market outside the Shopbot community waiting to be tapped - no pun intended (Mach G-code uses .tap files).

    Your recent additions to FreeDoors have been outstanding, and worth a lot. I know that they've taken a lot of time and effort, and in the programming world, time and effort can't be reclaimed. Once they're gone, they're gone forever.

    My problem is that once software has been released under the OpenSource License for no-cost use by a particular sector of the public (Shopbot users), it would be difficult to modify the terms of that license after-the-fact. Of course, as is explicitly explained in the licensing terms that have to be accepted before your FreeDoors program can be installed, only the doors.exe program and the associated source programs that I wrote are distributed under the OpenSource no-charge license. The FreeDoors software that you wrote was not offered under those terms.

    Anyway, maybe something can be worked out to everyone's satisfaction.

    -Mike

    p.s. I found the bug in the nesting software that we talked about this morning. It's just a little thing that should have been squashed in just a few minutes, but refuses to die. As usual, fixing one thing must have broken another thing - but the evening is young . . .

  2. #12
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    H & H Woodworking, Polkton NC
    Posts
    233

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    Bruce & Mike,

    I think what you have done to help fellow Shopbotters is great. I don't think that you should let your project become stagnate. I think that it would be great for Shopbot to include something like this but personally I would rather that a indivual as yourself continue working on the software and adding new features as you see fit as well as input from others.

    I think that the both of you should be compensated for your work, I just hope that you will try and keep it resonable and not like other software that I have purchased in the past. Most people are probally using the program to just make doors for hobby work and I'm sure that it would be hard to justify a major software purchase.

    It takes a lot of work to do things like this along with your regular work. Also charging a software fee would probally give you both greater desire to work on the software to add features and improve it. Send me your address or if you have a paypal account I will send you a donation.

    Thanks, and I just cut out my first job this past weekend and didn't have a glitch, everything machined as planned. I do have a few questions about using different cutters and I will email you with the details when I get a chance.

    Thanks,
    Jeff

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    , South Jordan Utah
    Posts
    1,693

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    Jeff,

    It's good to read that you've had success with the programs. Bruce has done a fantastic job. His skill in writing code is simply phenomenal.

    Just like everyone else, I do some things for free, either because no one wants to pay me to do the things that I enjoy doing, or because the market is too small to justify charging for the time and effort expended, or because it's a good day and there's nothing else that I would rather do.

    Just like the rest of the Shopbot community, most of us design parts for free for family and friends, for nearby schools and churches, and mostly for the little boys and girls that timidly ask if we would ever had a little extra time to make them a rocking horse. It's just the nature of being human. We all have bills to pay, so we have to charge money for something or we won't be in a position to give of ourselves. But, in my book, the best part of life is seeing the sparkle in someone's eyes - especially the children - when they receive something unexpected.

    A while back there was a movie, "Pay It Forward" - if I remember correctly. That movie had a great message. I really believe that everyone is in the position to do something everyday to lift someone else's burden just a little bit. It doesn't really matter what we do as long as we do something.

    Bruce has done more than 'just a little bit'. He's put untold hours into the project. (You should see the time stamps on his emails. I often get up at 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. to service my customers' computers and many times there's an email waiting for me from Bruce showing that he just finished a few minutes before I got up.) Doing everything pro bonno publico is noble, but it can't go on forever unless other projects make up the difference. But, until a solution is found, we can all 'Pay It Forward', using whatever gifts and talents God has given us.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    252

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    Jeff,

    One thing. Have you had a chance to read the new tutorial on Free Doors? Actually, have you had a chance to read both, since both were updated with the recent release?

    If so, let me know about your tooling question because I tried to be clear about using different tooling in those tutorials. If there was confusion, then I need to revise the tutorials.

    As for payment, don't worry about it. This version is "FREE", hence the name Free Doors. I really do appriciate the offer. Version 4 will remain free. I cannot say the same for Version 5.

    The point I am trying to get across is that this project has grown from a simple program to quite a large project. I just need something to keep the motivation and enthusiam up.

    Mike, as for the OSI issue, I think that version 5 of the Cabinet Door software will not use any OSI software.

    I hope this clears thing up a little.

    Bruce

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    WildWood Mfg.., Ulm Montana
    Posts
    296

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    I have worked with your program - just wanted to say thanks

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    252

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    Butch,

    Glad that you were able to use the program. Were the tutorials helpful in getting you started?

    Thanks,

    Bruce

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    WildWood Mfg.., Ulm Montana
    Posts
    296

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    Bruce,
    Yes it was. I followed your tutorial and went through the example you have. After that I understood what input made what change to the program. After that, I made some changes and rebuilt some doors just to see what changed, then nested them into a panel.
    Thanks - you taught a beginner how the doors are built. I have bid a computer desk made from MDF and I want to use your program to see how it builds it. Should be fun. Now I just need to get the bid.

    - Butch

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    252

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    Butch,

    One last request, since you went through the tutorials. What information would YOU like that was missed or left out?

    The tutorials are squarely aimed at the first time user/builder of cabinet doors and I would like to make improvements so that the process is easy as possible.

    I don't want to assume too much about the user's knowledge and at the same time I don't want to be overly pedantical either. So, I am trying to strike a balance, but I KNOW how the process and so a little feedback from someone new is a great way of verifying that the balance is correct.

    Thanks for taking the time to learn the software.

    Bruce

  9. #19
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    H & H Woodworking, Polkton NC
    Posts
    233

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    Bruce,

    I have a question about the nesting. If you have more doors than 1 sheet were do they go, I don't see a way to view another sheet. Are you only able to do 1 sheet at a time.

    Thanks,
    Jeff

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    252

    Default

    Jeff,

    Correct. Right now, Mike and I are debating what the program should do with doors that do not fit on the sheet/machine.

    With the current implementation, Free Doors and Mike's Doors and Nest program will only handle one sheet. We have discussed making both programs handle multiple sheets, but that is another version away.

    What I suggest right now, is to create ALL your doors on one sheet. Nest the parts and save that file as something other than DOORS.CSV (like ALLMYDOORS.CSV). Now delete the doors that did not fit on the sheet and save THAT file as DOORS.CSV. Cut those files and then load up the "ALLMYDOORS.CSV" file (or what ever you have called it) and delete the doors that you have already cut (the ones showing in the Material Layout sheet). Now press the Recalculate ALL offsets button and then the Nest button. Now save this file as DOORS.CSV and cut that file.

    Yes, it is a pain to cut multiple sheets of doors, but I promise, it is still quicker than doing it with CAD!

    Hope this helps,

    Bruce

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