RattleCAD
rattleCAD is a parametric 2D computer-aided design software specific for bicycle design, in particular for design bicycle frame, developed by the Austrian cyclist and programmer Manfred Rosenberger since 2008. The application is written in the programming language Tcl using the Tk-based graphical user interface.
In 2019, after 10 years being open-source software, rattleCAD switched to a proprietary software development model.
History
In 2008, Manfred Rosenberger began developing rattleCAD as open-source software for bicycle do it yourself makers and bike shops, hosting source code and binary code on SourceForge since January 2010, 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, and Linkage, a CAD and CAE software for bicycle design and bicycle suspension simulation, developed by a Hungarian software developer Gergely Kovacs.From 31 March to 1 April 2012, the app was exhibited at the European Handmade Bicycle Exhibition in Schwäbisch Gmünd.
On 11 April 2012, app has been presented at the Bespoked 2014 in London.
On 8 July 2017, Rosenberger presented rattleCAD at the EuroTcl 2017 in Berlin.
On 7 July 2018, at the EuroTcl 2018 in Munich, Rosenberger presented the cad4tcl – an open-source CAD graphics library for Tcl/Tk, extracted from the main rattleCAD source.
On 10 December 2018, first rattleCAD 4.0.0 preview release has been rolled out.
In January 2019, rattleCAD 3.6.30 has been released. It was the last open-source release.
Features
rattleCAD provides all the tools needed for design bicycle from preliminary design of basic geometry, adjusted to cyclist body size, 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, to generate 3D model of bicycle frame and whole assembly model inside FreeCAD app.
File formats
rattleCAD supports the next file formats:- XML – for storing rattleCAD ''3.x bike design projects and templates.
*.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.
- HTML – for export project report as a webpage ready to publish on own website.
- DXF – for export drawings and docs.
- PDF – for export drawings and docs.
- STEP – for export 3D assembly model.
- Python – for export FreeCAD Macro to generate 3D models inside FreeCAD.
Release history
- Change logs on official site and SourceForge page