Bathsheba: "You need to release the file format for this to get anywhere."
I think it has already got somewhere. In these four years we have recorded
close to 6000 downloads from all over the world. It may not be much, but the
number says something.
An important point. If you consider the RP file format as a data transfer
format as opposed to a data storage format, you may be more open to the idea
of using it in your workflow.
Imagine using an email program that encrypts your email and then sends it to
a recipient. When the recipient opens the email his program automatically
decrypts it and shows it to him just like how you typed it. Does it really
matter which algorithm or format your email was transmitted through the
internet? However, if you were going to store the encrypted email for future
use, then yes, you would probably want its format published.
The point here is that STL is for storage and RP is for transmitting. And
the OpenRP software simply tries to make the conversion processes easy for
the user. For example, using "RP Export for SolidWorks" a designer can
simply save a RP file directly from SolidWorks and send it to a service
bureau which can have "RP Toolkit" plugged into its system which
automatically converts the RP file back to STL and proceeds. Ideally, the
life of a RP file should not be much longer than the time it takes to send
it from Point A to Point B.
BTW, as far as I understand it, email is transmitted in exactly the same
manner I described above and nobody I know seems to have a problem with
that.
Regards,
Deelip Menezes
Received on Sat Oct 04 21:00:27 2008
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