Blog
Latest posts from my work on mechanics applications, graphics, tooling, packaging, and AI-assisted development.
ForcePAD from Legacy to Modern
This blog post describes my journey of modernizing the ForcePAD application, which was originally developed in the early 2000s using C++ and the FLTK library for the user interface, along with OpenGL for graphics. The post details the challenges faced in updating the application to be compatible with modern platforms and technologies, including replacing FLTK with a modern GUI framework, modernizing the application code, and transitioning from legacy OpenGL to a programmable pipeline.
Experimenting with AI and Mechanics applications
When working on the next version of ObjectiveFrame with improved scripting features, I got the idea to explore how well an AI agent would create a mechanical structure using the built-in scripting language (ChaiScript) in ObjectiveFrame.
Coding at the speed of light
As I have mentioned in my previous post, I have been working on my graphics library Ivf++ 2.0. There are many features I would like to implement, but as this is a hobby project I have limited time to work on it.
The fun of coding 3D graphics in C++ and OpenGL
There exist several 3D graphics libraries for C++ using OpenGL such as Raylib, OpenSceneGraph, VTK, Magnum, Cinder, OpenFrameworks and many more.
CALFEM for Python 3.6.10 released
CALFEM for Python is a comprehensive package designed for learning the finite element method. Originally developed in the 1980s using Fortran, CALFEM has since evolved to support MATLAB and Python.
CALFEM for Python 3.6.10 released
The conceptual model of ForcePAD 3
When redesigning an application, there is an opportunity to rethink the existing design and make improvements. In the case of ForcePAD 2, it was a simple pixel-based drawing application with a single layer for drawing.
Building for many platforms is hard
Choosing the right libraries for your application is just one step in making it run on multiple operating systems. ForcePAD uses CMake to build the application on multiple platforms.
A new backend for ForcePAD
The current version of ForcePAD is implemented using the FLTK library and OpenGL for graphics. At the time FLTK provided an easy way of implementing an multiplatform application that could run on Windows and Unix/Linux.
Thoughts the ForcePAD application
ForcePAD was developed as part of my PhD thesis almost 20 years ago. The application was developed in C++ using OpenGL for graphics and FLTK for the user interface.