[GRASS5] v.in.dwg license problem

Radim Blazek blazek at itc.it
Fri May 16 04:29:13 EDT 2003


On Thursday 15 May 2003 04:23 pm, Bernhard Reiter wrote:
> > > DIME or dxflib might be a starting point for development.
> >
> > OpenDWG was not choosen by chance.
> > DIME: C++ (not welcome in GRASS)
> >       DXF only (no DWG)
> >       versions 10-14 guaranteed only (missing 2000 and 2002)
>
> Though being C++, it is Free Software.
> Having a import/-export module which depends on a C++,
> because we don't have a C version is acceptable, because it is optional.

C++ is less important part of the problem. DWG and version > R14 is the problem.
(Sorry, if I confused you by order.)

> > dxflib: C++
> >         DXF only
> >         "It's at the moment very simple ..." (from home page)
>
> We might want to check how simple it actually is.
>
> Because of our conversation, Wolgang Lueck pointed out to me
> that QCAD under GNU GPL has the ability to handle DXF files.
> We could check if their support is better then DIME or dxflib
> and suitable for GRASS purposes.

I know QCAD of course. I tried everything. Last year, I wrote also import
program based on DIME. I was going exactly the way you suggest.
When everything other failed, I took Open DWG as last option.

> As an development direction, maybe we should focus our work to
> integrate it into GDAL, though the win for Free Software would even
> be higher.

Frank Warmerdam (Mon, 25 Nov 2002 08:58:04 -0500):
"It is my general intention to someday add DXF/DWG support to OGR based based
on the OpenDWG libraries. ....."
(http://remotesensing.org/pipermail/gdal-dev/2002-November/000008.html)

Frank Warmerdam (Sun Feb 23rd, 2003 at 02:40:47 AM):
".... While I would prefer a true open source license, the licensing terms 
of the OpenDWG alliance is quite reasonable. ..."
(http://www.digitalearth.org/comments/2003/2/1/16238/10919/1/post)

(Frank Warmardam is GDAL/OGR developer)

> What do you think Radim?

We have to do our projects now. We cannot wait 10 years until somebody 
develop GPL DWG library. You cannot tell people who sent you data:
"We are using GRASS it is free SW, so we cannot use DWG you sent me. 
Could you convert those files to DXF v.10? It is easy, open each
of those 100 files in ACAD and save it as DXF v.10 and make a new CD. 
It cannot take you more than half day."

You can of course, but then you are not in next project.

Radim




More information about the grass-dev mailing list