[GRASS-dev] v.in.dwg: status in GRASS 6.2.2, DWGdirect, etc.

[Glynn Clements]

brush wrote:

> > > Yes: these files you have to obtain from the OpenDesign Alliance.
> > > AFAIK we could distribute binaries of v.in.dwg if there were dynamic
> > > DWGDirect libraries available, but they aren't (at least not some months
> > > ago). Since they only provide static libraries (.a instead of .so), they get
> > > compiled into GRASS and hence fall under the "no distribution" restriction.
> > 
> > It doesn't make any difference whether the libraries are static or
> > dynamic.
> > 
> > Unless you can supply the OpenDWG/DWGDirect source code under a
> > GPL-compatible licence, you cannot distribute a binary which is linked
> > (statically or dynamically) against both the GRASS libraries and the
> > DWG libraries.
> 
> would it be possible to create a standalone binary that converts from
> DWG into GRASS-internal data structures,

Not without re-writing a large portion of the vector library yourself. 
And re-writing it if the GRASS vector format ever changes.

> which could be accessed if it
> exists from inside GRASS?  then this binary could have a licensing
> structure separate from GPL.
> 
> this would make it a lot easier to separately maintain and compile that
> code in a one-click fashion, reducing the barrier to use.

A simpler solution would be to write something which converts DWG to a
published format, preferably one which GDAL/OGR can import.

-- 
Glynn Clements <glynn at gclements.plus.com>