Truss Program

[Andrew1979]

I wrote a series of lisp programs to draw roof and floor trusses that I have compiled into a program to install into AutoCAD. It took me quite a long time to iron out the bugs as the trigonometry was mind boggling. There were a lot of moments where I said "the program doesn't work and I don't know why".....then there were times I changed things and would say "program now works and I don't know why"

 

Is there a section where we can share our software? The software I have written though is only a DEMO as I am selling it as an add on to AutoCAD.

 

I have learned a lot through lisp programming to make the software and feel like I made quite an achievement in doing so. I also taught myself how to make a security for the software so it can only be installed/licenced on one computer per licence. If anyne is interested in how I did that I can write something on it.

 

The link to my software is here http://thirdistudio.com.au/TrussCAD.html

If you don't want to install it there is also a youtube video you can watch to see it in action.

 

I also taught myself some Visual Basic .net to write a program that automatically installs the menu into AutoCAD which was a major challenge in itself. Then I wrote some PHP on my website to auto generate licence numbers once payment is made via paypal and emailed to the customer.

 

There was a lot to overcome to automate the whole payment process as well as just write the program

 

I would love any feedback if anyone cares to look into it.

 

Thanks,

[BIGAL]

Had a quick look and not bad price wise is good even better for end user if US dollars at moment. I will down load at home and have a better look.

 

Glad you have it locked up, as a ex Autocad dealer selling our own 3rd party add on products, know all about clients trying to make copies and not pay.

 

Autodesk has a section on their website for products like this.

 

Re potential sales 1st thing is a flyer a quick glance and 2 choices in the bin or on the desk. Then web investigate further.

 

Your immediate customers a thing called "Yellow Pages" its amazing has adress details of Architects and Engineers all around us here in AUS.

 

A quick glance you comment about changing line colour etc I can help you do better, complete user control of layer use within your existing program. They set the layer details you just draw it. Wait till I have had a look, one of my pet hates is you must use our layer rules because we know better.

 

Ps on my 3rd party product I cheated on the "A" truss by using a variable x y scale and checking overall width to change to more a chorded trusses as you get wider, but it was only for visual not construction.

 

This gives you an idea we could add your trusses to this. Drawn by CAD-ARC

[Andrew1979]

Thanks a lot BigAl for taking the time to look and respond. At the moment the program is designed for metric users where the default timber thickness defaults to 90mm....which would be around 4 inches in imperial......so if people in the USA used it, they would have to be aware of that plus the nail plate sizes are actually blocks so they would need to be edited too.....I could make an imperial version though.

I have sold 3 copies so far and had no complaints which is good as it probably means the program is working as it should.

I will certainly take your opinion about forced layer names on board....maybe I can update that to include the ability to change the defaults.

I am also thinking of adding the ability to add valley trusses over existing trusses or rafters.

Thanks again for taking the time to comment

[BIGAL]

The user layers is actually pretty easy you make them a variable TRUSSLAY1 = "Timber trusses" just read a simple data file that sets all layer parameters name col & lt

 

Variable-name layername col lt