Organization for Macro Library section

[josh]

I'm looking at the Macro Library section of the SW area... https://www.cadforum.net/viewforum.php? ... 8a0abf1329
The macro library idea is great, but for it to really be useful it needs to be at least organized and easier to search. Right now there are some posts with zip files of several macros, some are their own thread, some are just replies to threads, etc.

Does this software have a function for a "files section" or something? Similar to

http://hifi-remote.com/forums/dload.php ... cat_id=132

One advantage to this functionality is that the author can update the file directly rather than posting an update at the end of the thread or something. It looks like commenting should be possible too, although it looks like that function is turned off over there.

Ideally they'd be categorized, maybe by part/assembly/drawing/file mgt/custom props/UI etc... One macro per post, with good titles and descriptions.

[matt]

I'm looking at the Macro Library section of the SW area... https://www.cadforum.net/viewforum.php? ... 8a0abf1329
The macro library idea is great, but for it to really be useful it needs to be at least organized and easier to search. Right now there are some posts with zip files of several macros, some are their own thread, some are just replies to threads, etc.

Does this software have a function for a "files section" or something? Similar to

http://hifi-remote.com/forums/dload.php ... cat_id=132

One advantage to this functionality is that the author can update the file directly rather than posting an update at the end of the thread or something. It looks like commenting should be possible too, although it looks like that function is turned off over there.

Ideally they'd be categorized, maybe by part/assembly/drawing/file mgt/custom props/UI etc... One macro per post, with good titles and descriptions.

Yeah, I've been trying to find a library extension, or better yet, a PDM web client. I've got a lot of projects that need attention, but a better way to handle download files is definitely high on the list.

[mike miller]

Actually, what would be even better is appointing a low-level moderator to oversee that page. He could upload macros, check for duplicates, sort them, and write descriptions.

[matt]

Actually, what would be even better is appointing a low-level moderator to oversee that page. He could upload macros, check for duplicates, sort them, and write descriptions.

Do I hear someone volunteering?
I'll be getting to that point probably sooner than later.

[mike miller]

Actually, what would be even better is appointing a low-level moderator to oversee that page. He could upload macros, check for duplicates, sort them, and write descriptions.

Do I hear someone volunteering?
I'll be getting to that point probably sooner than later.

Umm...not really, but if you need someone.......

[bnemec]

I'm looking at the Macro Library section of the SW area... viewforum.php?f=33&sid=d39a95eb54d2a438ded7ab8a0abf1329
The macro library idea is great, but for it to really be useful it needs to be at least organized and easier to search. Right now there are some posts with zip files of several macros, some are their own thread, some are just replies to threads, etc.

Does this software have a function for a "files section" or something? Similar to

http://hifi-remote.com/forums/dload.php ... cat_id=132

One advantage to this functionality is that the author can update the file directly rather than posting an update at the end of the thread or something. It looks like commenting should be possible too, although it looks like that function is turned off over there.

Ideally they'd be categorized, maybe by part/assembly/drawing/file mgt/custom props/UI etc... One macro per post, with good titles and descriptions.

Yeah, I've been trying to find a library extension, or better yet, a PDM web client. I've got a lot of projects that need attention, but a better way to handle download files is definitely high on the list.

GitHub is such a great place for code/macros/etc, with check in/out, version control, branch and merge, add-ins for IDEs... I see a lot of open source stuff use it but they have their support/forum in their own website and just link back. So the only chit chat in GitHub is specific to the pulls/branch/merge stuff. I'm not sure if it's a fair comparison but in my mind I see it as "source control" is to code files as PDM is to CAD files. I first learned the "check in/check out" concepts ~20 years ago in CS/SE classes that required using source control, files were aall in "the cloud" back then too but nobody called it that then.

Anyway, I'm not saying that having an account for CAD Forum at GitHub as a place to keep all the macros and APIs that people want to share is a good idea, just tossing it out. If there's bad reasons, please call them out, might help Matt (us) find the ideal solution to organize macros, addin libs and stand alone APIs. Also, I wonder how many macros and APIs that are shared on the old forum are kept in GitHub by their owner; maybe best to just point there? Hopefully some programmers with more experience than me (most of them) can comment.

Lastly, I must point out I think it's super cool to have a place for people to help each other with code or API stuff in a CAD neutral environment. I know that APIs are very specific to the cad system you're using, but the tasks are often universal. My example is we had an existing automated dxf save add-in for Solid Edge. When PDM and SW came along something had to change. We tried using the SW task add-in for PDM but quickly had too many work arounds to accomplish what was needed to fit into parts of our system that were not changing. So I started my own PDM task add-in, it runs pdfs and dxfs for both Solid Edge and Solidworks files when released in PDM workflow. It's not perfect but it get's the job done consistently. I'd share it but it's so specific to our use case that I fear it would be more hinderance than help to others.

[matt]

GitHub is such a great place for code/macros/etc, with check in/out, version control, branch and merge, add-ins for IDEs... I see a lot of open source stuff use it but they have their support/forum in their own website and just link back. So the only chit chat in GitHub is specific to the pulls/branch/merge stuff. I'm not sure if it's a fair comparison but in my mind I see it as "source control" is to code files as PDM is to CAD files. I first learned the "check in/check out" concepts ~20 years ago in CS/SE classes that required using source control, files were aall in "the cloud" back then too but nobody called it that then.

Anyway, I'm not saying that having an account for CAD Forum at GitHub as a place to keep all the macros and APIs that people want to share is a good idea, just tossing it out. If there's bad reasons, please call them out, might help Matt (us) find the ideal solution to organize macros, addin libs and stand alone APIs. Also, I wonder how many macros and APIs that are shared on the old forum are kept in GitHub by their owner; maybe best to just point there? Hopefully some programmers with more experience than me (most of them) can comment.

Lastly, I must point out I think it's super cool to have a place for people to help each other with code or API stuff in a CAD neutral environment. I know that APIs are very specific to the cad system you're using, but the tasks are often universal. My example is we had an existing automated dxf save add-in for Solid Edge. When PDM and SW came along something had to change. We tried using the SW task add-in for PDM but quickly had too many work arounds to accomplish what was needed to fit into parts of our system that were not changing. So I started my own PDM task add-in, it runs pdfs and dxfs for both Solid Edge and Solidworks files when released in PDM workflow. It's not perfect but it get's the job done consistently. I'd share it but it's so specific to our use case that I fear it would be more hinderance than help to others.

phpbb itself uses github to download extensions, so it's a natural for that sort of thing. But I'm looking for something maybe more universal, since code/api/macros is just a portion of what we will want to share.