ook - what is it?

A kite design application. Open source. Free.

Check out the screen shots.

Licence:

This software is released under the GNU General Public License.

For a bit more info on copyleft and don't forget to check out Richard Stallmans, his ideals behind Copyleft: Pragmatic Idealism. And finally the GPL FAQ, should answer all your questions on what you can and can not do with the source. And lets face it, with it licenced under GNU GPL you can do a lot with it.

Commercial ventures may be interested in this question and answer.

Installation

A quick note, please remember that this program uses Open Source components to run it, this means that none of the individual components are written by the same people.

So don't expect a quick and painless install, the components needed to run the program come from all over the world and are not bundled into one easy to use install package.

Sorry.

But *do* expect the program to run on Windows, Linux and MacOS.

You need all of these:

• Python 2.2.3 [ Python-2.2.3.exe ] interpreter. It is very important that you get the correct version of python. The later versions DO NOT work with pyOpenGL.
• wxPython [ wxPythonWIN32-2.5.1.5-Py22.exe ] , displays the windows and GUI widgets.
• pyOpenGL [ Numeric-23.0.win32-py2.2.exe ] lets Python use OpenGL to display the 3D graphics.
• sping [ sping-1.1.3.zip ] prints PDF files.

Source code:

• The source code: ook.py

Note for windows users:

Changing the extension of the python file from .py to .pyw will get rid of the anoying DOS window that opens. The DOS window is useful to read any debug message that you may put in the code ( e.g. print "hello" ) but I like to get rid of it using .pyw.

Care needs to be taken to get the correct version of each component so they will all play together nicely. PAY ATTENTION TO THE VERSION NUMBERS.

It's a lot to download and install - sorry! But all of the above components need to be installed and working correctly before the program will run.

Why do you have to install so much just to get a simple program to work?

Here's why it isn't as easy as double clicking on install.exe, if I had to write a c++ 3D graphics system from scratch - it'd never get finished. I'd still be burried in Math text books looking up Matrix multiplication and 3D object rotation. I'd much rather spend the time kitesurfing dialing another one-foot rotation ;-)

It's the same issue with each component. wxPython lets me create a window and add buttons, and the code will run on many different machines and OSs. wxPython also uses the operating systems native elements. Which means everything tends to look acceptable and it all runs pretty quickly.

It's just one of those descisions I had to make, portable and quick to write hard to install, or hard to write, easy to install. I chose the former.

A program written in Python tends to have fewer lines of code that the equivilent program in c++ which makes Python easier to read and understand. It took me a while to get used to it and I'm still not sure if I prefer Python over c++, try reading over some of the code and see for your self.

Wish List / To Do / Bugs :

File:

• Load / Save
• import other files.
• ability to co-operate with analsys software & Cad software.

Kite:

• proportioanl panel area
• proportional panel length
• AoA and/or twist
• optional bridle

Profile/Ribs

• inflato ribs
• LE diameter - proportional %
• LE tube / ellipse rotation, eliminate twisting of tube.
• LE plan view angle.
• LE flatten

canopy curve

• Finite Element Analsys ( could this use the bridle settings some how?)
• bridle: Can we use FEA to reduce the bridle? Can we use it to predict stress of each bridle point and recomend reinforcemnts?

Skin Factories

• different skin factories.
• approximate skin factories give an error value so the user can tweek the factory settings to reduce the error a bit.
• ability to cut the skin into curves, ovals, circles.
• map arbitory vector graphics across the skin.
  • place the vector points on a rectangle.
  • cut the rectangle into slices were the ribs would be
  • morph all the points from Leading Edge to Trailing Edge acording to the profile height
  • morph all the points acording to the profile length
  • curve all the points using the canopy curve.
  • It doesn't seem impossible.
• graphics could include letters and numbers
• add artificats to the kite. Reinforcement positions. Logos' etc...

Display

• 3D
• axis labels
• calculated arrows of force through the profile
• CoP arrow
• semi transparent sections
• better highlighting of section being edited in kite (solid, everything else is semi transparent)
• 2D flat views of kite + individual parts.

Final Render

• printing
• flatten skins
• adding seams
• cutting holes in ribs
• best fit on sheet - less off cut.
• sewing instructions

GUI

• better GUI
• dockable windows (or add a pin button)
• all openGL bits work together and at the same time using notification lists.
• side + plan + 3D view all in main frame.
• replace side or plan with one of the pinable windows.

Language

• support for multiple languages.