AstoCAD launches as new FreeCAD paid membership to make open-source AutoCAD alternative easier to use

[Redaktion]

The AstoCAD development team has announced the first release of the FreeCAD soft fork, which aims to drastically redesign the UI of the free, open-source 3D design software to "make FreeCAD sexy."

https://www.notebookcheck.net/AstoCAD-launches-as-new-FreeCAD-paid-membership-to-make-open-source-AutoCAD-alternative-easier-to-use.960255.0.html

[Zuzie]

o·pen-source
adjective Computing
denoting software for which the original source code is made FREELY available and may be redistributed and modified.

AstroCAD is not open source.

[A]

o·pen-source
adjective Computing
denoting software for which the original source code is made FREELY available and may be redistributed and modified.

AstroCAD is not open source.

You are thinking of FOSS which stands for Free Open Source Software.

The "Freely" available part means that once you get the source code, you can modify it and distribute it to others via copy left.

[mononoke]

i dont see why freecad couldnt just pivot to this as well...

[julian.vdm]

i dont see why freecad couldnt just pivot to this as well...

They are, just after AstoCAD gets it. The membership is just a way to fund the development of the better UI, which will be merged into FreeCAD at some point after it's implemented and tested in AstoCAD

[JohnTheBlindman]

i dont see why freecad couldnt just pivot to this as well...

This looks to be following a similar model as WINE. The main devs generate funding via Crossover and Proton whose features eventually make it to WINE.

I love the new features in FreeCAD 1.0 and welcome AstroCAD as a method of funding the core developers.