Archimedes (CAD)
| Company type | Free and open-source software |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer-aided design software |
| Founded | July 12, 2005 |
| Founder | Software developers and architecture students at the University of São Paulo |
| Headquarters | São Paulo , Brazil |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Hugo Corbucci (Lead Developer) |
| Products | Archimedes CAD application |
| Website | www |
Archimedes – also known as Arquimedes – is a computer-aided design (CAD) application created with significant input from architects and architectural firms, aiming to provide enhanced compatibility with architectural workflows compared to widely used CAD tools such as AutoCAD. This software is distributed as free and open-source under the Eclipse Public License.
Features
- Fundamental drawing tools
- Lines, Polylines, Arcs, Circles
- Editable text elements
- Exploration capabilities
- Offset functions
- Advanced capabilities
- Trimming operations
- Filleting
- Measurement of areas
- Additional utilities
Compatibility with other CAD platforms
Archimedes utilizes a proprietary open format based on XML, bearing similarities to SVG. Although support for various other CAD file formats is currently unavailable, integration with DXF files is planned for future releases.
Development
Developed in the Java environment, Archimedes is compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux/Unix operating systems. It can also function on any platform that supports LWJGL alongside Java Virtual Machine version 1.5.0 or newer.
Project history
Initiated in 2005 through a partnership between software developers and architecture students at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, Archimedes has maintained its status as free and open-source software. Development continues with contributions from university collaborators and an open invitation for community involvement via plugins and code patches.
Project timeline
- Archimedes was officially registered as a project on SourceForge.net on July 12, 2005.
- The final stable release prior to adopting the RCP framework was version 0.16.0, dated October 25, 2000.
- The inaugural stable release following migration to Eclipse RCP was version 0.50.0, launched on April 25, 2007.
Transition to Eclipse RCP in the 0.5x series
The adoption of the Eclipse Rich Client Platform starting with versions in the 0.5x range improved user interface responsiveness and software stability. However, some functionalities from earlier pre-RCP editions are still being integrated. Version 0.58.0 marks progress by incorporating trimming tools, leader features, and export options for SVG and PDF formats.
External links
- Official Archimedes Website
- Archimedes Project on SourceForge.net
- Blog of Hugo Corbucci (Lead Developer of Archimedes)
- Archimedes Source Code Repository on GitHub