rattleCAD - is rattleCAD user friendly

[fred_stmk]

A topic has been driving me since a longer time:

I find in the network again and again posts in which people construct their bikes with a free version of a more expensive program and are not able to print their drawings for the workshop and switch to rattleCAD.
Thats ok, that is the business model of the other software.

But that's not the topic:

What annoys me is that many of these people dont forget to mention that rattleCAD is not user-friendly ...
... without any feedback to me and
... without any explanation what they mean ....

Hence my questions about your opinion:

• Which features are missing in rattleCAD and which priority do these features have (from 0, 1 - 10)?
• Which tasks are cumbersome to carry out in rattleCAD?
• What appears in rattleCAD opaque, or illogical?
• What content should a user documentation for rattleCAD contain?
• What were your Heureka experiences when working with rattleCAD?

I'm looking forward to your comments and hints

Manfred

[Blacklabbikes]

Which features are missing in rattleCAD and which priority do these features have (from 0, 1 - 10)?
A seatstay tab for checking clearance
Bent main tubes
extra main tubes
more default components
allowing for seatstay attachment along the top tube (triple triangle) or at the headtube (for mixte)
it might be a nice thing to be able to physically restrain the geometry to a particular lug set. (Guessing here, I quite like making the lugs fit the design)

None of these are particularly important as they can be quickly designed for.

Which tasks are cumbersome to carry out in rattleCAD?

I think many people start designing a frame from seat and headtube angles and so the default view is counter-intuitive, then the manual isn't read and everything is correspondingly difficult

What appears in rattleCAD opaque, or illogical?
getting custom graphics into the software is a bit of a pain, they usually need the source of the svg editing but that's not a massive thing.

What content should a user documentation for rattleCAD contain?
It should probably be more obvious how to switch modes. many will dive-in and try to learn through playing.

What were your Heureka experiences when working with rattleCAD?
None really. I like the fork swapper.

Thanks again for a fantastic bit of software!

[duanedr]

I am a big fan. The additions I would like to see include those mentioned by Joe like
larger library of components and fittings (dropouts, crowns, etc).
Would like to figure out how to get graphics to appear. I am close as I can see some of the graphics but not right size or right placement.
Output sheet with parameters like tube diameters, dropouts, crowns, seatpost size, spacing, etc.

My guess is paid version of BikeCAD does most of this but none of these are big enough for me to switch and relearn. My processes now work with RattleCAD including fixture set up.

I would be happy to document in a requirements doc my thoughts and pass around for more input.

Thanks!!

[fred_stmk]

I would be happy to document in a requirements doc my thoughts and pass around for more input.
Thanks!!

rattleCAD / Feature Requests / Group Release_(3.6)
SourceForge.net: Log In to SourceForge.net -> create Ticket

[fred_stmk]

it might be a nice thing to be able to physically restrain the geometry to a particular lug set. (Guessing here, I quite like making the lugs fit the design)

this feature is allready avaliable since version 3.4.0 .100 and earlier
... maybe not well tested
2018-08-28 21_45_31-rattleCAD 3.6.19 - Template Road.png

or see here: rattleCAD / Feature Requests / #15 Restrain the geometry to a particular lug set

[Blacklabbikes]

this feature is allready avaliable since version 3.4.0 .100 and earlier
... maybe not well tested
2018-08-28 21_45_31-rattleCAD 3.6.19 - Template Road.png

or see here: rattleCAD / Feature Requests / #15 Restrain the geometry to a particular lug set

Apologies - what a great feature!

[Crowemagnon]

im a new user, Ive been in rattle cad for about 5 hours. so forgive me if im missing some things, i AM finding the software quite cumbersome, the prioritisation of 'driving and driven measurements' is not intuitive to me, and it doesn't appear i can change them. this seems to be the overwhelming issue standing in the way of all pieces of frame design software i've seen. rattlecad asks users to adopt ITS prioritisation ( which appears to be XY saddle and handlebar placement ) and go about learning how their round design process can be put through this square hole. people LEARNING the software feels like the hard part of a business statement from 1995.

A more intuitive approach would be for a piece of software to have the ability to let users reprioritise what is driving and what is driven to suit their own aproach, even to have different modes saved for different styles of building.

for example;

im designing a new hardtail, and this time around i want to start by talking about (my first priorities) ;

wheel and tyre size ( next week, i might move this down a teir, case in point)
bb height
HT reach
HT length
head tube angle
axle to crown and offset of fork
head tube length
chain stay length

and i want to see how this starts influencing front centre, wheelbase & stack.

then go on to choose less definitive (second priorities)

stem length
seat tube angle and length
top tube height and angle
downtube diameter and placement on HT
saddle height

and see how these affect things like exposed seat post, standover, can i fit a drink bottle ect, theres obviously a third, and theoretical fourth and fifth and sixth...ect ect layer of measurements that follow,

however if i was to design a road bike, and start with the above list of priorities , it might seem a bit funny, and i'd end up coming back to the first list and changing these driving measurements, to get a latter measurement where i wanted it.

for me (emphasis on the me here, because we are all different, follow different processes, and having software versatile enough to accomodate this is what i think is key) a road bike measurement would look more like this;

BB drop
seat tube angle
saddle height along seat tube centreline.
HT stack and reach
front centre
chainstay length.

ill want to watch how this effects wheelbase, and then with those things locked in, ill look at fork ATC and offset, top tube angle, ect.

my point is not how these things are arranged, (because i dont think everyone wants to design road bikes without prioritising "effective top tube length", ha!), but that I want to be able to do the arranging of these priorities myself, not be pushed into a set of priorities being dictated by the software.

tldr

its not user friendly because friendliness can be defined by google as "2.denoting something that is adapted for or is not harmful to a specified thing." and this software is not adapted, or adaptable (unless im missing something fundamental) to my design process, its centred around someone elses.

my .02c

[DrByrne]

Hi,

Some usability suggestions from me.

1: The startup splash screen takes a long time to close and holds the focus on my PC, so I can't work on other applications while I'm waiting for rattlecad to load. (Admittedly this could be a symptom of a slow PC)

2. The path to the default folder for file operations always defaults to the rattlecad folder - could it default to last used? (which I think would be more like the windows default behaviour)

3. Can the jig selection be persistent? It resets everytime rattlecad is restarted (but I always use the same jig!)

4. Can numeric entry be "accepted" when the tab key is pressed. (Tab currently moves to the next input box without accepting the number entered on the previous box)

5. Can you open/load bikecad files (I guess there are IP issues that would prevent it)

Thanks for a great peice of software, keep up the good work!

[fred_stmk]

A more intuitive approach would be for a piece of software to have the ability to let users reprioritise what is driving and what is driven to suit their own aproach, even to have different modes saved for different styles of building.

... just answering this issue:

please take a look on the Frame Config Mode and the 4 available modes:

• Outside-In: ... this default setting and has the position of the rider in the focus. The frame is a result of the handlebar position and stem.
• Stack & Reach: ... focusses on the frame by set of stack and reach. The position of the handlebar is a result of the frame
• Classic: ... like Stack & Reach but uses seat tube and horizontal top tube as reference.
• Lug Angles: ... the frame is constrained by given lug angles

The red colored lines shows the constraints of the dimensioning in your configuration mode.

2018-08-29 14_03_48-rattleCAD 3.6.18 - Template Road.png
2018-08-29 14_04_02-rattleCAD 3.6.18 - Template Road.png
2018-08-29 14_04_14-rattleCAD 3.6.18 - Template Road.png
2018-08-29 14_04_27-rattleCAD 3.6.18 - Template Road.png


does this clearify this request?

Manfred

[fred_stmk]

Hi,
4. Can numeric entry be "accepted" when the tab key is pressed. (Tab currently moves to the next input box without accepting the number entered on the previous box)

please see
rattleCAD / Feature Requests / #18 Set value on tab key
or
rattleCAD Version 3.6.20
rattleCAD - Browse /3.6 at SourceForge.net

a simple and great idea, by the way

Manfred

[DrByrne]

please see
rattleCAD / Feature Requests / #18 Set value on tab key
or
rattleCAD Version 3.6.20
rattleCAD - Browse /3.6 at SourceForge.net

a simple and great idea, by the way

Manfred

Thanks Manfred

[EricKeller]

I really like the program. I haven't used it much except to design a frame for practice with the software. So I'm just answering your question, not criticizing.

I recently downloaded rattlecad because of the chainstay view. I am totally at a loss for why there is a red triangle with an arrow on it up at the left hand corner of the window. I stared at the window for quite some time without seeing the red triangle. There is plenty of room for a toolbar button, which is where I looked for the functionality of the red triangle for quite some time.

I have Bikecad pro. Rattlecad seems to have some of the same user interface clunkiness of bikecad. A lot of that goes away with use, but I see why people complain about it.

[duanedr]

which is where I looked for the functionality of the red triangle for quite some time.

Which functionality? The page size or the chainstay type? Double-clicking the tube reveals a little thing that allows user to select type (bent, straight or off). I can't think of a reason there would be an 'Off' setting for chainstays but there it is.

[EricKeller]

I don't remember :) I just think there is plenty of room on the toolbar for the red triangle to go as a button.

[fred_stmk]

there is an implementation in rattleCAD 3.6.22
Download rattleCAD from SourceForge.net
for:

2. The path to the default folder for file operations always defaults to the rattlecad folder - could it default to last used? (which I think would be more like the windows default behaviour)

please see:
rattleCAD / Feature Requests / #16 Customizable default folder for project files

3. Can the jig selection be persistent? It resets everytime rattlecad is restarted (but I always use the same jig!)

please see:
rattleCAD / Feature Requests / #17 Persistent jig selection