Low Priority: Port to OS X

#1

I realize this will be low on your list after features benefiting you larger Windows user base, but I would love to see a OS X port if you are building the core functionality separate from the UI.

I use Windows at home, but my work machine as a Mac. I take commuter rail to/from work and since I have the time I would to arrange and slice parts on my commute, that way I can send files to my printer as soon as I get home. Since I have a Phrozen Shuffle I am also looking into setting up VPN on my router and then I could send files from work as well.

#2

Hi,

Yes you are right; it’s low on our priority list.

I’ve heard from users using Parrallels succesfully with the software; so that would be an option to use it on a mac.

Currently there are a few options for creating a mac version. None of them is easy and each has a huge amount of work involved in coding and testing. So currently we’ve given priority to developing more and better functionality fast; to benefit more users. Not to say we will never release a mac version.

To summarize what we have looked at/thought about (if anybody else knows a better way?)

1. completely native application
Benefit is a UI the user knows. In our view it benefits the user to have a native and familiar UI.
This would be best but most expensive. But imagine this would cost 1 developer extra to build this; not economical at the moment.

2. cross platform framework like QT
Unfortunately QT is not free for a commercial app. Also imho it limits a bit in the 3d interface that you can create. All other software out there that uses QT seems to use the same 3D View and buttons. I’m not sure what freedom you have there. Also it would mean translating our code base from C# to C++. We like C# so far because fast development is possible.

3. Cross platform framework Mono
As far as i can understand not all controls are ported and the application might not look good on mac. (not native). Also i’ve read that the Monocompiler might slow down your application over 20 times. Which is in a geometry processing app not ideal if you ask me. There are lots of performance critical parts that we’ve code optimized a lot.

4. Xamarin Forms
This looks most promising to me. It’s a cross platform toolkit for C# built for mobile apps to run natively on iOs/android/Windows phone. But they seem to have a limited desktop version as well.
I might do a test with this in a couple of weeks/months time to see how this works.

  1. Core functionality separately
    Most of the functionality we’ve written is integrated tightly with the core of the program. (not the UI).
    So i think it will be very hard to i.e. export a support algorithm without the entire core…

hope to have given some insight to the reasoning. If anyone has idea’s let us know!