# Summary of #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion (September 14, 2009)

• Discussion of the FabFi project in Afghanistan, including concerns about file formats used in Fab Labs, with participants noting that PNG files were being used instead of more appropriate vector formats like SVG for fabrication designs.

• Technical discussion about Open CASCADE (OCC) geometry processing, including challenges with wire exploration, point cloud processing, and boundary representation in 3D modeling.

• Debate about the limitations of SWIG in Python programming, particularly how it breaks dynamic typing when interfacing with C++ libraries.

• Mention of Paul Rothemund's upcoming presentation on DNA origami, a technique for manipulating and folding DNA strands that could have applications in nanotechnology.

• Brief discussion of open-source CAD software options including FreeCAD, Archimedes, gcad3d, BRL-CAD, and Varkon, with concerns about GPL compliance when using the Open CASCADE library.

• Conversation about the Fab Lab in Afghanistan showing a disconnect between technical capabilities in different contexts, with participants wondering why people with access to CNC machinery seemed to lack basic technical knowledge.