# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion

• Participants explored implementing version control for CAD files, debating automatic vs. manual commits and discussing the need for visualization tools that could extract preview images from SolidWorks files using Linux tools like libgsf-bin.

• A Java API for SolidWorks (http://www.abraxis.com/niceguy/swjava/) was shared, which could enable programmatic control of the CAD software, alongside discussion of developing "lolcad," a Python library for NURBS geometry manipulation.

• The group critiqued current CAD visualization approaches, noting OpenSCAD's inefficient rendering compared to real-time OpenGL, and debated whether CAD interfaces should prioritize command-line or graphical paradigms while maintaining programmatic control.

• Participants discussed the potential for robotic construction beyond factory settings, sharing examples of specialized robots like the Australian "Risper" project and automated food preparation systems including a Japanese pancake-making robot and a "wok robot" capable of preparing 600 Chinese dishes.

• Kevin Kelly's book "What Technology Wants" was highlighted, along with a browser-based chemical structure editor (http://scitouch.net/ketcher-demo/ketcher.html) and the Free Software Foundation's new "Respects Your Freedom" hardware endorsement program.

• The conversation included critical discussion of Humanity+ (formerly World Transhumanist Association), questioning whether the 501(c)(3) non-profit should focus more on concrete projects rather than media and blogging activities.