Mesh tools; What my engagement here is all about. CLOSED

[stepalibre]

Answering question from:

T

Post in thread 'CompuPortAD'

Jan 25, 2026

Test output from my tool see the reduced topology counts:

Where is this tool Stephen? How to download and use it for non-code savy?

CompuportAD looks quite nice and effective at what it's doing. I'll keep it in my bookmarks in case I come across a project that can justify the licensing cost someday.

• tyc

• 

My focus isn’t producing ready to use software. I will make packaged installers but not in every case. Those toolkits were made to help me build Dynamo and Grasshopper nodes for FreeCAD and Blender. I haven’t updated the Git projects, but the work continues. The tools I referenced are CLI based and are a combination of meshmixer-dotnet and Analysis Situs CLI. I’m building cross platform now, so it is more complicated. What I would release are nodes for Dynamo that would be a AlibreImportMesh and a MergeAllFaces node or something, not a traditional app or addon. It can be an addon, but it’ll be a node based. If you’re interested, contact me. If you or anyone are serious about trying it out let me know. You would need to download and learn Dynamo. I can help you on Discord for the custom node setup and Alibre workflow.

Thanks for the interest!

When I finish updating projects to use my new library, I'll make installers automatically. Not for this topic but for all projects under https://github.com/the-tool-store

 

[tyc]

Thanks, Stephen. I thought I had missed an add-on you shared. It would be nice to have a traditional executable to install as an Alibre add-on, but your work seems more complicated than that. No worries.

 

[stepalibre]

the-tool-store projects are made for automatic building and installer creation. It is completely separated and managed as an app or a process step. The requirement is that projects are self-contained and don’t have outside dependences, making it easier to automate the publishing process. Mesh tools and toolkits are far messier.

I’m building tooling that can make the publishing and development process improved for me, you benefit. I share that along with examples and demo projects. This is where I think some are confused about me and my work shared on the forums. It’s unofficial Alibre development evangelism not pure self-promotion of my work. By its nature, it is promotion of both. Everything is made by me under the same technical umbrella and process.

I’ve been in contact with some of you directly. You’re looking for runnable code and packaged solutions far more than source code.

I’m doing the plumbing. You’re waiting for restroom access.

Mesh formats in general is a core area where I’ve been building for lately. Meshes are the default 3D format graphics apps and libraries support. Dynamo internally uses mesh (Helix Toolkit) and SAT (Autodesk kernel). I support both import processes, but SAT is more restrictive. I also make custom nodes and tools that require mesh formats even when I am producing CAD models, mesh is required.

Mesh = non CAD format

My Visual Studio extensions will include mesh projects combining Analysis Situs and ASSIMP as example addons.

What I share is probably only useful to people building their own addons, someone getting started or exploring possibilities and open to new tech. Not end-users or companies looking for production grade resources. the-tool-store is not even a beta or alpha, it’s a true proof of concept/preview.

Side project:

My personal bot will be building for the-tool-store.

stephensmitchell-bot - Overview

Parametric design assistant | CAD automation | Development companion - stephensmitchell-bot

github.com

AI and automated addons and apps are coming to the-tool-store. These projects are intended to push what’s possible, consider it an R&D experiment I’m making public. I’ll include more ideas on this topic.

Thanks again for the interest.

 

[stepalibre]

I’m excited to build and share these projects. Most start as fun ideas and late night whatifs. No big deal, no issues here, no animosity. I have a love and passion for building and learning. Some fish or watch sports, I break builds and check if Max drops any new dotnet news.

I started a company but everything Alibre development related will stay free and MIT licensed. Projects hosted under https://github.com/the-tool-store will be free and MIT licensed.

AI addons and apps:
I'm considering unlicensing purely AI gererated addons and apps since they can be user generated. I don't want to set a license.

Edits:

This is hard to keep simple. I use pure/purely to not go through all the details. I'll have documentation to explain the system. Code is generated with local and custom LLMs. Commercial AI agents and tools are used in the publishing process. My data is used to train the LLM for code generation. It uses my plans and coding instructions in a closed system. This is all experimental and a work in progress. Using "AI generated" is loaded I'll clarify my position. Information will be published to the GitHub account.

 

[tyc]

I appreciate your enthusiasm; however, everything sounds abstract to me unless I see an executable that I can run or install, like Bolsover's STL STP converter, or the scripts that others have been sharing. The source code is available, but I don't need to know about it. It just runs and does its job.

What you shared in the other thread about merging all coplanar triangle surfaces into a single polygon surface is remarkable, and it excites me. However, getting it to work is a nightmare for me, as I don't understand how to build your code or how to run it with a single click of a button.

I believe most people here in the forums would appreciate an add-in that can be simply installed and used.

I'm sure your work makes more sense to those who are code-savvy, and I appreciate the pressure you and others on the forum are putting on Alibre to bring its underlying dependencies up to 2026 standards.

 

[stepalibre]

pressure

Me, applying pressure by releasing code and resources for a runtime not supported in the current version of Alibre Design (works but not in addons) for a future version that's not even on the official roadmap. That's pressure.

 

[stepalibre]

@tyc thanks again. I write here when working so I often don't communicate clearly. I appreciate the feedback. Forums can put pressure on posters. I'm here for feedback and learning.

 

[tyc]

No worries! I believe we all are here with the best of intentions.

 

[stepalibre]

However, getting it to work is a nightmare for me, as I don't understand how to build your code or how to run it with a single click of a button.

My extensions will improve this.

I believe most people here in the forums would appreciate an add-in that can be simply installed and used.

The Tool Store is the place for that. When ready you're 1# account holder, all access! Its free, cross platform, web/desktop app. Access is limited to discord and direct invite only.

The Tool Store

Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

youtube.com

General comment about years old forum drama:

No one should need to defend what they post because someone else doesn’t understand it. This destroys any serious discussions here and has kept the forum limited to what super users like and engage with rather than organically driven by user interests. Typical forum drama. Any questioning of user content is gatekeeping. A person doesn't want what they see posted, so they question its usefulness and poster intentions. People see that and are less likely to post similar content, textbook gatekeeping. If there is a set expectation for the forum and what is the best use of the forum then great. It's okay for a forum to not want a certain kind of post or discussion. It's better for everyone. More forum activity could equal more work for support. I imagine support activities increasing by 5,10x if and when Linux and macOS is supported.

Compare to:

McNeel Forum

Discussions about McNeel related software products (Rhino3D, Grasshopper, Flamingo, Bongo, Brazil, Neon)

discourse.mcneel.com

I should’ve addressed my intentions even more clearly much earlier and only post announcements and questions. But when you want things done you learn to work with people, stay laser focused on business.

No worries! I believe we all are here with the best of intentions.

I agree! My interactions with everyone here, dms and directly have been mostly respectful.

What a relief:

I'll only post updates and announcements for work that I've shared here and anything related to Alibre Design development I could use for new extension content. This is not because of forum drama. I won't discuss development topics here for obvious reasons. Creating extensions and other resources is the best use of my time. I am building a company and won't have time to keep the resources synced with updates. Refer to GitHub, YouTube, Discord and all the places I publish to for the latest.

Relief Maker is exactly the kind of move companies should make. Paid product that promotes working with open source and competitors. Alibre is saying a lot with Relief Maker. Where’s Relief Maker LLM integration? Hopefully coming soon, it’ll be innovative!

 

[stepalibre]

Side project:

My personal bot will be building for the-tool-store.

stephensmitchell-bot - Overview

Parametric design assistant | CAD automation | Development companion - stephensmitchell-bot

github.com

AI and automated addons and apps are coming to the-tool-store. These projects are intended to push what’s possible, consider it an R&D experiment I’m making public. I’ll include more ideas on this topic.

I’m excited to build and share these projects. Most start as fun ideas and late night whatifs. No big deal, no issues here, no animosity. I have a love and passion for building and learning. Some fish or watch sports, I break builds and check if Max drops any new dotnet news.

I started a company but everything Alibre development related will stay free and MIT licensed. Projects hosted under https://github.com/the-tool-store will be free and MIT licensed.

AI addons and apps:
I'm considering unlicensing purely AI gererated addons and apps since they can be user generated. I don't want to set a license.

Edits:

This is hard to keep simple. I use pure/purely to not go through all the details. I'll have documentation to explain the system. Code is generated with local and custom LLMs. Commercial AI agents and tools are used in the publishing process. My data is used to train the LLM for code generation. It uses my plans and coding instructions in a closed system. This is all experimental and a work in progress. Using "AI generated" is loaded I'll clarify my position. Information will be published to the GitHub account.

I completed a test run for LLM/agent/automation driven publishing of addon repos with installers:

Credit:

K

Thread 'Alibre Neutralizer: Parametric/configurable recursive bulk-exporter'

Oct 25, 2025

I wrote a configurable bulk-export tool with Alibre Script. Check it out here: https://github.com/k4kfh/alibre-neutralizer/tree/master

My primary goal is to support my own use of Alibre in conjunction with Git. I use Git to store software source code and electrical CAD design files from KiCAD, so when those projects also require mechanical design, I want to be able to store Alibre files in Git. I like Alibre PDM, but Git is better for public-facing/open-source collaboration and publishing, and it's currently much better at release management (although I would love to see that change...

• k4kfh
• Replies: 5
• Forum: Alibre Script

• 

Fork:

GitHub - the-tool-store/alibre-neutralizer: Bulk-export an Alibre Design assembly to neutral files. Intended to support the use of Alibre Design for OSHW projects, by making it easy and repeatable to store Alibre designs in a Git repo.

Bulk-export an Alibre Design assembly to neutral files. Intended to support the use of Alibre Design for OSHW projects, by making it easy and repeatable to store Alibre designs in a Git repo. - the...

github.com

Releases · the-tool-store/alibre-neutralizer

Bulk-export an Alibre Design assembly to neutral files. Intended to support the use of Alibre Design for OSHW projects, by making it easy and repeatable to store Alibre designs in a Git repo. - the...

github.com

The point: This makes publishing installers a faster more reliably process.