User:MeShubham99/GSoc15/proposal

Personal Information

Name: Shubham Chauhan

Email Address: Shubham13099@iiitd.ac.in, shubham.chauhan1@gmail.com

IRC Username: Shubham

Background Information

I study in 2nd year B.Tech (Computer Science and Engineering) at Indraprastha Institute of Information and Technology, New Delhi (India). I can write in C, HTML/CSS, Python, PHP, Javascript (beginner level). I was just recently introduced to the organization, which just grabbed my attention and willingness to get associated with it. I plan to look forward to get attached to the organization on a long term basis even after GSOC'15.

Project Information

Project Vision

Initial HTML pages started from having p tags, then came <img> and now is the era of not onty images but audios, videos and also as recent as .gifs. There have been a lot of tools and technologies developed in the past few years that work behind the scenes to render these objects. These technologies allow us to manipulate and access 2d and 3d graphics right in the browser. OGV is a potential platform to showcase 3D models and designs to a large audience not only for showcasing but also to provide inspiration to a target audience (just as sites like youtube has provided the world with videos, or behance for graphic design).

Brief Summary

Online Geometry Viewer started as a GSoC 2013 project by Harmanpreet Singh continued and enhanced by Inderpreet Singh as GSOC 2014 project . It's an online 3D geometry viewer that works on WebGL using three.js. It uses vanilla PHP on server side whereas jQuery and Bootstrap on the front-end. node.js forms a solid foundation for the Viewer. meteor as a framework is being used which is a great advantage for beginners.

My ideology and vision towards developing the viewer is entirely based on projects like behance.net (where designers showcase their works). People comment, like, share, commend on others works, make connections seeing their work etc. Making connections is important since CAD stands out as a software for designing in numerous engineering projects.

Things that I will Improve and add on: -

Enhanced Dashboard

• OBJ search - tagging models into categories
• omniAuth: Login through Google, Facebook, Twitter
• User Experience and User Interface
• meteor makes it so much easier to create web-apps for beginner-level developers to add packages and implementations. Easily available info about its usage is provided online.

Detailed Project Description

Primary task

My primary task would be to ensure that the Online Geometry Viewer works fine. That is the primary motive of parsing the .g file and then viewing it using webGL more particularly three.js. Any bug fixes or cleaning the code will be my first and topmost priority. The web-app is a waste if it does not completes its primary taskof viewing the Geometry files. Things like easy uploading and viewing will be my primary concerns. (searching faster alternatives for uploading instead of CollectionFS (I bet there are better alternatives))

Improvements in OGV

• Enhanced Dashboard

The present dashboard lacks content and information/notifications, hence looks empty (not minimalist). The dashboard needs to be more open, and display everything the user needs to know about his products, uploads etc. in one shot. User experience plays a key role in designing dashboard or home page of the app and I intend to work around it primarily.

• Mailing facility - forgot password/authentication mails.

This is in reference to the file smtp.js which particularly needs a lot of work. We need a mechanism where email verification of user works properly and so does any changes related to the user profile is managed by the mailer facility. None of this is implemented in the web-app and is easily achievable through meteor and javascript. (See link) Or we can search for an alternative better framework.

This thing can be further extended to other information mails such as (daily archived messages (digest) about views, shares of models etc.)

• Auth Module

meteor provides omniAuth features to be added to a meteor-app. Other features like providing user roles (user roles), Accounts API for handling accounts, secure remote password control support, oAuth using facebook and google are easy to implement using meteor (link provided).

• Object/Design/Model Search

When the web-app starts attracting an audience, and when people step forward to showcase their work, then every web-app needs a cutting edge search utility

• Categorizing (tagging) models/objects

Categorizing models and designs into well-defined categories makes it easier for viewers to find what they are looking for.

• Adding prefix to obj files

Due to potential conflicts that arise due to same named obj file uploads. Adding prefix is one solution to the problem. The prefix can be a timestamp of last chenge made to the file.

• Loader indication (UI changes)

While entity loads, some indication / status about "loading" should appear. If entity loaded successfully, a confirmation message should be given to user and if entity already loaded, a user friendly message should be displayed otherwise if error occurred appropriate message should be given with instruction to take further steps. Configuration form

• Configuration web form

Editing individual files and uploading again can be tiring job especially when the changes are too small. I intend to provide a configuration web form that takes as input the changes that can be made in the file, as variables being set for that particular file. When the changes are filled in the form, the web-app changes the file according to the user input, and updates the obj file.

• User Experience and User Interface (GUI)

There is always a lot of scope for good design and user-friendly interface. In order to keep pace with fast developing web-designing world, every web-app needs cutting edge graphic and creatives. Having a designing background, this will be the area of work where I would offer great user experience through minimal and pleasant to the eyes creatives, which are easy to use by the user at the same time. Since the website is about visualizing designs, a lot of potential work can be done to improve UI. The GUI lacks content and looks too empty. The empty spaces need to be filled with notifications etc. which would be implemented/added after making the app more social and open to audience.

Milestones

Community Bonding Period

• Get user requirements (already started working on it)
• Understand code-base and fix errors and bugs.
• initial setup of a working environment (finalizing interfaces etc.)
• discussions about change in workflow
• Since I would be working majorly on increasing user experience, milestones and objectives are vulnerable to changes (for the better).

• WEEK 1 (31 May)

Checking for proper uploading of obj files and proper viewing of the files. Finalize code and repair bugs.

• WEEK 2 (7 June)

omniAuth added in web-app. Signing in with facebook, google and twitter enabled.

• WEEK 3 (14 June)

Setting up mailer for email verification in case of logging in with native OGV login. Finalizing the registration and logging in process.

• WEEK 4 (21 June)

Categorizing object uploads, enabling tagging of objects for better search results and tracking of Geometry files.

• WEEK 5 (28 June)

Start with more socializing features of the web-app. Enable features like liking, sharing, viewing, track view history (done through tags of objects), suggesting appropriate objects to view by a user (again using tags).

• WEEK 6 (5 July)

Finalize logging in process, authentication of user, other back-end developments till now. Develop enough socializing features for a mid-sem evaluation. Some Front-end enhancements will be seen (but few).

• MID TERM EVALUATION (tentative)

• WEEK 7 (12 July)

Finalize the socializing features. Provide the mentors a list of features that have been added. Ask for review from mentors about suggestions for any other add-ons.

• WEEK 8 (19th July)

Implement adding of prefixes to obj models. Write tests

• WEEK 9 (26th July)

Working on configuration form.

• WEEK 10 (2nd August)

Work on Loader indication and other visual notifications wherever needed and asked for. Work on a mailer digest for notifications and other information, that will appear on user dashboard.

• WEEK 11 (9th August)

Work on GUI and user friendly interface. (based on high level critique)

• WEEK 12 (16th August)

Write appropriate Tests for future debugging. If time allows I would like to implement Zoom-in and Zoom-out options while viewing obj file.

• WEEK 13 (23th August)

Review code and ask for review. Finalize GUI.

• BEFORE FINAL EVALUATION

Back-end Enhancements and improved creatives (GUI). Bug free, clean code and ideas for future development will be delivered.

My Preparation

• I have been looking into the code (pretty straightforward), looking into its working, and thinking about enhancements to be made.
• I also try to communicate as much as possible in the community on mailing lists and IRC, in the time I had. Contacted inderpreet singh (GSOC'14) few times who worked on the same project.
• I will be striving hard to submit 1 or 2 patches after the proposal, to show my coding style and abilities.
• Motivated enough to work all summer along.
• Look for submitted patches within one week of the proposal submission.
• This web development project does not require any vast knowledge about previous code-base which is advantage.

Why BRL-CAD?

Particularly because of my love for visualization, graphics and design, I have always had a soft-spot for organization and people working in such domains.

Why Me?

I am eager to learn from brlcad as much as I can. I am flexible and easy to work with. I try my best to get work done, in the most efficient way as possible. I look forward to work with brlcad, even after GSOC, and want to use this as an opportunity to make first contact with the core development team of the organization. I have tried communicating as much as I can in mailing lists and IRC, in as much time I had. I have no other deadlines and am not occupied with other work so I can devote 100% of my time and my laptop to my GSOC project. Thanks