SOL75 acts like a software compiler. It translates high-level requirements into low-level specifications, thus generating a suitable component geometry. This enables the user to work at a higher, more conceptual level, without having to worry about the implementation-specific details.
This design philosophy is based on a strict and clearly defined decision boundary: the user is responsible for all the high-level decisions, conveyed by the requirements, and SOL75 sets the internal design parameters to meet them.
As the scope of the project is quite large, the optimization techniques used are bound to be generic. Therefore, it is very likely that a domain expert (or a curious and driven individual) will outsmart the software and find a better solution for any specific case. However, for rapid prototyping or non-critical components, having the complete design in minutes might be more important than hyper optimization.
If you'd like to know more, we've written a short piece with more details.
SOL75 manipulates parametric components and combines them to meet the user requirements. The output model can be printed as it is, by downloading the STL, or used as a starting point and then further customized. The geometry is specified using the openscad language; you can download a free and open source editor at openscad.org . If you are not familiar with openscad and would like to get started, we can recommend cadhub.xyz for tutorials and examples that will get you started in no time.
SOL75 is currently in beta. Anyone can subscribe and get early access. We are testing a standalone version for Linux and Windows which hopefully will be available by mid 2023. You can see our roadmap here.
Currently, SOL75 is entirely self-funded. We are not business savvy, and getting funds from early investors is a lot of work. Our time is better spent fixing bugs and adding features. Eventually (sooner rather than later) we will have to figure it out, so if you have suggestions, do let us know.
We only record data about how SOL75 is used, like which page/component is accessed more frequently, or what requirements are more interesting for a given component. These data are completely anonymous. We do not record or track personal data in any way. On one hand, we simply do not have the resources to do so (the new EU regulations made it quite a hassle), and on the other hand, we are fed up with all the services constantly tracking us. If we want to know something about you, we’ll just ask.
We are a very small team, just enough people to use the plural without invoking the “royal we”. Francesco is responsible for all the engineering (backend, core engine, machine learning and mechanical design of the components) while Erika is responsible for everything related with the user experience (UX/UI, front-end, branding).