Netfabb Netproject 2.0

The base behind the "Netproject" file format is the internal Netfabb project file format called "fabbproject". The current Netproject version is Netproject 2.0. The fabbproject file is a container of entries which are streams together with a type and attached metadata. These entries include low-frequency data elements of a project (meshes, slice data, voxels data, etc.) as well as high frequency parts (trays, part instances, model positions, etc.).

When a project is saved, the low-frequency elements are updated if any change was made, while all high-frequency data elements are saved into one XML file that is finally appended to the container.

This approach leads to certain advantages and disadvantages of the project format:

  1. All low-frequency, high-memory elements (meshes, slices) are reused and do not impact the project size when saving often
  2. All high-frequency data elements are stored centrally in one XML (mesh position, mesh names, instances) and can be resaved without shaping the size much
  3. A full project history is always preserved
  4. The cleanup of the project history is not part of the file format description but can be easily done by either saving a project as another file or by performing a cleanup filter
  5. Project streams can be changed by incremental adding of new entry streams, allowing an easy abstraction of the read/write interface

In particular, the latter property allows to abstract the data handling interface in order to move away from using a file stream towards handling all data read/write operations via a RESTful interface on a server.

This enables:

  1. Flexible project handling from assembled data directly out of a database
  2. The saving-back of the results directly to a server
  3. Detecting changes and edits of the parts and handling corresponding events
  4. Tracking of meshes/trays/elements with flags and meta tags

A netProject file itself only contains a link to a REST endpoint, as well as a session key for authorization. Netfabb itself sends some GET/POST requests in order to retrieve the rest of the data.

The netProject right is available in all three tiers and professional. With this, the user can use the following: Load, Save, and Save As.

Netproject structure

Field Description
<netproject url>

The URL to load the netproject

<netproject protocol>

200 = currently used protocol version

<key>

The UUID for downloading the netproject; used as key in the URL

Loading the XML project data

Loading projects from a netproject file is performed via a simple HTTP GET method. The information needed is saved in the netproject file.

An example URL to be used with GET:

http://www.netfabb.com/netproject/project.php?proc=list&key=9eb93ac6919511

The result of such GET request would be an XML with the following information: 

<netfabb>
	<readonly>0</readonly>
	<request>list</request> 
	<success>1</success> 
	<entity>
		<datatype>11</datatype> 
		<size>657584</size> 
		<uuid>60496a8e666b11e4b1b3406186bece7e</uuid> 
		<info> 
			<uuid>60496669666B11E4B1B3406186BECE7E</uuid> 
			<usecount>1</usecount> 
		</info>
	</entity>
	<entity>
		<datatype>1</datatype>
		<size>676</size>
		<uuid>60495502666b11e4b1b3406186bece7e</uuid>
	</entity>
</netfabb>

XML Information description:

Field Description

<readonly>

0 = not blocked, can be saved 1 = project is blocked by other user, read only

<request>

Not used

<success>

0 = processing canceled 1 = list successfully created

<entity> <datatype>

File data type (see chapter 5.4)

<entity> <size>

Download file size

<entity> <md5>

Not used

<entity><uuid>

UUID for the download URL

<entity><info>

Additional information depending on the file type

Loading the XML project entity

Each file has its own entity block within the project XML. All files that are downloaded from the server are cached in the application's cache folder: (Windows: C:\Users\USER_NAME\AppData\Roaming\netfabb\NetCache).

Netfabb uses the cached files for reloading the project.

Loading order for project files:

  1. Texture files
  2. Mesh files
  3. Slice files

Data type description

Field Description

<entity><datatype>

0 = FABBPROJECTFILE_UNKNOWN

1 = FABBPROJECTFILE_XMLDATA

2 = FABBPROJECTFILE_MESH

3 = FABBPROJECTFILE_CUSTOMFILE

4 = FABBPROJECTFILE_STRUCTURES

5 = FABBPROJECTFILE_RASTERDATA

8 = FABBPROJECTFILE_MESHSURFACE

9 = FABBPROJECTFILE_NGS_SLICE

10 = FABBPROJECTFILE_NGMMESH

11 = FABBPROJECTFILE_STLMESH

12 = FABBPROJECTFILE_X3DMESH

13 = FABBPROJECTFILE_X3DBMESH

14 = FABBPROJECTFILE_TEXTURE

<entity><size>

File size

<entity><uuid>

UUID for the download URL

<entity><info>

Additional information depending on the file type

The netfabb:// IPC Protocol

The user can use an IPC Protocol to remotely control the software. This is also called URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) scheme. For example, it is used to invoke Netfabb from a browser or inside an engine .

Usage: netfabb://cmd/COMMAND_NAME/PARAMETER

The URI scheme can handle the following COMMAND_NAME values:

COMMAND_NAME PARAMETER Description

front

-

Brings Netfabb to front

new

-

Creates a new netproject

minimize

-

Minimizes Netfabb

maximize

-

Maximizes Netfabb

quit

-

Quits Netfabb

loadengine:

engine_UUID

Loads a Netfabb engine

callengine:

engine_UUID

Opens a Netfabb engine

saveasfile/

file name

Saves the netproject as the specified filename in the specified temp folder

saveas

-

Opens "Save as" dialog

save

-

Saves netproject in the temp folder

screenshot

-

Saves a screenshot of the opened netproject to the clipboard

savescreenshot/

file name

Saves a screenshot of the opened netproject to a file

load/

file name

Loads a specified netproject file into Netfabb

settemppath/

folder path

Sets the temp path to the specified folder path

netproject/

URL

Loads a netproject from the specified URL

addtoscene/

URL

Adds a netproject from the specified URL to the Netfabb scene

Netfabb Protocol Handler

The Netfabb Protocol Handler is a project and an executable available upon request in conjunction with a licensed add-on privilege. The protocol must be registered manually by making modifications to the Windows Registry:

  • In HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, create a new key named netfabb. Add to this key:
    • New String Value:
      • Name: URL Protocol
      • Data: (leave empty)
    • New Key: shell
      • New Key: open
        • New Key: command
        • Existing Value: (Default)
          • Data: "path/to/netfabbProtocolHandler.exe" "%1"

Furthermore, remote control needs to be allowed in the Settings .

Netfabb must be running for the URL calls to work.

Using Netprojects without the Protocol Handler

While the protocol handler has been designed with netprojects in mind, it is not necessary to run this handler to load netprojects into Netfabb.

Netfabb loads netproject files, and connects to the server for retrieval of project data. When saving a project loaded through a netproject file, Netfabb connects to the server and saves the new state.

Examples

Example Webpage

Real netproject examples can be found here: http://www.netfabb.com/netproject

  1. Create a new netproject in the above webpage or choose an existing one and click the Load button.
  2. The selected project will be locked.
  3. Some of the explained commands from chapter 5.5 can be tested through the website mentioned above.

Netproject assembly examples

Basic Setup

A very simple project containing two different meshes would contain three different entries:

Index Description TypeID

0

The Box as NCM Mesh

10 (NCM_Mesh)

1

The Sphere as NCM Mesh

10 (NCM_Mesh)

2

An XML containing the scene description and referring to the box and the sphere mesh

1 (XMLData)

Editing the scene

When the scene is edited and saved (for example, after rotating the box by a certain angle), the scene description is updated and the corresponding XML is saved in the project package.

Index Description TypeID

0

The Box as NCM Mesh

10 (NCM_Mesh)

1

The Sphere as NCM Mesh

10 (NCM_Mesh)

2

A XML containing the first scene description and referring to the box and the sphere mesh

1 (XMLData)

3

A XML containing the second scene description and referring to the box and the sphere mesh

1 (XMLData)

Editing meshes

When a mesh is edited and saved (for example, after repairing the box and adding a text label) the scene description is updated with the corresponding XML, as well as the changed mesh geometry.

Index Description TypeID

0

The Box as NCM Mesh

10 (NCM_Mesh)

1

The Sphere as NCM Mesh

10 (NCM_Mesh)

2

A XML containing the first scene description and referring to the box and the sphere mesh

1 (XMLData)

3

A XML containing the second scene description and referring to the box and the sphere mesh

1 (XMLData)

4

The edited box as NCM Mesh

10 (NCM_Mesh)

5

An XML containing the second scene description and referring to the box and sphere mesh

1 (XMLData)

Client-Server communication example

  1. Server creates a netProject file 
    <?xml version="1.0"?> 
	<netproject url="http://server" protocol="200"> 
	<key>999abc</key> 
</netproject>
  2. Server opens the file with netfabb://cmd/netproject/http://server/project.php?key=999abc&protocol=200.
  3. Netfabb starts and sends a HTTP GET to http://server?proc=list&key=999abc.
  4. Server answers with an XML 
    <?xml version="1.0"?> 
<netfabb request="list" success="1" readonly="0">
	<entity datatype="10" size="12453">
		<uuid>11111111111111</uuid>
		<info>
			<uuid>222222222222</uuid>
			<usecount>1</usecount>
		</info>
	</entity> 
	<entity datatype="1" size="800">
		<uuid>333333333333333</uuid> 
		<info>
			<xmlversion>1</xmlversion>
			<timestamp>41127.73</timestamp>
		</info>
	</entity>
</netfabb>
  5. Netfabb sends again an HTTP GET request to http://server?proc=download&key=999abc&uuid=333333333333333. Netfabb starts with a GET for the XML because it has the datatype 1.
  6. Server responds with: 
    <netproject>
	<engines>
		<lua>
			<type>slm</type>		
				<uuid>121212121212</uuid> 
				<engine_uuid>xxxxxx</engine_uuid     
				<workspace_uuid>yyyyyyyyyyy</workspace_uuid>		
			</lua>
		</engines>
		<meshtrees>
		<tree>									
			<associateduuid>121212121212</associateduuid>			          
			<viewportmatrix>1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1</viewportmatrix>  	      
			<viewportsize>530.000000</viewportsize>				
			<viewportcenterpoint>
				<X>110.0</X>
				<Y>100.0</Y>
				<Z>100.0</Z>
			</viewportcenterpoint>
			<root>
				<mesh>
					<matrix>1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1</matrix>
					<meshentry>222222222222222</meshentry>
					<uuid>0645DF80953A11E68E015254A20161BA</uuid>
					<name>Test-Part</name>
					<color>8421631</color>
					<visible>1</visible>
					<selected>0</selected>
					<showtrianglemesh>0</showtrianglemesh>
				</mesh>
			</root>
		</tree>
	</meshtrees>
</netproject>
  7. Netfabb sends again a GET request http://server?proc=download&key=999abc&uuid=222222222222222 because it detected in 6) that the mesh with UUID 222222222222222 is needed as well.
  8. Server answers with an NCM file in binary format, possibly separated into multiple parts.
  9. Netfabb has now opened every part from the netproject.
Parent topic: About Automating Netfabb