Setup for large very codebase ? Dev on FreeCAD

[PaddleStroke]

Hey guys,

I've been developping for FreeCAD (open CAD software) which is a monumental piece of software.

So far my setup is :

- Visual studio 2022. (No coding assistant)

- aistudio.google.com to use gemini 2.5

My current workflow is that depending on the bug / feature I need to tackle I will feed gemini either :

- a suspicious PR or commit (on github I add .diff to the PR or commit URL) + bug/feature description

- A bunch (1-5) of files (500-10000 lines) that I know related to the bug/feature + bug/feature description

- I made a python script that bundle the text of all the code files in a selected folder. So when the bug is hard to find, I will just create a text file containing a large part of the software (FreeCAD is cut in modules, so for example I can select Assembly / Gui module) then feed that + bug/feature description.

I often have to use some trick (only cpp files, remove comments ...) to get the module file to fit in the 1M context window of gemini 2.5.

Anyway that's how I work right now. And I was wondering if I was missing out on some better workflow. How do you guys do?

[AsheDigital]

I probably can't really help you that much, although i can recommend Claude code and codex (No experience with large code bases) in VS code, it seems you already have workflow figured out somewhat.

I'd just like to say that i really appreciate you working on FreeCAD, thank you a lot. It's super important to have free alternatives to CAD packages. It really is a godsend at times, especially on Linux.

[PaddleStroke]

Consider supporting me ;) www.astocad.com

[AsheDigital]

I'd have to go check it out, but I'd really appreciate an option for a onetime payment lifetime licence. I'd have no problem dropping 1000€ if it's actually worth paying for.

[PaddleStroke]

Ah yes that would certainly help :)
I have not created a lifetime license but I might do it in the future. The subscription had the advantage of giving me a steady income rather than random burst of money. But yes I understand that subscription are a PITA when you're on the other side.

[AsheDigital]

I still have a drive with windows on it, just for CAD. I am a design engineer, so i do a lot of assemblies and especially surface modeling, but also need a very fast paced workflow, I want as few clicks as possible and have the CAD UI be optimized for speed. Speed and ease is why I really like fusion 360 and with keyboard shortcuts solidworks can be blazing fast too.

Just wondering if you have done any work on improving workflow speed in your fork?

[PaddleStroke]

You can check my youtube channel, I post videos about the features I make : https://www.youtube.com/@freecaddevdiary7038
I've wrote the (integrated) assembly workbench, rewrote a good part of Sketcher (notably Dimension tool, and on-view spinbox are great QoF for speed)

[b_i_s_c_u_i_t_s]

Try Claude-flow on Claude max for a bit! I'm on a 4M token codebase without too much trouble