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FiberPath Development Roadmap

Last updated: 2025-11-19

The roadmap focuses on delivering a production-ready filament winding tool. Each phase lists the primary objectives, concrete tasks, and completion signals so we can track progress and keep scope under control. Phases should be executed sequentially unless otherwise noted.

Phase 0 – Baseline Hygiene (Complete)

  • [x] Establish editable installs via uv pip install -e .[dev,cli,api] so local packages resolve correctly.
  • [x] Ensure pytest passes for existing smoke tests (CLI, geometry, planner, gcode utilities).

Phase 1 – Planner Parity & Core Engine

Goal: Match or exceed Cyclone planning behavior for hoop/helical/skip layers.

Tasks:

  • [x] Port remaining planner math gaps (pattern skip validation, mandrel diameter growth per layer, delivery-head sequencing edge cases).
  • [x] Add guardrails: terminal layer ordering, pattern divisibility, numeric bounds on angles/widths.
  • [x] Expose profiling metrics (layer time, cumulative tow usage) via plan_wind return structure.

  • [x] Expand unit coverage:

  • [x] Deterministic tests for plan_hoop_layer, plan_helical_layer, plan_skip_layer.

  • [x] Snapshot tests comparing generated G-code to golden files in tests/planning/fixtures.
  • [x] Cyclone reference parity tests for simple-hoop, helical-balanced, and skip-bias .wind definitions.

Exit criteria:

  • [x] All planner tests pass with >90% coverage for fiberpath.planning. pytest --cov=fiberpath.planning --cov-report=term-missing now reports 98% coverage after pruning dead helpers and adding focused unit tests for machines/validators.
  • [x] Example .wind parity proved against Cyclone references (simple-hoop, helical-balanced, skip-bias); this satisfies the Phase 1 parity requirement without reprocessing the examples/ directory.

Phase 2 – Visualization & QA Loop

Goal: Provide deterministic plotting + inspection tooling for generated G-code.

Tasks:

  • [x] Port plotter logic from Cyclone into fiberpath.visualization.plotter using Pillow/Cairo.
  • [x] Wire plotting into fiberpath_cli.plot with CLI options for PNG destination & scale.
  • [x] Create automated regression test that renders a short toolpath and compares histogram/hash.
  • [x] Document plotting usage in README.md and add sample output under docs/assets/.

Exit criteria:

  • [x] fiberpath_cli plot renders PNG preview for examples/simple_cylinder.
  • [x] CI test verifies generated image matches baseline (within tolerance) on Linux/Windows via deterministic hash checks in tests/visualization/test_plotter.py.

Phase 3 – Simulation & Streaming

Goal: Offer credible execution preparation (estimates + Marlin streaming).

Tasks:

  • [x] Upgrade fiberpath.simulation to compute motion time using planner feed-rate data.
  • [x] Implement fiberpath.execution.marlin module (pyserial) mirroring Cyclone's pause/resume.
  • [x] Add CLI stream command with dry-run mode and progress feedback.
  • [x] Provide FastAPI /stream endpoint that proxies to the execution layer (mockable for tests).
  • [x] Build test harness with virtual serial port to exercise queue/pause/resume logic.

Exit criteria:

  • [x] Simulation command reports realistic durations vs. reference manual calculations.
  • [x] Streaming CLI can send G-code to a mock port and handle pause/resume interactively.

Phase 4 – Interface Hardening (CLI + API)

Goal: Deliver reliable user entry points with validation and helpful messaging.

Tasks:

  • [x] Expand CLI commands with verbose JSON output options and better error handling. Implemented --json/structured summaries in fiberpath_cli commands plus shared helpers.
  • [x] Add FastAPI request models (body uploads for .wind files, G-code previews). New Pydantic schemas + route updates in fiberpath_api/routes/* ensure validation.
  • [x] Provide OpenAPI documentation + examples in docs/api.md. Added auto-generated schema notes and copy-pasteable examples.
  • [x] Create integration tests using Typer CliRunner and FastAPI TestClient. See tests/cli/test_cli_json.py and tests/api/test_plan_route.py suites.

Exit criteria:

  • [x] CLI commands have help text, examples, and return non-zero on validation failures. Verified via Typer runner assertions and new error branches.
  • [x] API routes covered by tests (>=80% coverage) with documented request/response schemas. FastAPI client tests assert request/response contracts; docs/api.md lists payloads.

Phase 5 - GUI Prototype

Goal: Build a minimal GUI for end-to-end visual workflow using fiberpath.

Tasks:

  • [x] Scaffold fiberpath_gui/ as a Tauri + React workspace (pnpm scripts, shared UI kit). Initialized Vite + React front end plus Tauri shell with typed commands and shared styles.
  • [x] Add flows for importing .wind inputs, invoking fiberpath_cli plan, and surfacing errors. Plan panel shells out to fiberpath plan --json and streams structured feedback.
  • [x] Embed plotting preview by shelling to the CLI plot command (or reusing the renderer via IPC) with progress indicators. plot_preview Tauri command runs CLI, base64-encodes PNG, and displays it inline.
  • [x] Provide simulation + streaming panels that call the existing Typer commands, capture logs, and expose pause/resume controls. Panels hit the simulator and stream commands (dry-run by default) with JSON summaries.
  • [x] Package a distributable dev build (Windows/macOS) with instructions in fiberpath_gui/README.md. README documents npm run tauri dev/build workflows and prerequisites.

Exit criteria:

  • [x] GUI can plan, plot, simulate, and stream a sample case without leaving the desktop app. All four flows are wired through the CLI via Tauri commands; plotting returns inline previews.
  • [x] CI smoke test launches the Tauri app in headless mode to ensure bundles stay healthy. .github/workflows/gui-smoke.yml runs lint/build + npm run tauri build -- --bundles none on Windows runners.

Phase 6 – Quality, Documentation, and Release Preparation

Goal: Produce a polished, public-facing open-source release.

Tasks:

  • [x] Enforce linting and type-checking in CI (Ruff + MyPy).
    CI now runs Ruff + MyPy via uv before matrix pytest in .github/workflows/ci.yml.
  • [x] Finalize documentation: complete missing pages, add contributing guidelines, architecture overview, and planner math notes.
    Added CONTRIBUTING.md, expanded docs/architecture.md, and created docs/planner-math.md.
  • [x] Stand up an automated documentation site (MkDocs preferred) deployed through GitHub Pages via a dedicated workflow.
    mkdocs.yml + CI build gating + .github/workflows/docs-site.yml publish the Material site to GitHub Pages.
  • [ ] Establish a versioning and release process (semantic versioning, CHANGELOG, PyPI packaging steps for fiberpath/fiberpath_cli).
  • [ ] Add cross-platform smoke tests for Windows/macOS/Linux using uv-managed virtual environments to ensure consistent build/runtime behavior.

Exit criteria:

  • [ ] CI passes end-to-end (lint, type-check, tests, docs build) on all supported platforms.
  • [ ] Draft v0.1.0 release notes with installation instructions and links to binaries, docs, and example workflows.

Future TODOs

These items are out of scope for the initial release but are on the horizon and will be organized into formal phases later.

  • [ ] Create example-driven tutorials (docs/tutorials/*.md) showing end-to-end workflow.
  • [ ] Allow remapping of machine axes (both linear X/Y/Z/E and rotational A/B/C).
  • [ ] Build interface for creating .wind definitions from scratch (wizard or graphical).
  • [ ] Restructuring of GUI to make it centered on the visualization and planning experience (think 3D printing slicers).
  • [ ] Allow for custom G-code headers/footers
  • [ ] Implement advanced layering strategies (variable angle, custom patterns).