Quote Originally Posted by Aztecphoenix View Post
That's not what I mean, do you really think we need 50 different formats just to view a text document, do think it's really fair that because I can't fork out a few hundred dollars for solid works that I can't view a solid works file with the software I have, all these different formats serve only one purpose, and that is to prevent colaberation between the rich and the poor, because why would any one want to be on a level playing field (sarcasm).
Well, just because you called it out specifically, you CAN view a solidworks file for free. Download edrawings.

As for what we need for file formats, need is defined by each individual person. I only NEED a small number of file formats for my job and hobbies so if we're talking needs I could argue that anything else is unnecessary and everyone else should just learn to do things using the formats i like. Every format exists for a reason. Maybe that reason is an attempt to force people into proprietary software or maybe it's because that format allows for different feature sets than other formats. Without discussing every possible format individually and in detail there's no way to make that distinction. In the case of the OP's new format project, the clear benefit is file size. Now maybe that benefit is not something you or others are concerned with. If not, ignore it and go on using g-code or whatever you like. But for those like the OP that ARE concerned with file size, it's a significant change from the current "standard" that allows him and those like him to do something that is currently not possible, namely, caching an entire print on his machine without having to add additional storage space to it.