metatools
SDTM supplemental-qualifier merging got sturdier, then the package went quiet for two years.
Comparison · Analytics
c3dr vs random.cdisc.data
A side-by-side editorial comparison of c3dr and random.cdisc.data — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
c3dr vs random.cdisc.data: at a glance
What is c3dr?
A biomechanics C3D reader graduated through rOpenSci review to CRAN, then learned to write force plates.
c3dr reads and writes C3D motion-capture files in R, wrapping the EZC3D library. It cleared rOpenSci peer review and moved into the rOpenSci organisation in April 2025, reached CRAN a month later, and shipped force-platform export in c3d_write() in August. Releases are close together and each one has a clear single purpose.
What is random.cdisc.data?
Synthetic CDISC data generation that has been quiet since early 2024.
random.cdisc.data generates synthetic CDISC-format clinical trial datasets, used across the insightsengineering and teal packages as test and demo data. The last substantive release, 0.3.15 in March 2024, made cached-data rebuilds incremental and corrected an ETHNIC factor level. Everything older in this feed is release automation.
c3dr vs random.cdisc.data: editorial side-by-side
c3dr
0.0ANALYTICS
A biomechanics C3D reader graduated through rOpenSci review to CRAN, then learned to write force plates.
◆ Current state
c3dr reads and writes C3D motion-capture files in R, wrapping the EZC3D library. It cleared rOpenSci peer review and moved into the rOpenSci organisation in April 2025, reached CRAN a month later, and shipped force-platform export in c3d_write() in August. Releases are close together and each one has a clear single purpose.
◆ Where it's heading
The package is filling in the write side of the read/write pair. Reading was in place from the start; 0.2.0 extends c3d_write() to force-platform data on a direct user request, and the accompanying work preserves matrix structure on import and tracks upstream EZC3D changes. The review-era releases hardened validation and error messages, so the current cycle can be spent on capability rather than polish.
◆ Prediction
Expect further coverage of C3D block types in the writer and continued tracking of EZC3D releases; the changelog gives no signal of analysis features beyond file I/O.
random.cdisc.data
0.0ANALYTICS
Synthetic CDISC data generation that has been quiet since early 2024.
◆ Current state
random.cdisc.data generates synthetic CDISC-format clinical trial datasets, used across the insightsengineering and teal packages as test and demo data. The last substantive release, 0.3.15 in March 2024, made cached-data rebuilds incremental and corrected an ETHNIC factor level. Everything older in this feed is release automation.
◆ Where it's heading
Activity has thinned to one real release in the visible window, surrounded by version bumps and workflow propagation. The 0.3.15 work is maintenance-shaped — dependency floors, a data typo, faster vignette rebuilds — which is what a fixture package looks like once downstream packages depend on its output staying unchanged.
◆ Prediction
Further releases are likely to stay corrective, since the package's value to teal and tern depends on its generated datasets remaining stable rather than growing.
Alternatives to c3dr and random.cdisc.data
Other Analytics products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either c3dr or random.cdisc.data.
marquee
marquee is filling in the typographic details — outlines, border types, real font metrics for underlines.
logrx
A clinical-script logger that stopped shipping after its 0.2 line, changelogs made of merged PRs.
lobstr
R's object inspector is losing its view of the internals as CRAN closes off the private C API.
GSODR
A weather-station data client that broke one return type to hand back distances instead of bare IDs.
giscoR
giscoR's 1.0 moved its dataset index into the cache, so new Eurostat releases arrive without a package update.
See all c3dr alternatives → · See all random.cdisc.data alternatives →
Recent activity from c3dr and random.cdisc.data
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 11mo agoc3drc3d_write() gains force platform export
- 1y agoc3drgcc 15 compilation fix
- 1y agoc3drFirst CRAN release
- 1y agoc3drrOpenSci review lands; repo moves to rOpenSci
- 2y agorandom.cdisc.dataIncremental cached-data rebuilds and an ETHNIC level fix
- 3y agorandom.cdisc.data2022_10_13
- 3y agorandom.cdisc.data2022_08_16
- 4y agorandom.cdisc.data2022_04_07
- 4y agorandom.cdisc.dataTESTING_DEPTH sets added to the generated data
- 4y agorandom.cdisc.dataTESTING_DEPTH sets added (duplicate pre-release tag)
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between c3dr and random.cdisc.data?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. c3dr and random.cdisc.data are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 0.0 vs 0.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is c3dr better than random.cdisc.data?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. c3dr and random.cdisc.data are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 0.0 vs 0.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Analytics products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to c3dr?
Top c3dr alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "c3dr alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/c3dr for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to random.cdisc.data?
Top random.cdisc.data alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "random.cdisc.data alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/random-cdisc-data for the full list with editorial commentary on each.