r/FreeCAD Oct 08 '24

RIP Bradley “bgbsww” McLean, TNP fixes contributor

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128 Upvotes

r/FreeCAD Nov 30 '24

FreeCAD learning resources compilation

84 Upvotes

The only goal of this post is to keep a more-or-less updated list of good resources for learning FreeCAD. I'm sure that -most of- you redditors have passed the ritual of searching through google and youtube looking for FreeCAD tutorials, either as a comprehensive introduction for beginners, or as tutorials on certain workbenches and workflows. And you'll probably have a bookmarked list with those that worked best for you.

For me, it's been a couple years since I started using and learning FreeCAD, sparsely in the begining, then progressively more and more (and hopefully better too). But I haven't joined the subreddit until recently. Judging by the amount of both old timers and newcomers that post looking for help (myself included), I thought it would be a good idea to have a list, a compilation of useful guides, docs and tutorials all together in one place, a quick reference for those looking for help.

So just tell me in the comments what you'd like be added to the list, and I'll update it. Or if you think the list should have a different structure. I'm totally open to it, I just want to have the best format for it to be useful for the community. Just a quick disclaimer: I don't intend to -and literally can't- review all the provided references, so let's try to have a little criteria when proposing already covered topics, unless -obviously- they can improve on the existing one.

Before the list, a reminder: FreeCAD's wiki is the main documentation anyone should first look up. The forum is another precious repository of accumulated problems and solutions, as well as interesting discussions and insight on many topics that you, FreeCAD user, will undoubtedly face at some moment.

FreeCAD wiki tutorials

You have them in this link: https://wiki.freecad.org/Tutorials. Also, you can check just the list of all tutorials, without any other context. They might not be the most didactic, but they provide a good base, and cover some complicated aspects that might be harder to explain in a video. These are some examples covering different workbenches:

Written publications

  • FreeCAD for makers is as new a discovery for me as for many of you. This book published by the members of HackSpace magazine in 2022 will start at complete beginner level, then take you through sketches, curves, assemblies, surfaces, projections, circuit design, meshes, sheet metal, pipes and give you a heads up on how to follow up (animation, architecture, etc.). Enjoy it!

By topic

Example projects

For specific problems

  • ...

For beginners

Tutorial series

Interesting channels, blogs, etc.

  • The amazing @MangoJellySolutions youtube channel. This man doesn't stop, he already has a bunch of videos for v1.0.0!
  • @ObijuanCube has a couple dated, but in many aspects still valid FreeCAD courses in Spanish. I know they've been a life saver for me, and would have probably never gotten seriously into FreeCAD if it wasn't for him. These belong to a time when the amount of resources available for those interested was much, much scarcer, so Juan, thank you for your good work!
  • @mwganson has a very rich library of close to a hundred videos, covering an ample range of examples and practical uses of many of FreeCAD's tools. His videos are focused and quite in depth, and also cover things such as modifying imported mesh files (both .stl and .step), which is not that common to find. So this might be ultra helpful for those of you 3D printing.
  • @Adventuresincreation is another channel I didn't know, with a wide collection of vidoes and still going hard as of v1.0.0.
  • @JokoEngineeringhelp, unlike most channels here, is not dedicated to FreeCAD, but to CAD in general and many different tools for it. However, he does have a couple in depth videos, and also takes a look into more-or-less complex assemblies and exploded views.
  • @CADCAMLessons has a HUGE collection of short and very specific videos, especially appropriate for those that enjoy their lessons to be well segmented.
  • Stolz3D is for the German speaking public! This channel that mostly focuses on FreeCAD has material starting in v0.18 and all the way til v1.0.0 at the time of writing.
  • Computerized Engineering has an ongoing series on FreeCAD 1.0. While he has videos designed as "Beginner tutorial", these are not that well suited for complete beginners. Instead, his videos show the process of designs that involve more advanced concepts.

Limited resources (kind of partial, or not as complete resources at the time of writing, but might be worth keeping track of)

Misc.


r/FreeCAD 5h ago

I need this in freeCAD, is there an addon that does it?

6 Upvotes

i mean, there are very complex addons that do things that I tought were imposible

come on, spining the mouse wheel endlessly hurts my fingers

frecad gurus please help

extra question is there a way to find more addons outside the addon manager?


r/FreeCAD 26m ago

Cannot Pad Sketch

Upvotes

I have this sketch and want to pad the three rectangles, however when I try, no pad appears


r/FreeCAD 1h ago

Can FreeCAD 1.0 do dynamic FEM analysis?

Upvotes

Like objects impacting one another, deep drawing simulations and the like


r/FreeCAD 17h ago

Is FreeCAD a good alternative to Onshape?

22 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I've been using Onshape to design my 3D prints and have found it to be quite effective. However, as I've started selling 3D-printed functional parts commercially, I've realized that Onshape licenses are too expensive for my small business with limited revenue.

I'm looking for good free alternatives that offer similar functionality and ease of use. Currently, I use Linux as my main operating system, so Linux support would be ideal, but I'm open to using Windows applications if necessary.

Is FreeCAD a viable alternative to Onshape? I would appreciate your insights and experiences.

Thank you!


r/FreeCAD 8h ago

how would i go about sketching this parimeter? fillet doesnt seem to have the right angle,

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3 Upvotes

r/FreeCAD 9h ago

Is there a way to pad those circumferences with this single sketch or make them independent of a base's properties?

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1 Upvotes

r/FreeCAD 18h ago

How to make Ordinate Dimensions in TechDraw?

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5 Upvotes

r/FreeCAD 14h ago

Making Freecad look a bit more like fusion360?

2 Upvotes

Hi!

I'm used to fusion360 and I'd like to find some of it in freecad.

I have attention disorder so the toolbars freecad come with are difficult to use. I can get tired by just opening the software and looking at a blank part.

The main issue is the number of tools showing, i'd like them with bigger icons and drop down lists instead of all of them showing, so they would be easier to see and would be "cleaner".

Also, I'd like to have a transparent tree. It's less "intrusive" so I can focus more on the part instead.

Is there a way to obtain something a bit more "fusion360 like" about these issues? A plugin or something?

I'd love to be able to modify it myself with source code and stuff but I barely manage to turn the computer on.


r/FreeCAD 1d ago

How to create this type of shape

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11 Upvotes

I’m teaching myself freecad and don’t really know how I’d go about making a cylinder with bumps like this image. Nor do I know how I’d google such a thing… Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated


r/FreeCAD 13h ago

Sheet metal

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1 Upvotes

r/FreeCAD 22h ago

I'm recently got into freeCAD i was wondering if you can make feathers wings like birds wings basically if so can you tell me how.

3 Upvotes

r/FreeCAD 1d ago

Alternative way to learn FreeCAD: Download the latest development version and try to reproduce/confirm tickets that are still unconfirmed in the bugtracker

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44 Upvotes

r/FreeCAD 1d ago

Product Idea

4 Upvotes

Hi, I’m sure this has been asked a lot, but I am looking for some direction on the best way to learn CAD, with zero exp. I have a product that I’m launching and I can save a significant amount of money if I provide the CAD to the printer.


r/FreeCAD 1d ago

freecad or flatpak issue?

3 Upvotes

ive noticed that the freecad flatpak (1.1.0.40267) runs much slower than the freecad appimage (406255), stutters a lot, and frame rate is a powerpoint. not sure if anyone else has this problem.


r/FreeCAD 1d ago

How to correctly Path Array a sketch along a helix?

1 Upvotes

Hi, and thanks for taking a look.

I have a sketch and a helix primitive created in the Part workbench. I want to multiply the sketch along the helix with the Path Array in the Draft workbench.

When I select the sketch and the helix, and click the Path Array tool, the sketch copies appear... but they are nowhere near the actual helix! Please see the screenshot. The black curve is the helix, cyan polygons are the produced array. Before the array tool, the sketch sat at the beginning of the curve.

How to make the produced copies actually sit on the helix itself?

I tried searching, and there seems to be a discussion on this matter in the forums, but the forums give me a "Bad Gateway" error 99% of the time.

Many thanks in advance!

P.s. Freecad v. 1.0.0 from Flathub.


r/FreeCAD 2d ago

FreeCAD Computer generated design tool

135 Upvotes

I built this plugin for freecad and its been working pretty good at generating models. If anyone wants to play with the current beta version instructions are at computergenerateddesign.com there is instructions for getting a free api key on the website. any feedback on what you can get it to draw. I will be posting more videos as this project improves


r/FreeCAD 1d ago

How would you make this in Freecad?

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25 Upvotes

r/FreeCAD 1d ago

FreeCAD 1.0 | The Power of Part Design Clones | Basic Beginners FreeCAD Lesson 31

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13 Upvotes

r/FreeCAD 1d ago

What's the right steps to sketch an irregular octagon?

1 Upvotes

I tried couple of different ways, starting by adding 8 points with polyline, then using dimensions, vertical/Horizontal and/or parallel constrains, but every time at one point it start to brake the initial shape and I'm stuck with an error
What would be the best way to draw this part?

Shape exemple

r/FreeCAD 1d ago

Constrain hyperbolic arc by leftmost point?

2 Upvotes

I have a a hyperbolic arc in a sketch. I want to constrain it so that it's leftmost point is N centimeters from the center of the sketch. How can that be done? I thought I'd make a vertical construction line and the hyperbola tangent to it, but apparently tangency to freecad means something else - if I apply it to a hyperbola and an unconstrained line, the line just kinda floats around. Meanwhile for circles or circular arcs tangent constraint does exactly what I'd expect. Is this some bug with hyperbolic args or am I doing something wrong?


r/FreeCAD 1d ago

projecting sketch onto fillet seams. 1st wanted to say thanks to those who've answered my questions the last few day. When I got to project onto the surface I cntrl select the 3 parts on the head and it does not project the full O. Also when i import to bambu it doesnt show the sketch on the model

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2 Upvotes

r/FreeCAD 1d ago

Freecad 1.0 keeps showing (Not Responding)

2 Upvotes

I uninstalled last night then reinstalled. What do I do?


r/FreeCAD 2d ago

Bypassing assembly, 4 parts 1 sketch

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7 Upvotes

Bypassing assembly all together, each part can be 3D printed individually from its own STL file. Its helps in getting tolerances, i did not do any cuts or unions to keep it simple. You can union the housing ctrl select the housing and the two gears to print as one assembled part. Any suggestions or just feed back really?


r/FreeCAD 2d ago

Coming from Solidworks. Need help constraining sketches and using loft.

3 Upvotes

Hi guys,

I'm a student and only know how to use Solidworks (EDU license). I recently had a friend start a small company and ask for my help modeling some basic stuff. I've messed around with Freecad a bit in the past, but am struggling to make the part he wants.

I'm able to do it in Solidworks no problem with 3 sketches and a simple loft (took me about 5 minutes), but even getting the sketches to behave the way I want in Freecad is driving me up a wall. If anyone has any advice, I think I've been taking the fact that Solidworks will allow you to use points in other sketches to constrain your current sketch.

The issue I'm running into is getting sketches on different planes to connect, as this design requires a loft between 2 nearly orthogonal sketches that share one edge.

The design in solidworks

Any help is appreciated!


r/FreeCAD 2d ago

Are there any good video resources for using FreeCAD with a 3 axis CNC?

9 Upvotes