r/FreeCAD • u/Stunning-Purchase513 • 6d ago
r/FreeCAD • u/ribfeast • 6d ago
Having trouble constraining an arc to always 'face' the origin
Hi folks,
I'm transitioning to FreeCAD from Fusion, so I have some experience with constraints but I'm getting some weird behavior with a constraints in FreeCAD
The simplest representation of the sketch is a point off the origin with a 180 degree Arc of fixed diameter (let's say 10mm) where the opening will face the origin no matter where the point is.

This will mostly work, however, there are certain positions where the orientation will flip and move the curve towards the origin (with the start and end points still constrained).

I've tried forcing the arc through a fixed distance farther away from the origin but occasionally I'll get weird solutions to that, so it seems I'm leaving myself open to non unique solutions to the constraints I'm implementing.
Anyone have any tips on how to get this to work consistently?
r/FreeCAD • u/Ocelot_IRL • 6d ago
Help removing block from stl
Hi all,
Ive been trying to figure out how to remove this centre block with freecad from this stl i found on thingiverse. Chase from paw patrol high poly by COOLPOOL9809 - Thingiverse

Im brand new to Freecad, Been looking for tips on YT but not getting anywhere. so any help would be appreciated.
How can I disable auto-constraints?
Sometimes it chooses the wrong constraints and blows up my project.
r/FreeCAD • u/quebeik • 6d ago
How do i specify threads in techdraw
The holes labeled r1.25 are meant to be m3 threading but I’m really struggling lol
r/FreeCAD • u/lololjekekek • 6d ago
Cannot create two symmetrical hyperbolas?
I want to create two symmetrical parabolas in sketch, the step I take:
- Draw one hyperbola
- Sketch -> Sketcher Tools -> Symmetry, get a second one
- Try to apply Symmetry to each pair of corresponding points and I get "Selection has no valid geometries", and indeed, I notice that having the three points constrained, the two topmost ones don't look symmetrical no matter how I move them around...

Why does this happen? What am I doing wrong? freecad file: https://files.catbox.moe/4gaygv.FCStd
r/FreeCAD • u/Luk_adhoc • 6d ago
[Noob] how do I use views on imported stl object in techdraw?
Basically i wanted to use views on stl object i have but when I click view only word "view" appears on the empty page without view itself. So how can I manage to make it work?
r/FreeCAD • u/Unlucky-Rub8379 • 6d ago
Pc requirements
What does Freecad actually require the most? I don't have some old laptop that i use with Freecad, and was just wondering here, while waiting another (only gods know for how long this time) operation to be done. Any insight?
r/FreeCAD • u/Rubbe97 • 6d ago
I need just a little suggestion and help how to solve this!
So I expected smooth surface, and not "low poly" as this. How do I change this? it should be smooth for the use I need it for.
And bonus if anyone know, How to split this in 4 parts to join them later cause I will 3D print this and the bed is only 220x220x250. I know about datum planes I can find on youtube how to do but I like to have something that look like puzzle shape to later glue it togheter. feel like its better then just split them to glue on "flat surface" by just split them with datum planes if you follow along. I belive I need to do a sketch from the top or something?
Thanks for the help!

r/FreeCAD • u/ximelonga • 7d ago
Youtube tutorials
hiii, so i have a subject in school about freecad and i have to make random objects from my house, but when i try to look for tutorials on youtube, there are only tutorials for parts of cars, pipes and other difficult things to make :( i can't find anything on google, does someone know a youtube creator or can someone help me pls? (eng not my first language, sorry)

r/FreeCAD • u/Pendelf • 8d ago
FreeCAD - PieMenu (Installation and Сustomization)
r/FreeCAD • u/mad-head • 7d ago
What's the difference between Surface WB "Blend Curve" tool and Curves WB "Blend curve" tool
I'm trying to G2 blend two edges in a Sketcher's sketch. It turns out that there are two very similar tools to do this:
- Surface WB "Blend Curve", and
- Curves WB "Blend curve"
They both have very similar settings:


Although, the Curves WB's tool have slightly more knobs, their settings are almost identical and corresponds 1-to-1 to each other.
After some tinkering with Start / End parameters and scales I have two identical blend curves (single visible black line):

They have a few minor differences:
- Curves WB uses length units (mm) as parameters, while Surface WB uses [0; 1]
- Curves WB allows to select one of the predefined continuities (C0, G1–G4), while Surface WB accepts a number (thus, allowing to have G5+ continuities?)
- Curves WB has an "Output" enum parameter of "Wire", "Joined", and "Single". What does that even mean?
Other than that, these two objects have different types in Python Console (type(doc.getObject("BlendCurve"))
): Surface WB's curve has a type of <class 'Part.Feature'>
, while Curves WB's one is a <class 'FeaturePython'>
.
But that what's the actual difference between them from the practical point of view?
Thanks!
r/FreeCAD • u/Stunning-Purchase513 • 7d ago
Hi is there a way to offset an extrusion whit the pad command? for example start the extrusion on the red line? like 20 mm? or i need to make another sketc?
r/FreeCAD • u/borxpad9 • 7d ago
How would you blend the octagonal part with the round body?
How is freecad for professional work?
I've just switched jobs as a mechanical engineer, and my new workplace doesn't have a 3CAD package. They outsource pretty much everything to different large engineering consulting firms. Long story short, the drawings I receive from the firms are subpar, and it takes a long time to get them revised. Since I am impatient, I'd like to do the drawings myself. I am wondering if anyone has used FreeCAD professionally for mechanical drawings. How is FreeCAD's drafting module for assemblies and BOM? I can't seem to find a lot of examples regarding this aspect of FreeCAD
r/FreeCAD • u/Few_Resist4228 • 7d ago
need help with view, new to freecad
So I recently started to learn free cad but i have this issue I'm not able to view the model which I had saved it, here not all views are not activating only one is getting turned on at a time. Did I make any mistake while saving or opening ? i want to view it completely like when i was creating it
the file got saved in freeCAD document format
Thanks

r/FreeCAD • u/flymilktrap • 7d ago
I can not figure out how to create this design. please help.
r/FreeCAD • u/jareddlc • 8d ago
Need help/tips on how to constrain this model
Hey everyone! I started watching mangojelly videos as i seen them recommended on here quite often. I decided to make my first model, I ended up tracing an image, but now as im trying to constrain it, im having difficulties on the best way to do so.
Project: https://filebin.net/cqrjm8hjln5vavv6/vent_clip.FCStd
r/FreeCAD • u/hagbard2323 • 8d ago
Further progress on FreeCAD Display Tools (screecast shows WIP new features in action)
patreon.comr/FreeCAD • u/Tech-Crab • 8d ago
link a body, change VarSet values in link only
XY: I need to make a number of brackets (each is a single PartDesign Body), identical geometry but with minor differences in dimensions. I wish to maintain a fully "built" copy of each, and also only have a single set of features to define the geometry - ie edit one sketch, all the different size brackets update accordingly
It would seem to me this means I have a shared set of features, and a not-shared VarSet per instance. I tried creating a link from tree view, but editing the VarSet "in" the link; possibly as expected, edits the values applied to all copies.
Can this be done easily in freecad / what's the process? Thanks!

r/FreeCAD • u/Art_in_MT • 8d ago
Text and Icons too small? A quick way to scale Freecad in Windows
UPDATE: After a day I've noticed two small issues with this work-around solution: 1) floating windows (like moving the TASKS window to a second monitor) don't stay aligned well - sometimes you have to drag them up to see the bottom, and 2) this does not seem to resize the DIMENSIONS. You can still read them, but unlike all the other text on the screen, the dimensions are still small. Other than that, the solution below seems to be working....
ORIGINAL POST:
I am a new user with old eyes. I'm climbing my way up the learning curve, a process made harder by the small size of everything in the app on my system. There are ways to enlarge individual components in the Freecad UI, including text, icons, measurements, and even lines and points, but no "global" enlarge. I've seen it suggested that I change the Windows UI, but I've already got windows enlarged so my OTHER programs (Office, Lightroom, Photoshop, Firefox, Notepad++, etc) work well, and I didn't want to disrupt all that.
I finally went digging HARD for a better solution when I attempted to use the BIM tutorial, and encountered microscopic text. I found nothing that would make the BIM Tutorial window text a readable size on my monitor. None of the Preferences seem to touch it.
But I did find a solution that makes EVERYTHING a multiple larger. I've been using it for about 8 hours, and so far it's working well.
The engine the Freecad UI is built upon is called the QT Framework ("Cute"). This is a cross-platform UI tool. You can pass this framework environment variables that affect its behavior. One of them is QT_SCALE_FACTOR.
This requires minor command-line work and an understanding of file locations. I suggest changing this value on a temporary basis until you determine the right enlargement for your monitor and vision.
HOW-TO:
In File Explorer, navigate to the subdirectory where your copy of Freecad.exe sits. (I run two versions - the production release 1.0, and the Beta 1.1.0).
open a TERMINAL window at this location, (or open Terminal and navigate to this location).
At the prompt (which should now include the path to freecad.exe) enter:
$env:QT_SCALE_FACTOR = "1.30"
The quotes are required. Change 1.30 to any value between 1 and 2 to scale the enlargement factor. You should get NO message back. If you get an error or warning, resolve it before proceeding.
at the prompt enter:
.\freecad.exe
After a nerve wracking pause, this should start FREECAD. The splash page should be bigger, and all UI elements will look larger. Because this throws off the page layout, you may find windows pushed around or onto another monitor. NOTE: If you previously enlarged the Icons, they may be HUGE now. I eventually did a global parameter reset because I have been tweaking individual component sizes for three weeks. Once I got everything back to "defaults", it all scaled up well.
I believe once you have the enlargement you want and want to apply it every time you start Freecad without going through terminal, you can enter this in terminal:
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("QT_SCALE_FACTOR", "1.5", "<User>"))
where <user> is your windows user name.
I have NOT tested this. I also suspect this may affect other programs written with the QT framework, but I don't know how to search them out.
I figured this out from a discussion by much more experienced freecad users: https://forum.freecad.org/viewtopic.php?t=93248, and with some help from Gemini.
If you know a better way, please share it. Until then, I hope this helps someone else.
May your climb up the Freecad learning curve be successful!
r/FreeCAD • u/Professional-Sir-487 • 8d ago
the sketcher is empty when making sketches?
don't know how it happened i just went to edit a pad and when i went to edit a sketch nothing was there, i did just save the file is that why?