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FreeCAD v1.1

blog.freecad.org

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Re: FreeCAD v1.1

#31

Post by Gigachad »

Ccecil wrote: post #28
Alupis wrote: post #11

Recently one of the magnet holders for my window shutters broke, and I thought I'd take a crack at designing a replacement to 3D Print. I'd never designed anything in CAD software before, so I had no real reference. I found FreeCAD extremely easy to use and intuitive. I watched a couple videos and followed-along with the tutorials, then started on my own item. It's a relatively simple 3-part component. I took measure…

Learning to design parts was a huge "unlock" for me. Wasn't just printing other people's designs. Great feeling to measure and design something then have it fit perfectly.

I just saw a great video on how to replicate parts for printing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcMvTfUfNXo

Previously I'd get my calipers first and try to model using the direct measurements. The key point imo of the video was to take photos and model based on the photos, and then correct the measurements with your recorded measurements second.

Re: FreeCAD v1.1

#32

Post by aib »

Lukas_Skywalker wrote: post #16
gligorot wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Fusion implementation sucks. A spreadsheet is a far more natural way to do this, Im surprised FreeCad is doing it better than the paid variant.

The only issue I have with the Spreadsheet is that I need to add an alias for every value I want to use in the Sketch or Part Design workbench. In practice, this usually looks like A B width 2mm length 3mm and for every cell in B I add an alias with the same value as in column A. Is there a way around that?

VarSets[0] introduced recently in 1.0 and mentioned in a grand-aunt comment are a good alternative to spreadsheets used this way.

[0]: https://wiki.freecad.org/Std_VarSet

Re: FreeCAD v1.1

#33

Post by bartvk »

jjkaczor wrote: post #20
cgearhart wrote: post #14

Slightly unrelated to this story, but I’m curious if anyone has good resources for learning FreeCAD. I have quite a lot of experience with SolidWorks, AutoCAD, OnShape, and similar software, but FreeCAD has always been hard for me to pick up.

MangoJelly on YouTube was my primary learning source, and a few other channels - but his "gelled" with me the best.

Yup, mine too. He has a course on Udemy as well.

Re: FreeCAD v1.1

#34

Post by faangguyindia »

In coming time you can see freecad massively improving.

This space lacks good opensource solution.

I have tried creating my parts, tried tinkercad (which is simple but limited)

Tried fusion. And pretty much other things don't support mac.

I've a hunch lots of vibe coders are going to come and launch stuff like freecad and Gimp (which I never liked, can't even get simple tasks done in gimp)

Future is bright for opensource powered by LLM coding on steroids.

Re: FreeCAD v1.1

#35

Post by 2muchcoffeeman »

acrophobic wrote: post #23
_whiteCaps_ wrote: post #8

I post this in every FreeCAD thread: If you're going to start designing something with it, use the spreadsheet tool to make everything parametric. You'll save yourself a ton of time as your designs get more complicated. Maybe this isn't anything new to experience CAD users. I don't know if other CAD tools do this as I started using FreeCAD after playing with 3D printing.

You can also use VarSet[0], which I think is easier than spreadsheet since you don't have to switch the workbench. [0]: https://wiki.freecad.org/Std_VarSet

Did not know about this. How do you see all the properties?

Re: FreeCAD v1.1

#36

Post by 2muchcoffeeman »

Alupis wrote: post #11

Recently one of the magnet holders for my window shutters broke, and I thought I'd take a crack at designing a replacement to 3D Print. I'd never designed anything in CAD software before, so I had no real reference. I found FreeCAD extremely easy to use and intuitive. I watched a couple videos and followed-along with the tutorials, then started on my own item. It's a relatively simple 3-part component. I took measure…

I had a hard time but I didn’t start with the tutorial first.

But once I saw their “philosophy” as it were, everything became so much easier.

Re: FreeCAD v1.1

#37

Post by eblanshey »

FreeCAD is really the only serious contender for CAD on Linux. I love how everything is hackable via Python APIs. Every release seems to fix more and more UX issues. I have very high hopes for it to eventually start attracting more commercial usage, much like KiCad and Blender did in their spaces. We need more open software like that.

Re: FreeCAD v1.1

#38

Post by rcarmo »

TL;DR: I wish they'd just align with Blender on UX, TBH.

I wish they settled on a nicer UX with less visual clutter. I use Blender and it is a _massively_ more complex application in every regard, yet its right-aligned panel and progressive exposure of toolbars feels infinitely more polished than FreeCad's clunky panel (which is often rendered with huge, oversized fields and buttons) and their legendary five-stacked toolbars.

Feels like that satirical Gillette ad, and is much harder to use and navigate, especially since quite a few UX options need to be turned on in Preferences to be usable...

Re: FreeCAD v1.1

#39

Post by dghlsakjg »

GaggiX wrote: post #3

I was not expecting so many improvements in this version alone, I'm impressed. I was already using it for 3d printing but now it seems it's getting actually good, makes me wonder how I was able to use the previous version.

This is great to hear. I tried it a few years ago, and it was just so far behind onshape and fusion for usability from a beginner perspective.

This is single want to give it another chance

Re: FreeCAD v1.1

#40

Post by jareklupinski »

Alupis wrote: post #11

Recently one of the magnet holders for my window shutters broke, and I thought I'd take a crack at designing a replacement to 3D Print. I'd never designed anything in CAD software before, so I had no real reference. I found FreeCAD extremely easy to use and intuitive. I watched a couple videos and followed-along with the tutorials, then started on my own item. It's a relatively simple 3-part component. I took measure…

for incredibly simple parts that i can describe using measurements, i've had a lot of fun pointing a high-power ai at openscad and letting it iterate through making the design for me

it's still tough to turn it into something i can then keep fiddling with in freecad though

put on "tron: ares" in the background to fully appreciate the model designing something that will be 3d-printed :)

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