You’ll also learn how to subtract different primitives from each other with the ‘cutout’ tool. For example, you can rotate them by changing their angle. In this second video, Bram will teach you some more tricks on how to use primitives. In the video below, your instructor Bram will first show you the very basics: how to choose the ‘Part workbench’, how to start your first project, how to navigate (press Alt + left mouse button), how to add basic primitives (a box, a cylinder, etc.), and how to change the size, radius, and position of these primitives (under the menu ‘Property’).įreeCAD Tutorial Part 2: Subtracting and Combining Primitives However, we will start by using the ‘Part’ work bench – because we are here for creating a real physical object! For example, you can create a draft by choosing the ‘Draft’ work bench. These are basically a pre-defined set of tools that you are going to use. It’s less suited for creating organic objects such as figurines of humans, animals, or plants.Įnough of the small talk – we’re here to design! Let’s get started with the FreeCAD tutorial! FreeCAD Tutorial Part 1: Creating and Editing PrimitivesįreeCAD comes with several ‘work benches’. This 3D modeling software is most suitable for geometric designs, such as precise technical parts, replacement parts, gadgets, cases, scale models, etc. It can be used on Windows, Mac and Linux, and reads and writes many open file formats including popular 3D printing formats such as STL, OBJ, and DAE. Best of all it – but you already know this – it comes for free (just download it from on the FreeCAD website)! The ‘CAD’ in its name simply stands for ‘Computer-Aided Design’.įreeCAD is a 3D design program that allows you to easily navigate and modify your 3D model by browsing back into the model history and changing its individual elements. About the 3D Modeling Software FreeCADįreeCAD is a popular open source design software for creating 3D models of real-life objects. Hidden parts will now appear greyed out as seen in the above picture.In this tutorial you will learn to create a 3D file in FreeCAD:įrom a sketch (left) to the final 3D model (right). This makes it easier to see the newly made shape. Quick Tip: Selecting a part in the model tree and pressing space will hide that selected part. Select your now simplified part and go again to the Part menu, this time selecting "Convert to solid"Īnd one more time a new solid will show up in your model tree Now, to convert the shape to a solid that Boolean operations can be performed on. Yet another part will be added to your model tree, now simpler! To simplify this part, now select the shape and go to Part / Refine shape So you now have a shape to work with but as you can see there's still allot of triangulated faces However, if you want a less triangulated solid or Boolean operations performed, then follow these next steps. If you're looking for a fast solution to get a Step exported now would be the time to export it. Appropriate tools are available in the Mesh Workbench.Analyzing and repairing of the mesh (if needed) should be done manually before conversion.There will be no analyzing or validating of the mesh object.Set your mesh sewing tolerance in the pop up windowįreeCAD will now create a new shape in the model tree Now, select the imported STL part in main view or the model tree. To start off, make sure you have FreeCAD downloaded and installed Note: Since STLs are meshes, the resulting model won't be as precise as parts originally made as solids. This tutorial covers how to convert an STL to a STEP using FreeCAD.
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