If you are stuck at some point, don't forget that the friendly community of users on the FreeCAD forum might be able to get you out in no time. Its learning curve can be steep, especially if this is your first contact with 3D modeling. It is therefore very different from some other 3D applications made for other purposes, such as animation film or gaming. By right-clicking on an object or on an empty area of the 3D view, you have quick access to some common operations, such as setting a particular view, or locating an object in the Tree view.įreeCAD's focus is to allow you to make high-precision 3D models, to keep tight control over those models (being able to go back into modelling history and change parameters), and eventually to build those models (via 3D printing, CNC machining or even construction worksite). You also have several view presets (top view, front view, etc) available in the View menu, on the View toolbar, and by numeric shortcuts ( 1, 2, etc.). You can quickly change the current navigation mode by using the button in the Status bar or by right-clicking an empty area of the 3D view. The default navigation mode is CAD navigation. One of them is specifically made for touchpads, where the middle mouse button is not used. You can change the default workbench in the preferences.įreeCAD has several navigation modes available, that change the way you use your mouse to interact with the objects in the 3D view and the view itself. The Start page allows you to quickly jump to one of the most common workbenches, open one of the recent files, or see the latest news from the FreeCAD world. Here is what it looks like for version 0.19: When you start FreeCAD for the first time, you are presented with the Start page. Widely used starting points are the PartDesign Workbench and Part Workbench. You can customize the tools included in each workbench, add tools from other workbenches or even self-created tools, that we call macros. You can switch the current workbench with the workbench selector. A workbench is a collection of tools suited for a specific task, such as working with meshes, or drawing 2D objects, or constrained sketches. The main concept behind the FreeCAD interface is that it is separated into workbenches. The standard menu, which holds basic operations of the program. The workbench selector, where you select the active workbench. The toolbar area, where the toolbars are docked. The status bar, where some messages and tooltips appear. The Python console, where all the commands executed are printed, and where you can enter Python code. The report view (or output window), where messages, warnings and errors are shown. The selection view, which indicates the objects or sub-elements of objects (vertices, edges, faces) that are selected. The property editor (part of the combo view), which allows viewing and modifying properties of the selected objects. The tree view (part of the combo view), showing the hierarchy and construction history of objects in the document it can also display the task panel for active commands. The 3D view, showing the geometrical objects in the document. The main view area, which can contain different tabbed windows, principally the 3D view. As FreeCAD is open-source, you can also grab the source code and compile it yourself. A standalone AppImage executable is also available, which will run on most recent 64-bit Linux systems. FreeCAD is available from the package managers of many other Linux distributions. There are install packages ready for Windows (.msi), Debian and Ubuntu (.deb), openSUSE (.rpm), and Mac OSX. See the Download page for information on current versions and updates, and the installation instructions for you operating system ( Windows, Linux or Mac). Don't forget this when using FreeCAD if you like it, you can donate and help FreeCAD in various ways, such as writing documentation and making translations.įirst of all, download and install FreeCAD. Like all free software projects, FreeCAD depends on its community to grow, gain features, and fix bugs. There is a fast-growing community of enthusiastic users who participate in the FreeCAD forum, and you can find many examples of quality projects developed with FreeCAD there. Capabilities are still missing but it is powerful enough for hobbyist use, and small workshops. It is primarily made for mechanical design, but also serves all other uses where you need to model 3D objects with precision and control over modeling history.įreeCAD has been under development since 2002, and it offers a large list of features.
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