Using FreeCAD for 3D printing and simple part manufacture

[Shedguy]

Am just arrived, so yet to get to grips with this platform.
However, suffice to say I have for my sins, started to familiarise with FreeCAD ver. 0.20.2
Still at basic level even though professionally I was an airframe design technician with Airbus (4 yrs), Bae(1 yr) plus Bombardier & Short Bros (14yrs), using Catia, Computervision 12 and more recently, (post retirement) AutoCAD for 2D draughting - used for detailing house extensions and garage conversions (modelled for) interest in SketchUp 2017.
So, not unfamiliar with CAD concepts. But have found FreeCAD, although powerful, has its own unique protocols for commands; some intuitive but many not so. My issue: to get to the nitty gritty, is vertices/constraints in the 2D Techdraw workbench. Have modelled a number of simple flanges: plates with a vertical web - tranvesrse and longitudinally - inserting the views is executed well and I am able to dimension all the profiles without any issues. However, when it comes to setting a dimension to position the holes in the flange-plate relative to the outer edges the hole centre (vertices) is “glued to the edge of the hole and not at the hole’s geometric centre. Videos, demonstrating dimensioning hole positions, use the displayed vertices which, in their examples, is at the epicentre of the holes. What might be the reason for this not being so in my 2D drawings? The sketch for the flange plate is “fully constrained”.

[Neale]

Be interested to hear why you went FreeCAD. Quite a few of us here use Fusion 360 in its free "home and hobby user" version which is a slightly/somewhat (depending on point of view) version of a full professional package. I tried to use FreeCAD a few years ago and found it rather lacking at that point. I understand that it is both more functional and reliable now but haven't felt the need to go back to it. Good luck with it, though - hope someone can assist!

[routerdriver]

I've been learning to use Freecad for a while and would never consider Fusion,given the way the providers move the goalposts regarding what capabilities they might allow access to.That being said,it isn't easy or intuitive too much of the time.I have zero experience of 3D printing or the software best suited for the purpose and may be a long way off the mark for suggesting that the Tech Draw workbench isn't really used for much more than producing old style 2d drawings.I would suggest the Part Design workbench is where you ought to be working as the constraints while sketching are the factors that govern a shape.I suppose the sectioning aspect of Tech Draw is useful for verifying that the characteristics of any given location are as desired.It might help with arcs if you delve into the options and switch the "show arc centres" selection to "true".It might need a recompute to update existing sections.

[cropwell]

I share your opinion on Fusion. I tried several free packages and settled on Solid Edge. FreeCAD was discarded at a fairly early stage.

[Robin Hewitt]

I switched from Fusion 360 to FreeCAD for 3 reasons...
I wasn't using it enough to warrant the price I was paying.
They decided the CAM was to be extra money instead of included.
I found it impossible to save my work anywhere but with them, meaning I would be chained to them forever if I used it for anything I couldn't afford to lose.
Please do not explain how I got this wrong, if I misunderstood then that was their fault, not mine.
I like FreeCAD but I work within the constraints of my understanding, I am not up to understanding ShedGuys question, let alone answering it :apologetic:
best
Robin

[routerdriver]

I don't know if this screenshot of the relevant tab might be helpful.It does show that dimensioning from centres can be done if you delve into things a little.


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[needleworks]

I share your opinion on Fusion. I tried several free packages and settled on Solid Edge. FreeCAD was discarded at a fairly early stage.

I never realised Solid Edge was free ! Can you explain a little what version you are using, eg for students, or startup etc ?
I also dumped Fusion when they started to charge.

[Shedguy]

Be interested to hear why you went FreeCAD. Quite a few of us here use Fusion 360 in its free "home and hobby user" version which is a slightly/somewhat (depending on point of view) version of a full professional package. I tried to use FreeCAD a few years ago and found it rather lacking at that point. I understand that it is both more functional and reliable now but haven't felt the need to go back to it. Good luck with it, though - hope someone can assist!
Yes Fusion 360 was my original choice but I’m running Windows10 upgraded a good while back, from Win7. The hardware incorporates integral graphics which HP - the mfrs - have no later drivers for. I mention this because when I tried to run Fusion - I’d run cleaning scan and stopped a lot of stuff running at start up, Fusion simply refused to run smoothly; freezing frequently and even completely crashing. Trued unistall and reinstall twice, but no material change so, I gave it best and downloaded FreeCA D V.0.20.2 instead. Even this took two goes to get running smoothly but it has since been working well enough. It also happens the men’s association - Men in Sheds - I belong too has downloaded FreeCAD as it is - apparently - recommended if you want to make your own models for 3D printing. The incentive there is we have recently been gifted a fully working 3D printer. Apology for the delay in reply, but thanks for your interest. Oh! have solved the centres problem with the techdraw in FreeCAD: seems the centres are disabled by default in the preferences. As they are crucial for accurate dimensioning, cannot for the life of me understand the logic (if any) behind this decision by FreeCAD. I’d ratger have the option to “disable” them rather than “enable” them!

[cropwell]

I am on 2021 Community edition. There may be updates, but I have never bothered (I may do now). Here is a screenshot of my 'About' page.31772

[Neale]

I actually use the free editions of both F360 and Solid Edge. The current free version of F360 is somewhat limited compared to its original version but is still pretty good. The CAD side of it is more-or-less the same anyway but its real benefit is the CAM toolpath generation module and that has been more restricted. However, apart from 4- and 5-axis CAM, most of the limitations can be overcome. On the whole, I think Autodesk have tried to make it difficult for commercial users without completely ruining it for hobby users. But there's a bit of an overlap between these sets of users and not everyone likes having their toys taken away! I didn't, but I use the workarounds and if something equally powerful suddenly became available at the same price (free...) then I expect quite a few people would welcome it.

I have largely moved to SE for CAD, though, as I find it a bit more difficult to use (at first) but it seems more powerful when it comes to larger and more intricate models. You can then export solid models in the standard .stp format, import into F360, and use its CAM for toolpath generation. I tend to stick to F360 for 3D modelling of single objects, though, and SE for complex assemblies.

Horses for courses, and everyone has their own preferences, not least open-source versus free-but-commercial.

[needleworks]

I am on 2021 Community edition. There may be updates, but I have never bothered (I may do now). Here is a screenshot of my 'About' page.31772

Many thanks for the info mate:beer:

[Neale]

Current "Community Edition" is 2023, which is the one I am running.

[cropwell]

I have tutorial books on Fusion360 and FreeCAD which I do not need and am happy to post them out as long as my postage and packing costs are covered.
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[Colin Barron]

I use Turbocad £60, which included Paul on the other end of the phone which is very helpful. He also sent a memory stick on how to use the program in easy lessons, each covering specific topics which makes it easy to revise when you forget how to do something. The support is worth the price you pay for the program.
https://paulthecad.com/product-category/upgrades/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA-N8SOLLFM