FreeCAD Blog By MangoJelly Solutions

This is a quick tutorial of how to make organic structures in FreeCAD's curves workbench. Inspired from the original Rhino 3D tutorials I created that may be somewhere on the internet (it's been a long time!) I have taken inspiration from the curve tweeting tool which creates intermediate copies of the curve by dividing two supplied curves into an equal number of points, finds the midpoint between the corresponding points on the curves. and interpolates the tween curve through those points. At time of writing FreeCAD doesn't have this feature but we can get a similar result using the iso curves. Here's the process: 1. Create a sketch with two curves, individual sketches could be used but the Curves WB can be used to extract and move both curves. Think of this just as a template. 2. Go to the Curves workbench and select one curve and click the join curve tool or from the top menu; Curves >join curves. Repeat for the second curve, note: the newly created join curve may...

What is a Macro? A Macro is code which can be run to automate a tasks.  This general differs from standard programs as a macro is normally run through or targets an existing program to automate actions that would normally be done manually i.e. in FreeCAD to control a simulation or animation.   Why Do We Need One For Animation So why do we need these in animation?  There are a number of ways to create animation and some additional workbenches take over the need for macros, allowing for a process of recording the movement and playback these are fine for exploding and imploding assembles.  But if we want to go beyond seeing how things fit together and explore subject areas such as simulating a suspension system tackling bumpy roads then it is inevitable that we will need to write at least some code.  The aim is to write as little as possible and allow FreeCAD to do the hard work.  Your First Macro, 'Hello World!' So it's time to write your first macro! It...

This project gives some background and resources to the project to create a fully parametric toy brick that can be configured to make any size of brick with the minimum size of 2 x 2. Driven by a spreadsheet and using FreeCAD the designer can change the parameters in the spreadsheet resulting in the brick changing to the desired size and the studs, nubs and tubes dynamically reconfigure to create a new brick. Both parts of the tutorial can be found on my channel at PART 1 PART 2 The technical drawing is below: Design Log First tests with the part design workbench though successful had the following flaws: 1. Unable to shrink this down to a 2 x 2 brick which has four studs and one tube. The linear pattern in the multi-transform requires more than one feature otherwise it errors. This only allowed for bricks that had no smaller than two tubes on the base. 2. The speed of calculations and rendering was reduced because the the pattern features not being optimised as say the draft array to...

Welcome to the total beginners course to FreeCAD 0.20. In this is a two part lesson we will practice our tracing skill in the form of a mini project. Using the below reference photos we will create a more complex part which will consist of repeating features. We will utilise the symmetry tools to ease construction in both FreeCAD sketcher and Part Design workbench. This project work will help teach the fundamentals of freeCAD allowing a understanding of the basics but delivering this information via teaching you different workflows. In this tutorial we will be tracing photos imported into FreeCAD via the image workbench https://wiki.freecadweb.org/Image_Workbench JUMP TO IMAGES Do you want to purchase the complete series along with others and keep forever?  Check out my shop https://ko-fi.com/mang0/shop The story of this tutorial The idea and first attempt at creating this tutorial was back in FreeCAD 0.18.  The physical part itself, well, I have no idea what really it is, i...

This tutorial focuses on modelling a deck eye plate. These items are normally made of stainless steel with some kind of galvanised coating to stop corrosion. They are used in many industries but are most commonly found around boats, ships, sail lofts and docks where they play an important part in marine industry. Finding their use in many applications, they are often wall mounted acting as lashing points for mooring and for tying down sails or canopies. They can even be used for domestic use around the house and garden, for example to anchor ropes, cords and lines. So if your into 3D printing your finished creations, you can make use of the finished result.   Disclaimer : The strength of the part will depend on the internal structure, settings of the slicer and the material it has been printed on.  This will limit its application as failure of the part, damage to property and injury is a possibility.  These items are normally made of steel and are tested to take a...

A helix whether 2D or 3D, can be used as scaffold geometry.  By using such operations as a sweep we can create such objects a internal and external threads, compression springs, Archimedes screws, circular spiral stair cases, the list goes on.  The process of creating these models is more or less the same in all CAD packages.  This tutorial will concentrate on repeating a part across a helix path.  For this we will be using the workbench known as Lattice 2, with it's powerful array and placement tools it should make the process of creating such structures     First of all you will need the lattice2 WB installed which can be found in the add on manager.  The add on manager consists of a number of external workbenches that can be installed into FreeCAD.  To install Lattice 2 go to the top menu > tools > add on manager and install the WB. Jump to the Part WB. Select the top menu > part > create primitives ... A new panel will appear...

Multi Body Hinged Boxed with Shape Binder We are going to create a non symmetric box in FreeCAD with basic pin hinges for 3D printing. We will utilise the part design  shapebinder for placement and to act as a simple master sketch between the hinges of the bodies allowing for diameter changes in the hinges to take effect on both bodies. 1. In the part design create a body and then create a sketch on the x/y plane. Create a simple box say 80 mm x 50 mm constrained to the centre with symmetric constraints to the point of origin. 2. Close the sketch and pad to 50 mm. This will be the lower body of the box. 3. Select the top of the box and select the thickness icon to create a void with 4 mm thick walls. Select the option to push the thickness inwards. 4. Select OK and bring the view around to the right. Select the face and create a sketch on the face. Bring in the left top point by using the create an edge linked to external geometry tool. Create two concentric circles to each...