FreeCAD

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Your own 3D parametric modeler.

www.freecad.org

FreeCAD is an open-source parametric 3D modeler made primarily to design real-life objects of any size. Parametric modeling allows you to easily modify your design by going back into your model history and changing its parameters.

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Can Freecad help me for an assembly? (lemmy.world)

submitted 2 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I have to design several wood boxes who will be bases for acrylic showcase boxes. They have all different sizes but the construction is the same and quite simple. So what I'm looking to do is to design a generic construction with constraints once, and then be able to change a few variables like the boards thickness, the thickness of the acrylic and the width height length of the box and I would get the dimensions of my wood boards to do the cutting.

I never used the assembly workbenches, can they be useful in my cases?

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Thanks, I created a first sketch+pad for the top plate on the XY plane, the the side plate on the XZ plane, now the side plate sit at the center of the top plate, how should I move it to the side of the top plate?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

If you've made multiple bodies, you can place them by selecting the body in the tree view. Then open the scary property view, open the data tab, Base, Placement, Position.

You can scroll to roughly put things in position but I'd use a formula in there so you can model in place and have a visual for each configuration.

If you want to reuse a body for left/right you could make a clone or start thinking about the assembly workbench

The data tab contains interesting info. Open it from time to time so it feels less scary. It allows to set the properties from a pad or update constraints from a sketch quickly. Moving a sketch around can be strange though as the axes are relative to the sketch's coordinates.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Thanks a lot, lot of extremely useful points.

I was able to make what I wanted. I share my basic box model here, all dimensions are from the spreadsheet. I'll add more complexities for my personal project. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VGQb9p0G_uOlvEQuEZNkt2TiBsSuiA73/view?usp=sharing

Aslo, Is there an easy way to retrieves all the sketches with dimensions in order to print it ?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

Best I know of is TechDraw but that may not be as automated as you'd like. You essentially take the shapes and label the dimensions you want to show. Shapes/dimensions can be refreshed, likely also through a macro for multiple sheets if you need that.

I don't know the UI by memory but the flow is along the lines of: create TechDraw sheet; set scale; import shape; choose views of shape (top, front, ...); add dimensions. This can be exported and printed.

I think you can also save the current view of a sketch (save image or such in the menu?) but have not tried it and don't know how repeatable that is and if you'll run out of coloured ink in no time.

Looking forward to look at your attached designs!