FreeCad .21.2 22dev Anyone happy?

[TSutrina]

I have used used 3D cad when first moved from the mainframe running work stations to PCs. Have built model for employers as an engineer in ProE, Unigraphics, solid works. And at home free versions including Granite, Creteo (before in became paid), etc. Every single one does something poorly. Every single one order is important and especially if you edit past sketches or extrusions. Some things have only one way to do a few features that you want to be built. And there are problems with the approach of building a solid that doesn't keep past steps or only those created between saves.
It is the nature of the beast. Free Cad is not going to disappear which I experienced multiple times. It has work benches that my employers only had for specialty analyses engineer with a license. FreeCad is open to everyone. What it was missing was building models from surfaces and that appears to be happening. This is a $6000 cad package for your donations. The last I checked it was only surpassed by solid works for users.

 

[ajoeiam]

I have used used 3D cad when first moved from the mainframe running work stations to PCs. Have built model for employers as an engineer in ProE, Unigraphics, solid works. And at home free versions including Granite, Creteo (before in became paid), etc. Every single one does something poorly. Every single one order is important and especially if you edit past sketches or extrusions. Some things have only one way to do a few features that you want to be built. And there are problems with the approach of building a solid that doesn't keep past steps or only those created between saves.
It is the nature of the beast. Free Cad is not going to disappear which I experienced multiple times. It has work benches that my employers only had for specialty analyses engineer with a license. FreeCad is open to everyone. What it was missing was building models from surfaces and that appears to be happening. This is a $6000 cad package for your donations. The last I checked it was only surpassed by solid works for users.

IMO your post delineates the differences between someone who works with paper and the someone that makes the stuff.

I can give you at least 3 different ways to make a box out of members (and that's without bending anything) - - - you talk about living with goofy (imo) problems.

I would suggest you enjoy living with the problems but I will be asking for something that makes sense for my toolkit.

 

[awake]

IMO your post delineates the differences between someone who works with paper and the someone that makes the stuff.

I can give you at least 3 different ways to make a box out of members (and that's without bending anything) - - - you talk about living with goofy (imo) problems.

I would suggest you enjoy living with the problems but I will be asking for something that makes sense for my toolkit.

Hmm ... what I heard - maybe incorrectly? - was that every CAD package has some "goofy problems" - so if one is going to use CAD at all, take your pick and learn to navigate its particular set of problems. Again, I may be misunderstanding, and if so I apologize for putting words in TSutrina's mouth ... errr, keyboard.

 

[Maxjon]

I have a 3d printer, I have only really used the Prusa slicer and Tinkercad for printing, but they both have limitations. I did install the free version of Fusion 360 which made the most sense to me having a fair amount of 2D Autocad 2000 experience, but my Laptop lacks the graphics to run it. Installed Blender, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to me. So I'm on the hunt again, for a 3D program my Laptop will run...

 

[Gazelder]

I have a 3d printer, I have only really used the Prusa slicer and Tinkercad for printing, but they both have limitations. I did install the free version of Fusion 360 which made the most sense to me having a fair amount of 2D Autocad 2000 experience, but my Laptop lacks the graphics to run it. Installed Blender, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to me. So I'm on the hunt again, for a 3D program my Laptop will run...

I used Fusion, I even taught it in a Makerspace class. I'd used Autodesk Inventor. I found Fusion lacked some of the features I (personally) wanted. The class I taught got smaller as time went on... they "learned" it required "learning." (I was adament that I would help them but not do the work for them. )

I tried Blender but it was lacking,, I needed better precision.

Not sure what your lap top is BUT recently in a FC forum I read the future versions of FC (starting in some of the .22dev versions will not run in MacOS... if that is true ... be aware.

As seasons change I'm going to really "kick the tires" of Alibre atom3D ... I've set current FC .22dev aside.... it just isn't worth the frustration. I've yet to find any good documenation OR tutorials regarding the "supposed" Assembly Workbench for 1.0. I gave up in .22dev.

My projects include things that actually existed that I want to scale down for use with models.. I don't mind a little "suffering" but (in tutorials) I've found some "experts" stating... "it took me five or so attempts" before I got this "part" correct over a few weeks.
Hint: I'm not an expert.
I'm not a maschist.
Designing a one small part for a model locomotive should NOT be a lifelong endeavor. (Gee... what do I really think about FC?)

 

[ajoeiam]

Hmm ... what I heard - maybe incorrectly? - was that every CAD package has some "goofy problems" - so if one is going to use CAD at all, take your pick and learn to navigate its particular set of problems. Again, I may be misunderstanding, and if so I apologize for putting words in TSutrina's mouth ... errr, keyboard.

Hmmmmm - - - running a version of *nix here and that means I have exactly one (!!) choice - - - and that's FC for 3D CAD.
Now if someone cares to donate a reasonably spec'd pc AND a good copy of Solid works - - - I'll work on that but I'd be running it off line so it likely won't run for long as M$ just 'has'(!!) to talk to one's m/c every week and for sure every month!

Haven't tried on FC 0.21 yet but I just couldn't for the life of me figure out a good system to dray AND constrain rectangles.

Bulletins later after I get done with my busy season!

 

[awake]

Installed Blender, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

I've only tinkered a bit with Blender, but everything I've read suggests that 1) it is incredibly powerful for 3d modeling (not CAD per se, but especially for organic shapes), and 2) it has a very, very steep learning curve.

Not sure what your lap top is BUT recently in a FC forum I read the future versions of FC (starting in some of the .22dev versions will not run in MacOS... if that is true ... be aware.

Yikes, if true that will be a major change. As I recall, FC is built using C++ and Python, with Qt providing the multiplatform foundation. Unless Qt is abandoning Mac, I don't see why FC would ... but then again, I am not a developer for FC, so maybe ... ??

Haven't tried on FC 0.21 yet but I just couldn't for the life of me figure out a good system to dray AND constrain rectangles.

There are quite a few ways to constrain a rectangle. In simplest terms, one can use the rectangle tool to sketch out a rectangle (by default, constrained so that the sides are horizontal and vertical); set the length of two adjacent sides; fix one of the corners to the desired position. But one can also draw 4 connected lines, and set right-angle constraints between them, fix a corner, and set the angle of one of the sides relative to some other line (perhaps the x-axis) to control the rotation. Or one could constrain one corner so that the adjacent lines are at a right angle, then made the other two sides parallel to the opposing sides. One could fix the corners of the rectangle to sit on a circle, and control the size of the rectangle by changing the size of the circle. And so on, and so on, and so on.

All the many different options can be confusing at first, but these options allow you to "solve" a variety of models without having to resort to a lot of math. For example, if for some reason I need a rectangle that will be constrained inside a circle (or an ellipse, for that matter), I don't have to go through the trigonometry to figure out the x,y coordinates for each corner; I can just plop the rectangle into the circle and constrain the corners to sit on the curve of the circle. Done!

 

[Gazelder]

Hmmmmm - - - running a version of *nix here and that means I have exactly one (!!) choice - - - and that's FC for 3D CAD.
Now if someone cares to donate a reasonably spec'd pc AND a good copy of Solid works - - - I'll work on that but I'd be running it off line so it likely won't run for long as M$ just 'has'(!!) to talk to one's m/c every week and for sure every month!

Haven't tried on FC 0.21 yet but I just couldn't for the life of me figure out a good system to dray AND constrain rectangles.

Bulletins later after I get done with my busy season!

 

[Gazelder]

I can giggle...

In my "past" I've had the experience of working with Autodesk, Solidworks, Inventor, Sketchup, Fusion360. Some were good experiences... some not so bad. With the commercial stuff I could dabble after hours... (granted wife and young family were not excited.)
I retired... some much for easy access to a license.

I did for a period help a school system teach... access at times to Inventor. They did not renew their license.

Since 2018 I've tried... really I have.. to learn FreeCad. In 2018 there were issues with the releases regarding some design features I'd used in commercial licenses. I even reported "bugs."

I was asked to consider teaching FreeCAD at the school back in January 2024... I told them it was not ready for "their students." The director of the program recently contacted me again. Even with a promise of the release 1.0 i foresee issues at least into spring of 2025... the release mighht happen but documentation is still weak to none.. video-tutorials leave a grrat deal to be desired.

I know what I "need" in 3D software. I know some of the project I want to tackle. I know what computer capability I have and what CNC machines, resin printers and LASER engravers I hav e at my disposal. Based on my current experience with FC .22dev ... I've put it dormancy.

I am now looking at FC only weekly: segments of documentation, new video tutorials, and comments on several sites. I MIGHT load a release and experiment but I'm not rushing into it.

I've also decided to postpone "testing Alibre atom3D probably until October when I can spend too many hours on the trial.

Since my esperiences have included "teaching" 3D CAD software I know some of the issues some dtudents will have. Most users in my experience want to use software not go through "esoteric hoops" and multiple iterations... only to learn.... maybe in the next update.

BTW, in 2004 with Inventor I was easily doing some designs with relative easy that as of "FC .22dev" I still fail.


Love it or leave it??? I just put it on the shelf...


g

 

[Maxjon]

Had a play with Blender, I'm going to persevere with it for a bit...

 

[vk7krj]

I'll throw my hat in the ring here- I use openscad for all my 3d printing stuff. I have tried various other programs, including freecad & solidworks but I found openscad suits my way of thinking. I can't seem to get on with the others as well as I can with openscad- but it does require a quite different mindset to "normal" cad programs- it's more akin to programming than drawing.

 

[awake]

I do like and use OpenSCAD for a lot of my 3d printing projects. The "programming" approach works well for me, as an old software developer, and it lends itself to designs that can be modified with a couple of parameters to suit various needs. An example is a project I made that creates a knob - a couple of parameters select the size of the knob and of the bolt that it will hold, and a little bit later I have a custom knob just the right size for a project. Here is the rendering for a pair of knobs designed to take a 1/4-inch bolt:

That said ... there are 3d printing projects for which OpenSCAD is not the best choice, at least for me. An example of this is a an impeller/blower that I designed and printed (to help extract the smoke from a laser cutter). No doubt the impeller and case *could* have been made in OpenSCAD, with enough patience and perseverance ... but it was way easier to do in FreeCAD. Here is a rendering and a picture of the result - printed rather coarsely, thinking it would be a prototype, but in fact it has worked extremely well, so it has been in service for a couple of years:

 

[BaronJ]

Hmmmmm - - - running a version of *nix here and that means I have exactly one (!!) choice - - - and that's FC for 3D CAD.
Now if someone cares to donate a reasonably spec'd pc AND a good copy of Solid works - - - I'll work on that but I'd be running it off line so it likely won't run for long as M$ just 'has'(!!) to talk to one's m/c every week and for sure every month!

Haven't tried on FC 0.21 yet but I just couldn't for the life of me figure out a good system to dray AND constrain rectangles.

Bulletins later after I get done with my busy season!

I'm along time Linux user and found that FC won't run on some versions of Linux, particularly those that use intel graphics !

 

[vk7krj]

Andy- I recognized your impeller design straight away_- I found it on line (thingiverse I think) and printed it some time ago. I was most impressed by the design, but eventually gave up on it as I couldn't find a motor to fit it properly. Pity, as it would have been excellent for the start-up blower for my 5 inch steam loco.
And you are correct, it would be quite difficult to duplicate in openscad.

 

[awake]

Interesting - if it is on thingiverse, someone besides me put it there. I had shared the design with a machining forum, so maybe someone pulled it from there. Not a problem per se, since I am happy to share it with anyone who wants it.

I'm along time Linux user and found that FC won't run on some versions of Linux, particularly those that use intel graphics !

Interesting - I have not run into any problems, but I have stayed on Ubuntu for years. I've thought about trying other distros from time to time, but ... if it ain't broke ...

 

[BaronJ]

Hi Andy,

I'm running PCLinuxOS on a HP Elite 8300 with i7 CPU and 12 Gb ram. Its an intel based machine. FC looks for an AMD graphics chip, crashing out when it can't find one.

 

[awake]

Again, interesting. I've run FC on a variety of i5 machines (Dell and HP), one with an NVidia GPU but the others with only the graphics built into the i5. Also run on a Dell with an AMD CPU, don't recall which one, no GPU. Depending on the machine, 8 Gb, 16Gb, or 32Gb. No problems with any of these. I wish I knew enough about the internals of FC even to speculate on why it is crashing on your machine!

 

[GreenTwin]

I had to create a 3D model for a 1,500 hp blower, for a renovation project (six units total).
I had to figure out how to make that shape (I forget the name for it) in Solidworks.
I made some calipers that were about 6 feet long, to take off the measurements.
Picture attached.
The original equipment is about 10 feet tall.
Could be scaled to any size with a few adjustments.
.

 

[Picko]

I had to create a 3D model for a 1,500 hp blower, for a renovation project (six units total).
I had to figure out how to make that shape (I forget the name for it) in Solidworks.
I made some calipers that were about 6 feet long, to take off the measurements.
Picture attached.
The original equipment is about 10 feet tall.
Could be scaled to any size with a few adjustments.
.

Wow, what do they do?

 

[GreenTwin]

Aeration blowers for a wastewater treatment plant.
Serves about 300,000 folks.
The second plant that serves this city is also a place where I do renovations, and we are renovating their four 5,000 hp blowers.

.