Alibre vs FreeCAD - The tale of a wrong Workflow (#1)

[@RoadSideMaker]

Let me know if you find this video helpful and share your ideas

[@GuillaumeJACQUIN]

Nice vid ! Thanks for sharing 👍 You can click with the midle mouse button on part or a face to center the rotation view on it... I've got tryed them all, Plasticity, blender, Ds mechanical, Fusion, Atom Alibre, Onshape, Shaper3D, Sketchup... ! I always return to Freecad, but with a lot of frustration ! I think the 1.0 version is a good perspective for parametric 3D cad... Waiting for yours videos Thanks you

[@RoadSideMaker]

Thank you for kind words! Looks like we are in the same boat! I use multiple CADs even for the same project to achieve the result I want. New videos are already in the making

[@deterdamel7380]

FreeCAD fits my needs. Alibre Atom3D cost 215€ + 60€/year (for Updates).

[@RoadSideMaker]

Great to hear that. Hope new FreeCAD 1.0 will enhance your experience even more. Love the RC1

[@Todestelzer]

I would switch to Alibre design from fusion 360 if the CAM wouldn’t be so good in fusion. I recommend everyone to get Alibre Design. Atom is ok, but as far I know no Boolean operations available.

[@MrConstantCrash]

I would love to switch from Fusion to Alibre, but Alibre is windows only and I, like many am a Mac user.

[@RoadSideMaker]

Yeah, thats a downside on Alibre part, for sure

[@andre-7423]

FreeCAD is SO much more (like FEM workbench and much more ), and it is FOSS ! - it just works, and I will be able to open my projects years later too. Alibre is not honest enough to even list their prices. It is hard to see why I would choose them. ...unless to pay per month/year in all the years from now on.

[@RoadSideMaker]

FreeCAD is great. Alibre is great too. You pay once and you have the license forever. You will be able to use it and open your projects 10 years from now. There is no subscription. And only if new and exiting feature comes out, you can optionally purchase the update for a fraction of the license price. And they do not penalize you for missed update cycles. They are USA company and prices for USA are published on their website. However when you are in Europe, for example, you are directed to the different page. They operate through resellers . Take German reseller - alibre.info/alibre-preisliste.html , you will find all the prices listed there as well.

[@miriades]

@@RoadSideMakerdoes Alibra have a Linux version like FreeCAD?

[@RoadSideMaker]

@@miriades Unfortunately no, Alibre is Windows only :( I believe it to be the biggest shortcoming. Otherwise it is a great CAD software.

[@miriades]

@@RoadSideMakeroh I see. I’ll stick to FreeCAD for CAD learning then 😊 thanks.

[@RoadSideMaker]

@@miriades I will give two more advices, if you don't mind. First - check out videos for other CAD softwares as well. Some tools may be different, but techniques can be universal and will allow you to understand modeling more in-depth. For example, I have never used SolidWorks, however I watch SolidWorks tutorials all the time. Second advice is - check my video on FreeCAD 'Reliability' workflow - should help you to avoid some common pitfalls

[@Paulklampeeps]

Is there any hope that shape binder will be obsolete and we will be able to reference other objects without it, also will the external geometry be able to be toggled on as a solid line ? Thanks!

[@RoadSideMaker]

Much work is done lately. It gives hope for fast growth for FreeCAD. I believe that it is possible we will see the toggle for external geometry reference/solid in FreeCAD eventually. The demonstration for that is planned in a video number 4, so stay tuned. (Spoiler - it is FreeCAD Link Branch). Shape binder are the "way" how to reference the external geometry. I don't expect it to change. However the creation of the binder can be automated - when you try to reference the external geometry, it would be created automatically. (Link Branch has that as well)

[@Paulklampeeps]

I tried the freecad link branch but I can't seem to import step files( i mean it's there in the feature tree but I can't see it) what might be the solution for that? Thanks!

[@RoadSideMaker]

@@Paulklampeeps Just imported a step file in Link Branch. There is no history to the part, because STEP does not contain it. Otherwise geometry and even color is preserved. You use File->Import command and in the tree you should see a Part object (yellow icon) and inside it a body (blue icon). Check if visibility for both is enabled.

[@hypocritical7379]

i havent had this issue with freecad before, it could be a windows issue (as always), or your dev build is way out of date (probably the latter)

[@RoadSideMaker]

I have had these issues in official releases 0.20 and 0.21. Video shows the most unreliable method of modeling interconnected parts. Next video will show the god practice and no issues.

[@hypocritical7379]

@@RoadSideMaker so software can improve, freecad is a good example of this. FreeCAD 1.0 release candidates are releasing soon, please try this test again, I think you will be surprised with how much better FreeCAD has gotten in a year

[@RoadSideMaker]

@@hypocritical7379 Fully agree, FreeCAD is improving rapidly. I am always using latest development version. Now when RC1 is live, I am testing it our as well

[@wilsonmarroquin4299]

Alibre is free???

[@RoadSideMaker]

No, it is not, but the pricing is better with the perpetual license compared to subscriptions.

[@Todestelzer]

Way better. Paying 400€ for fusion 360 every year. Only the CAM is holding me back buying Alibre design.

[@RoadSideMaker]

@@Todestelzer When I thought purchasing Fusion, they announced the price increase. It would be around 700€ per year for me. Dodged a bullet there

[@Todestelzer]

@@RoadSideMaker I had to pay 400€ this year. I think you’re getting a discount if you’re already subscribed? Checked it right now and it says 455€ next year 01/25. It says Fusion - Legacy 2024

[@RoadSideMaker]

Ye, you are getting a nice discount. I could live with 400, just checked it says 757€ for a year.