FreeCAD for Beginners #67 ten more tips for using FreeCAD 1.0

[@hopelessnerd6677]

Freecad is an order of magnitude better than it was just a year ago. Thanks to all the Freecad team! It's basically caught up with the other popular packages. I can hardly wait for the 1.0 stable release! Thanks for showcasing these great features. I didn't know they even existed.

[@Adventuresincreation]

I agree, it's coming on in leaps and bounds!

[@bob-atl]

Great new features, thanks to all responsible for their selfless efforts..

[@Adventuresincreation]

I agree, the devs have really excelled on this release.

[@BobWidlefish]

Time for me to upgrade. As a novice these new features are life changing!

[@Adventuresincreation]

I agree, as long as you don't want to go back.

[@BobWidlefish]

@@Adventuresincreation nope. I’ve only ever used 0.21 and the things added/fixed in 0.22 are basically all things I struggled with being a first time user to CAD. My needs are basic enough I don’t lose anything committing myself to the bleeding edge, even if I have to try a few builds before I find one that’s stable enough for my primitive workflow. Honestly these changes seem like they might shift CAD from being a chore to being a bit fun. The UI / workflow in 0.21 seems a bit needlessly tedious to me, and 0.22 added a bunch of new features that would clearly help that for how I use it.

[@Adventuresincreation]

@@BobWidlefish Excellent, let the fun begin!

[@wimwiddershins]

Great stuff, c'mon Freecad! I use Solidworks at work and theyve put a lot of work into sketching. Freecad still has easier thread and gear generating tools. These new features push Freecad further ahead.

[@Adventuresincreation]

Good to hear

[@decibelgeorge]

After battling with part intergration into sketches, I found your video so helpful. Stick to Sketcher!. Thank you very much for your slow an easy way of explaining and doing.

[@Adventuresincreation]

You are welcome! 😁

[@billstoner5559]

New function features are fantastic. Navigating the new toolbars is a challenge, but just muscle memory to train. Multiple solids in one body should help reduce steps. And of course, solving the auto correction parametric sequencing issue is awesome. Thanks for sharing your research with us. Well appreciated.

[@Adventuresincreation]

It's great stuff, does take a little bit of getting used to but I just went back to the current version for something today and it's surprising how quickly you switch. I missed all the new features.

[@DanAz617]

Excellent, I have been putting off designing too complex things, this unlocks the floodgates!

[@Adventuresincreation]

I agree

[@andy.puempel]

Excellent walk through of the new sketcher features. Thanks for sharing.

[@Adventuresincreation]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@JohnDoe1999-lg7mh]

FreeCAD is looking way better now. I should be able to switch over to it for all my work. I do most of my stuff in an older version of SketchUp 2021.

[@Adventuresincreation]

It's definitely come a long way

[@erwinkooi6669]

Multiple solids in a body! 🎉

[@Adventuresincreation]

Yeah, and as many as you like 👍

[@LeandroSehnemHeck]

why is it important? what does this feature improve?

[@Adventuresincreation]

@@LeandroSehnemHeck This allows you create things that may need multiple solids and some stage in the modeling process. I just used it for a parametric Gridfinity base

[@bob-atl]

@@LeandroSehnemHeck Work flow is simplified & improved, don't need to switch between Part and Part Design workbenches as in the past.

[@Paddington2000]

Awesome 👍

[@Adventuresincreation]

😃

[@Adventuresincreation]

😃

[@jeromeweaver809]

Great!

[@Adventuresincreation]

Thanks!

[@GDub1958]

Very Handy Tips, from someone well versed in other Design Software Packages and couldn't wait until FreeCAD started offering the real time saver features! All of "Us Newbies" haven't even noticed what we were missing, right? Have you used the new Assembly WB included in 0.22 yet? I need someone good with how to use all the different "Joints" offered and explain the do's and don't... Thanks G_Dub

[@Adventuresincreation]

Thanks G_Dub, I have used the assembly workbench. I have to admit it's not as intuitive as I had hoped but it's a step in the right direction. I will be creating a video on that too.

[@redheadsg1]

8:53 I didn't know that they actually included offset tool. Neat. 10:09 It would be even better if you select which parts of sketch to extrude, just like in Fusion 360. We are getting closer to use only 1 sketch to do multiple extrudes into different direction.

[@Adventuresincreation]

That is a cool fusion feature

[@FPV777]

It just spares a ton of time. Unbelievable. finally 😮

[@Adventuresincreation]

Yep

[@FPV777]

I switch to this version just right now 😀👍👍👍

[@Adventuresincreation]

Good idea 💡

[@sevagjb]

thanks ❤

[@Adventuresincreation]

You're welcome!

[@Pixelwaster]

Can you send the multiple solids (in one body) to the CAM bench to then machine - lase - plasma - cut - etc. ?

[@Adventuresincreation]

Good questions, I haven't tried that yet but I am working on finishing my enclosure for my CNC router, once that is done, I expect to putting the CAM workbench through it's paces and will definitely try the multiple solids in there too.

[@jwatkins672012]

Can you switch to different shapes within the rectangle command using the m key like polyline command switches between line and arc?

[@Adventuresincreation]

No, not yet.

[@thependulum9005]

How do I make a sphere cam with four groves so it can be rotated by a ring or a disc when it tilts?

[@Adventuresincreation]

Do you have a picture of what you want to model?

[@thependulum9005]

No, sorry its fine anyway, I'm using Shaper3d. The cam design needs some work, but I think with the right mechanism it might work.

[@MarkMorgen]

I couldn't find 1.0 anywhere for download in the US. Is that pending for us? It looks like they've made some fantastic improvements!

[@Adventuresincreation]

1.0 is not released yet, the dev version 0.22Dev is the feature freeze for 1.0 - Download that and you have everything that will be in 1.0

[@jamesrivettcarnac]

It loss like a or of the ease of use features from other programs are all being added

[@Adventuresincreation]

It is getting better, there are still bugs but it's very usable for real design.

[@Bluetarp17]

I have hundreds of files created in older versions of FreeCad such 0.20. Will I be able to open and work on these files in 1.0?

[@michaelcummings7246]

Should be able to bring them in no problem just if you try using any of the new features the files will be converted to only work with new version so might want to work from copy instead of original just in case something breaks.😉

[@Adventuresincreation]

Yes, you can open older files but, you can't go backwards. Once you work on them in the newer version you won't be able to work on them in the older version.

[@Adventuresincreation]

Spot on!

[@hopelessnerd6677]

Make sure the first thing you do after you open the old file that you do a "refresh" and save the file under another name, or you will be confused as to why things don't work the way you think they should. Don't ask how I know...

[@Bluetarp17]

@@hopelessnerd6677 Thanks Hopeless! Advice noted and appreciated!

[@maks223]

is this possible to edit part in assembly view? like in Inventor? I mean I can see whole assembly but I am editting one part

[@Adventuresincreation]

I don't thinks so

[@rlajordan]

Can FreeCAD use Excel to drive designs??

[@Adventuresincreation]

Unfortunately not.

[@Bob-el3iw]

👏👏👏

[@Adventuresincreation]

:-)

[@FPV777]

It look like this version is actually stable version of freecad 😂😂😂 and all precious versions until 0.21 - was like beta or even alfa dev versions.

[@Adventuresincreation]

It's definitely a big leap