FreeCAD Multiple Sketches, Datum Planes, Pockets & Holes

[@GaryParkin]

WAIT! You pulled a fast one on us. You never dimensioned the placement of the holes. But I was able to do it based on your wonderful tutorials. Thank you!!!

[@striveupward]

All of the Dr Vax videos are exceptionally well done. The "friendly", easy-going, but "excited" presentations are a pleasure to watch - and very instructional. CAD programs are inherently UNFRIENDLY; but Dr. Vax makes mastering FreeCAD very pleasant - one bite at a time. His very useful items are well chosen to be properly complex to introduce new features. Thank you very much. I also like the pip style. I appreciate that you say what you are GOING to do BEFORE you do it, and you go slowly enough so the viewer sees exactly where the mouse is pointed when an action is taken - and there is NOT wasted mouse "ramblings". Please keep up the great work. I am working on a prototype, and you have made it possible for me to make "small run", necessary components - which are NOT commercially available anywhere. Blessings.

[@finlayc]

Thank you. This is the best FreeCAD tutorial I have seen so far!

[@jimviau327]

I wish you went deep with Freecad. Your teaching is quit effective and easy to follow.

[@Elephantine999]

Your enthusiasm is infectious. :)

[@gariggs100]

Great video!! Thank you so much!! More FreeCad videos please!!

[@rodneysmith1750]

Moe, more, more, more, more Freecad!

[@MakeWithTech]

Did the PIP style work for you. If it did it is faster for me to make additional FreeCAD videos. Unfortunately KZbin does not seem to like FreeCAD videos as much as some other and they seem to get fewer views. However the viewers are quite supportive so I will try to increase the number of FreeCAD videos I produce. Feel free to goto forum.drvax.com and suggest some additional FreeCAD topics.

[@rodneysmith1750]

@@MakeWithTech Yes, the PIP worked great

[@goovangle]

Like the presentation - well explained for an intermediate subscriber - well focused screen - looking forward to more of the same

[@Kahraktar]

I've been subbed for a bit now and I just want to say thanks! Your tutorials are easy to follow and give just the right amount of information without being too in-depth/complicated. With your help I've been able to create a few simple projects so far! Love the new pip style. It feels less like I'm being read a manual and more like I'm actually being taught.

[@olenielsen5852]

+1 for that.

[@MakeWithTech]

Thanks

[@rodneysmith1750]

I've learned a lot today, and I am already subscribed. I've been moving planes around to draw on offset surfaces and also drawing on faces, no more, Datum planes for this old guy from here on!

[@MakeWithTech]

Glad I was able to help.

[@markmullins3432]

I like the information bar that pops up. This will give added instruction to people who are pushing their list of program understanding. That's a plus 1 to your score...

[@MakeWithTech]

Thanks. I really appreciate it when folks comment on the video formats as it helps me know what is working and what is not.

[@nathanperrone9081]

i just stumbled across your videos while looking for help with making my own 3Dprinted objects ... you rock!

[@marlonlyn2719]

Thank you for this video. At the point where you mention the Datum plane, and using the other coordinates and moving z-direction in order to move it back, what it sounds like is the z-direction manipulates the plane not selected. So if you use YZ_Plane, then Z-Direction will manipulate X. If you were to use XZ_Plane, then Z-Direction would manipulate Y, and finally if you use XY_Plane, Z-Direction would manipulate Z.

[@michaelluger2127]

thanks so much, and yes... always more freecad :)

[@markmongold4137]

I've always been more of a hands on learner, reading puts me to sleep in a matter of minutes. I cant express how easy you made getting started with this program. I really like your style of teaching.

[@Y-jj7yt]

WoW!! What a great educational and informative video about some of the most common and used features!! Thank you for the lection and please; keep us updated with knowledge :) Best wishes// Christoffer from Sweden

[@parrottm76262]

Very useful video. Love the PIP style presentation.

[@manojmeena1248]

You really saved my day, this helped me in designing my own enclosure for electronic projects, thanx and keep up

[@imlarry425]

I've been trying to figure out how to do sketchcentric modeling in FreeCAD 019 and this showed up at just the right time. For me, short videos that cover a specific how-to topic without a lot of deep drilling and bookmarks at specific points works really well- the non-modal PIP w/minimal post-editing that keeps the focus on the UI is a plus. Thanks for the pointers on FreeCAD (new user making parts for HO railroad and misc geek project stuff) and keeping the "DEC people do the right thing" thing going.

[@MakeWithTech]

Thanks for the comment the reference I haven't heard for years. I learned a lot my 5 years a million years ago at DEC.

[@davidhawkins4329]

I Love the way you make everything so easy to understand, Thank you so much

[@capnpete1154]

Really love your new PIP format. Thanks for all your help. Couldn't have done it without you..

[@paulg3336]

13:15 Tip: The datum plane does not have to actually be in contact with the face (e.g. 35mm) It can be offset from the face and the sketch on the plane for the holes can be pocketed across the gap and through the faces by specifying the correct pocket depth and direction. Of course, using the hole tool requires the position to be on the face to get the correct countersink

[@wiseoldfool]

Very helpful thanks Irv. The PIP style works for me.

[@kencourtney9058]

This was helpful. Thanks

[@richardh3675]

Love this production technique 👍

[@the500workshop]

Excellent video - exactly what I was looking for!

[@alheffez9623]

Loved the presentation, you on the side, just the right size. Others have commented on the size of your presentation screen, I concur that it needs to be larger or better zoomed in. Thanks for teaching us CAD

[@josecaria5948]

Very Clear and easy to understand. Thank you .

[@bobb2240]

I liked the way you did this video. I have been a subscriber for a few months now. I may buy a 3D-printer soon, keep talking.

[@MakeWithTech]

Awesome, thank you!

[@HansBaier]

Excellent! Best tutorial I have come across so far. Subscribed!

[@Aquaflier]

Just started this series, and its amazing , you really have a fantastic way of explaining. thank you for helping out us novices :D.

[@ryangrantv]

Thank you sir! You have been a huge help. Articulate, thorough and easy to follow.

[@sunilchampaneri3208]

What a simple explanation. Keep up the good work.

[@nissimcohen6811]

An excellent tutorial, Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@darrenward7355]

Excellent presentation. Thank you.

[@ladymichaelis7060]

How do you turn on and off the scetch like in 8:04 ???

[@johnbarron4843]

Space bar

[@jonathanrichards593]

Excellently paced for a not-quite learner, thanks. I was following along step-by-step and at 15:29 I felt the need to go back into Sketch003 and constrain the holes to be symmetrically placed - turns out I had snap-to-grid turned off! I think picture-in-picture adds something, and if it's easier for you then so much the better.

[@trevorbailes4835]

Thank you for teaching me , get my 3d printer tomorrow I’m addict now 😃👍👍

[@Tilardloraine]

J'adore votre façon simple et efficace. Merci!

[@MakeWithTech]

You are welcome. I am glad my English was clear for you.

[@FrankWithanF]

These are super helpful! I'm learning so much going through this playlist. Thank you @DrVax !

[@MakeWithTech]

Glad you like them!

[@larryjones6359]

Love you vids, precise, to the point, great step by step, without all the repeating over and over as Some others do Than you so much LMJ

[@martinsin9775]

Thank you very much Sir! I have learnt a lot!

[@MC-Cali]

Great video. First one I watch from you. But all waa good with the format

[@f3600]

That was very interesting. Thank you for this tutorial i'm starting to find my way in Freecad !

[@lonecel]

This is great, you should have the link to your forum in the video description.

[@WatchesTrainsAndRockets]

Thank you! I have been fighting with the Freecad bug for a couple months now. I had found a couple of posts on Reddit and elsewhere which mumbled about using a datum but none which explained the nature of the bug nor its scope and triggers.

[@marcozanfini3136]

Thanks wery mutch. Clear in all part of the video. Congratulation. Sorry for my poor english

[@k9slover]

Very good video, well explained.

[@blooskyy7]

Amazing, thanks for sharing

[@steveu235]

Thanks for the video I like this style of video Keep up the good work. תודה

[@tomknud]

Great video Irv.

[@richardp3159]

Thanks for the vid, I like the hole tool, not used it before so will be trying that instead of pockets with a chamfer!

[@AmateurBricoleur]

Very useful video!

[@berndkonemann5049]

Very good, thank you. Learned somethig. Will use it and replicate for praktising purpose. Especially the hole tool was new to me (I'm just start learning to master Freecad).

[@billieboyd4354]

Your videos are very good for beginners. There is always a learning curve with any new hobbie. Thanks for the great videos. I have been trying to find a video on making objects that are too big for the printer to split them in 2 parts and be put together. Do you cover that in a video..Thanks again.

[@dannyboy4940]

what a good teacher 👌

[@MarcusPocus]

what i would like to learn is how to creat a electronic enclosure/box using m3 stands/nuts/screws, square hole for lcd display, support for a keypad and hole for an on/off switch.. but i learn a lot with your episodes.. thanks!!

[@MakeWithTech]

My pleasure. Keep watching the channel as I expect to add about 1 video a month about freecad.

[@robt7785]

Thanks, Doc!

[@RelentlessHomesteading]

That was good -- I gotta play around with that.

[@ScrapYardDog64]

Brilliant! subbed!

[@kattkushol]

Good tips on the datum plane. Still applicable to the 0.21 version. Hope this bug will go away on its own, as it is too resilient for the developers to handle.

[@network005]

After I have viewed and paused this video, I will get it finally. I am now using ver. 20.2. Somethings are a little different.

[@indigo0086]

One good way to understand the "flat" perspective the plane has is simply press 1,2,3 etc. When you change which plan you're focusing on, they all orient themselves the same way, and thus it's local coordinates are moved in such a counterintuitive manner if you're thinking about all the planes being oriented differently at once

[@roncooper6302]

Brilliant.

[@geertvancompernolle2586]

I like this video very much, but didn't you forget to make the two holes at the end constraint?

[@boazjoe1]

Excellent

[@anthonyglaser929]

pretty cool.

[@ManiekGSF]

Hello from Poland !!! You are absolutely genius and nice guy ! Can you make a video how to add text on the box ??? Cheers !!!!

[@dadzilla7444]

Nice video mate, Can you use one sketch to help with another? I am trying to put a switch into a panel which is no problem to put the hole through but the switch has a small flange that need to sit into the bottom of the panel to stop it turning. The hole in the bottom of the panel is say 10mm from the center of the main hole. Can I link two sketches to set the points at which I need the small pockets?

[@saschaschneider6355]

Yes, you can link parts from other sketches into the current sketch and then reference them. It's best you search for FreeCAD sketches tutorials so you can see how it's done for yourself

[@MakeWithTech]

Yes you can! Look up map to external references in the Freecad docs. Here is the link: wiki.freecadweb.org/Sketcher_External

[@GeezerGramps]

Great tutorial thanks for doing it. I can’t see that your picture in the corner added anything to the video.

[@helmanfrow]

Great tutorial as usual, but will be moot after the topological naming problem fix; may it come speedily in our days.

[@T-FLoWW]

I cant complete resizing at 06:20 it gives me error after i did the symmetry which is also odd, when i click 2 points and the axis then the symmetry button, all rectangle turn orange color and dont realy make symmetry but snaps when i try to move and i cant do what u did at 06:20 after that weird symmetry, it gives error

[@2163716]

Hi. Thanks for a great lesson. Not sure if you're still monitoring this page but just a quick question in case. You create a second sketch to make the wall mount. When I tried that, it would not allow me to apply a pad. The only way I could apply a pad is by first creating a second body, then a second sketch. Has this been changed in recent versions of FreeCad or am I missing something? Please kindly explain why it allowed you to create a pad on a second sketch without first creating a second body. Thanks so much. Daniel.

[@frognot672]

Make sure the body is active. Right click on it and select active.

[@RemScanProducts]

Just starting to learn FreeCad for use with a new 3D printer. Love your videos. Very understandable. I have a project that I can't seem to get a constraint to work. I have a circuit board with a hole in each corner that sits on the bottom of a 3D box. I want to use one of the holes as a reference point for making holes on the side of the box (vertical plane) for side connectors to the circuit board. How can I tell Freecad to measure from the center of the circuit board hole to the distance to the center of a connector so I can make a hole in the box? This way if I change where the board lies in the box, the connector holes on the side of the box will follow the board. Thanks again, Maybe one of your videos already explains this. John

[@arniep740]

Thanks for this! Great explanation of how to use these tools. It seems like FreeCAD 0.20 has the same bug regarding the names changing. I thought I was doing something wrong but it seems that the error is FreeCAD. Oh well, the price is right.

[@jamesotisjr2322]

Some of us here are old. You might want to get a larger, more colorful mouse. A magnifier for the icons would also be a blessing

[@Townie001]

What format do you save in to import to a slicer?

[@dimitriczapkiewicz4238]

Nice video - you did not show how to align the holes on the last step though ~ on the datum plane... tc

[@kingkappa9916]

Great video Irv. Just wondering if you have tried any 3D scanners to make 3D models?

[@spurlte]

I followed your tutorial to the tee, but I am a newbie, and when I complete project, I validate sketches-good, I select all, I export in .amf, .obj, and .stl. I open with with Cure and it comes up but, without pockets. This is killing me.

[@MakeWithTech]

Head over to forum.make with tech.com and post a picture of your object tree and the folks there should be able to help you. My guess without seeing it is that you do not have the right body in the object tree selected when you do the export.

[@spurlte]

@@MakeWithTech I select all and export file to disk and import or open in slicer. It shows up with no pockets.

[@spurlte]

@@MakeWithTech Irv. It worked !!! I was using edit's select all and then export. This time I select Body on the tree and it works. Thank you.

[@Big_blue859]

#drvax! thanks for a nice video! I learned a lot here. happy 3d world!

[@braxtonmathas3536]

I just want to say that your videos have helped me a lot with learning CAD design. One question i do have, and I may have missed something in some of your previous videos. But anyway, how do I actually edit a saved .FCStd drawing dimensionally if I want to change say the width of a pocket or the diameter of a hole? I have designed a part that mounts on my 3D printer as a filament guide and want to change a few dimensions and I just cannot figure out how to go in and change them. Any help at all would be very much appreciated! Windows 10 FreeCAD 0.19

[@braxtonmathas3536]

Well, i feel stupid! I was looking too deeply into something that was right in front of me by right clicking the sketch and hitting edit sketch! 🤦‍♂

[@anthonyhammond9896]

I get it, I get it, only I don't, I've got my shape all padded all I need to do is hollow it out. I follow the video step by step and understand it, BUT so that I can hollow once I've selected the same XY plane, then selected 'PAD' and turn it off using space bar the whole of the padded shape disappears so there's no outline to sketch my hollowed part to. What am I missing its driving me insane?

[@anthonyhammond9896]

No problem all sorted just one little thing I was over looking doh!

[@zurichsee706]

SWEET

[@Rob_King_of_the_Plants]

Will the bug occur when you create a datum plane on a surface or only if you sketch on a surface?

[@kwc2086]

Is there a way to "easily" make threaded objects in FreeCAD?

[@debonh3828]

There's a 'fasteners' addon, which is pretty comprehensive, probably others. Freecad addons are what makes it useful.

[@kwc2086]

@@debonh3828 can that add threads to an existing part?

[@MakeWithTech]

I did notice that but I have not played with it yet. It is on my list of things to do which never gets shorter.

[@dmitryponyatov2158]

So, FreeCAD still stays in a deep alpha and can nothing to do as any CAD must be able, such as binding parametric sketches to model surfaces, and adding constraints between geometrically linked sketches?

[@alibear57]

I love your detailed and precise explanations, so rare on youtube, and thank you for taking the time to do this, I've learned practically everything about Freecad from you. But, there has to be one lol, I just can't seem to get that last bit of the dimple in the back plate, I think I've followed all your instructions, but I must be doing something wrong. One wee thing (I know I'm stupid) but could you give a deeper explanation of what you mean by 'switching on and off' the sketches & pads, please. My system doesn't seem to have that in any menu, that I can see. And I'm not following when you say "I'll just go back to my sketch", I seem to have several sketches - am I starting a new sketch on a different plane? Maybe you've already explained all this in another video, I'll just keep watching. I made my first box, thanks to your videos and I'm keen to try some more complex stuff now - like your WD40 rack.

[@geertvancompernolle2586]

Switching on and off pads, sketches and so on is done by selecting them and pressing the space bar. AFAIK, there isn't a menu item or something like that. And yes, you can for instance switch off a pad by selecting it (that is, make it highlighted by means of clicking on the item) and pressing the space bar and still switch on its sketch (by also selecting it and pressing the space bar). See the space bar as a toggling function: pressing it ones hides the selected item, pressing it again shows the selected items. Whenever an item becomes "deselected", it is greyed out.

[@yakdaymar6659]

Good

[@davidcottam7967]

hi i am trying to copy a rc hellicopter got any idea

[@massimoborghini9724]

😊👍Irv N.1

[@tublars]

You don't have to use cntrl or cmnd to select multiple points in sketch-mode.

[@francisgriffin1]

Picture in picture is much better.

[@saschaschneider6355]

Yeah, me again ;) First off, I like the video, thanks for it. I've learned about datum planes through it, something I hadn't used before. So thank you very much for it. But, always being that guy: as this isn't a beginner video it would've been better if you had named your constraints, like the holder's radius or the backplate's thickness, so that you can reference them in formulas. The way you've shown in this video results in things falling apart as soon as you change anything, which makes adapting your existing designs unnecessarily hard. You're doing maths in your head that you could let FreeCAD take care of. Like the placement of that plane or the width of the backplate. Why not just define it to be "HolderDiameter+10mm" or something to that effect? Then also name the thickness constraint and you can place the plane as "HolderDiameter/2-BackplateThickness" and stuff automatically gets adapted if you change anything

[@debonh3828]

Nice, but having usied both freecad and openscad, I'd do this in openscad, and with very little effort make it one size fits all.

[@MakeWithTech]

I understand. I also use both tools. For some people the coding paradigm of OpenScad is not a good fit.

[@saschaschneider6355]

I'd likely use OpenSCAD as well but you can make it easily modifiable in FreeCAD as well. Either base everything on a spreadsheet or name constraints along the way so that you can use them in formulas later on. For me doing both works best: basic measurements go into a spreadsheet and I name constraints as a shortcut for calculations.

[@debonh3828]

@@MakeWithTech I agree, but maybe you do the same model in openscad -- and have fun with the countersunk holes ;-) (I think I'd chop it about a bit, to save plastic.) freecad is handy to apply bevels/fillets to imported scad files, but exporting from free to open, is confusing to me, too much multimatrix, which I normally never use.

[@RelentlessHomesteading]

P-I-P Format works well - less context shifting, and I can be still looking the screen while you are talking.

[@johnjewell219]

👏👏👍😎

[@MisterkeTube]

I hate having to state this, but looking at a tutorial like this and seeing how complex it is to make something this simple in FreeCad and how I would be able to do this in Fusion 360 within 1 minute with just a few clicks, without having to think about moving "data planes" numerically in some weird direction, just making 1 profile sketch with all geometry nicely defined and then extruding the 2 volumes needed from that sketch, then just creating a new sketch on the flat part to position the holes and with the hole command getting control over those holes ... then my choice to not (yet) drop Fusion gets reinforced. I'm sure a lot is possible in FreeCad and some things (like the list of constraints and the indications on which are over-constraining or how much freedom there still is) are better than in Fusion, but in general it just takes too much headache to design something this simple in it. Ex. What if I would want the pocket for the opening to hold the can to NOT cut into the flat part, but just "touch" it? In the main Fusion sketch this would be a breeze, adding a single constraint, but in FreeCad my head already starts to hurt trying to figure out how this could be done accurately (preferably without having to enter the same dimension manually again)...

[@saschaschneider6355]

You don't actually enter any dimensions twice. Irv chose to do it this way. You can reference any previously used dimensions and you can name constraints - and you can use formulas everywhere. Irv could also have used primitives, like additive/subtractive cylinders. Creating a circle in a sketch which you then turn into a cylinder by padding the sketch is more work than you actually need to do. Like, when placing stuff you can go =Cylinder.Radius (or =Sketch.Constraints.HolderDiameter/2 if you go Irv's route and name the diameter constraint accordingly) Edit: if you rename items FreeCAD is smart enough to update references. Like renaming Cylinder to CanHolder will update =Cylinder.Radius to =CanHolder.Radius

[@MisterkeTube]

@@saschaschneider6355 I've tried moving over to FreeCad a couple of times, but never succeeded. Only allowing a single area for padding/pocketing for me just feels so much less user-friendly than the multi-purpose sketches of Fusion. And every time I then need to reference in a new sketch some line/edge or curve from either another sketch or an already existing other part then I typically end giving up as FreeCad always seems to find some reason why what I'm trying to do would not be possible. When I start in CAD, I don't know yet all dimensions of the thing I'm trying to make. I typically want to sketch the big picture and then add constraints to make all parts fall in place and then start extruding or rotating those into the third dimension - then typically multiple bodies from that one sketch. FreeCad just breakss that (I think). Yeah, it's probably me not knowing how to use FreeCad properly, but Fusion is just so much easier in my eyes - I can reference any edge, vertex, plane, part, ... with a simple click, projecting or intersecting to get stuff into the sketch. There's probably also a lot I don't know yet in Fusion, but hardly ever does it complain that something I want to do, would not be allowed. I'd love an OpenSource CAD program that would give me the same usability, since Fusion's licensing is a Sword of Damocles above my head, but as said, FreeCad just doesn't provide that usability in my eyes (yet) ...

[@saschaschneider6355]

@@MisterkeTube you normally can reference any edge or vertex by adding it using the "x" command, which creates a link to external geometry. But tools need to be compatible with your own way of thinking and sometimes things just don't work out. Like I've tried to create stuff in Blender for years and it never "clicked" for me. FreeCAD had a learning curve but it was way closer to my way of doing things so I had more success there. Sometimes you just have to realize that something just isn't for you.

[@haysoos123]

@@MisterkeTube btw the multi-purpose sketch is really a practice that's not encouraged in CAD, even though you can do it in f360. If you do this a lot without care, it can lead to models that will break easily and make more complicated models hard to manage. Generally it should be one sketch = one feature. Sure, for simple stuff it might appear to you to be 'easier' but in actuality it makes getting to fully constrained harder, and it's harder to keep track of the features or make tweaks to a feature later down the line. Also, I find a lot of f360 don't do best practices in general, like getting to full constraint on a sketch.

[@saschaschneider6355]

@@haysoos123 It's a target group thing. F360 users don't really care about best practices, they care about getting usable results in the easiest way. FreeCAD cares about being a CAD program and therefore (generally) follows best practices, which makes it harder to use but you get results of a higher quality. The question is: as a home user, do you actually need the higher quality produced? Probably not, at least not for a quick 3D printing pipeline. Once you start making things that are more complex, mote intricate, that you're going to be working on for some time, that you're going to redefine and change more than once, THEN the complexity becomes necessary

[@ynnebbenny]

Up until seeing this video, I had determined to master FreeCad. Now seeing the clunky and counterintuitive process, I have decided it's a complete dud. It could be done so much easier. I have noticed that Free Cad has lots of unusual and retarded processes. I feel sad because it really could be wonderful software with just a bit more thought given to the user process. Thanks for your videos though, I have really appreciated your enthusiasm.

[@flashcorp76]

OK…I’m 1 year late, but learning😊