FreeCAD Tutorial: Modeling a Bike Fork with Tips for Clean and Accurate Models in FreeCAD 0.20.1

This FreeCAD tutorial is designed for slightly advanced users and covers the process of modeling a bike fork using FreeCAD version 0.20.1. Our practical example includes valuable tips and tricks from our experience with the software, guiding you through the process of creating clean, accurate models while avoiding common mistakes. Whether you're a seasoned FreeCAD user or just starting out, this tutorial will provide you with the insights and techniques you need to take your 3D modeling to the next level.
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[@jeremysutton22]

I've learned more in the first 12min of this video than in an entire semester of college

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Nice then I guess the video is helpful! ;)

[@NewRetroRepair]

Today I learned I've been using FreeCAD wrong. Great guide and well explained. I'm glad I've found your channel!

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Thank you very much! If you like my channel feel free to share it wherever you want to!

[@davidhawkins4329]

I found a lot of ways to solve problems that I encounter, Thanks for a very well explained tutorial.

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Thank you, David!

[@nikosgewrgiou338]

What a great tutorial. Your mistakes where very very usefull. Very good practise not removing them from your video. Thnx alot

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Thank you for your positive feedback! I'm glad to hear that you found my tutorial helpful, and that you appreciated my approach of leaving my mistakes in the video as a teaching tool. I believe that showing how to fix mistakes is a valuable learning experience, as it helps viewers understand not just how to create a model, but also how to troubleshoot and problem-solve when issues arise. I'm glad that this approach was helpful for you. Thank you for watching my video!

[@ddlsmurf]

I specially enjoyed your fixing mistakes live, and forewarnings. Incredibly pedagogic. Thank you !

[@Atropos148]

Thank you for showing how external topology work, for using points from other sketches in a new sketch. That was one of the biggest things I didn't understand about Freecad

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Glad you learned something from the video!

[@paulreader1777]

Excellent video! This will give me some further information for conducting my face-to-face training.

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Great!!

[@JonnyD000]

This is great! Definitely need more advanced content and tips like this on KZbin, thank you!

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Glad you like the content!

[@hedwigleemans6249]

well done - i have been working with Freecad for a year and you helped me avoid some of the pitfalls that i kept on tumbling into - as you know there are still many around... ps some of the functions (V3) do not work, too many fillets in one go made it fall flat on its face too.. at least on my mac.

[@mechaform]

Outstanding methodology. Excellent tutorial.

[@TechieSewing]

Glad to see you back! I've started with your tutorials some 15 months ago (there is a comment under a lego brick video to prove it), and now I'm glad to see I already knew almost everything you show in this video. Never thought of using Wireframe to select edges, good point! And never coloured separate faces either. Sketching in the natural scale is a good tip too, don't let the solver a chance to turn the curves into crossed loops by drastically changing the size 🤣

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Quote: "don't let the solver a chance to turn the curves into crossed loops by drastically changing the size" That's exactly the key point. The FreeCAD sketch solver unfortunately does not yet support intelligent scaling of sketches.

[@dtaggartofRTD]

Placing sketches on the base planes and offsetting them seems to work well too. The TNP is a landmine for a lot of learners. Most tutorials are for objects simple enough to be unlikely to exhibit it. Glad to see a tutorial actually address it.

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Yes absolutely, I worked with a Datum Plane here because my plan was to place more than one sketches on it and so I only have to offset the plane and not each sketch separately. Unfortunately I forgot to place the 2nd sketch correctly, this made the process probably a little less clear than I planned.

[@dtaggartofRTD]

@@FreeCADAcademy makes sense. If nothing else a good way to show how to change the foundation of a component.

[@TechieSewing]

I still prefer datum planes because they are more clearly visible. At least while watching the videos; for my own projects I often forget :)

[@federicolopezbervejillo7995]

That was great, very clear explanation. Glad you make some minor errors, it helps to see how you deal with them. Nice video!

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Didn't do these errors on purpose but I leave them in the video to show you a) that I am also human and b) how to deal with errors. :D

[@osobeltz]

Nice, a very complete tutorial.

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Thank you!

[@chriskeeble]

Another superb tutorial. Perfect level of information for me after watching your beginner tutorials and doing exercise #1 and #6. Thank you again!

[@FreeCADAcademy]

You're welcome my friend!

[@BenVonHandorf]

Thank you! As a relative newcomer to FreeCAD this was hugely helpful. I took quite a few notes and learned quite a bit!

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Great to hear. While I didn't aim at a newcomer level actually I think the video still can help with some hints.

[@BenVonHandorf]

@@FreeCADAcademy Yes, seeing your approach and explanation taught me the why behind several things I'd read about.

[@mbarton98]

I found your tips really useful, especially not referencing the padded objects, but always going back to the sketch. My challenge now is dealing with solids I created in the part workbench in order to extrude an SVG imported path and constrain that to an object create in Part Design with a sketch. I hacked my way through using the transform to move one solid onto the other and that was sufficient to export as an amf file to 3D print, but there must be a better way I need to learn about. Anyway, I found your video easy to follow and understand.

[@j1000a]

I just finished creating my first complicated model, and of course ended up with a bunch of questions on the proper way to do things since there are so many improper ways available. Your video may be the best I've seen at answering all the questions that came up. Great job!

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Thank you for your positive feedback! I'm thrilled to hear that my video was helpful in answering your questions about creating your first complicated model in FreeCAD. As with any new software, there can be many different approaches to achieve the same result, but it's important to learn the best practices and proper methods for efficient and effective modeling. I'm glad that my video was able to provide guidance and answers to your questions. If you have any further questions or feedback, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to help. Thank you for watching and I wish you continued success in your FreeCAD modeling endeavors!

[@NirreFirre]

Great tutorial! As others have said, most other video tutorials don't get into the more involved geometry, full house modeling or similar where one pretty quick get into issues. A minimal example, using the BIM or Arch WB and the window tool, the default "Hole depth" is shown as 0 but in use, it is way larger, punching holes in any back walls when creating windows and doors. Solution in a thread over at the forums wasn't that easy to Google. I think a similar video like this one, but "model you own house" in the Arch/BIM/Draft workbenches would be great. Getting into problems and solving/adjusting way of working is a powerful teaching technique Just did a small support donation, the FC community need more of your teaching skills

[@mitri5389]

Glad to see a new video

[@louiel8711]

Great video, very helpful thank you. I look forward to more lessons.

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Thanks Louie!

[@williamvangundy3358]

I appreciate showing keystrokes on your screen capture. It makes it much easier to follow along.

[@marshalashif2363]

Excellent tutorial! I have learned many new things from it.

[@FreeCADAcademy]

cool.

[@braindeadbzh]

Thanks, I'm learning a lot.

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Happy to hear this!

[@mattw7949]

Great Video. Thank you for doing this. I've been designing and 3d printing some modular spice racks for my kitchen and recently had my model blow apart on me. I'm going to start over using your very good tips.

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Good luck and happy CAD!!

[@jimbooth2010]

Very nice tutorial. Learned a lot.

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Thanks a lot, Jim!

[@AXDIJERG]

Thank you for such an awesome video Flowie, I learned a lot from you especially the descriptive comments that you make?

[@FilterYT]

Thanks, that was great.

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Glad you liked it!

[@jlecomte0719]

So many great tips! Thank you!

[@FreeCADAcademy]

you're welcome, Glad you like it.

[@44mod]

Great video and I love the tips. The only one I could not get to work was the v3 at the 25.45 ish point in video. I am using Windows 10 could be the problem. Moving the shape to the datum plain took me a wile to figure out to, but I finally did. Thank you for showing how to change something that was wrong and making it wright. You get a thumbs up and I am subscribed. Thanks and God Bless

[@oil_lord]

great video

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Thanks

[@yash1152]

12:50 use sketch objects to reference - aah, small subtle detail but can add a lot to stability. nice.

[@oakld]

Instead of making an array in the sketch, you could use Multi Transform Array and in there Linear pattern and then Mirror. I think it's a helpful tutorial for beginners, though 👍

[@ChazmillsADLT]

18:35 that was pretty easy!!!!!

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Do you agree?

[@madaniasurat7780]

thank you good

[@FreeCADAcademy]

no problem!

[@esphilee]

I use a 3Dsketch as layout and mainly sketch on datumn plane, and some reference planes if necessary even when I am using Solidworks.

[@jeffreysmick821]

Thank you for very informative video. I agree with other comment that most demos are so simple that real world problems never develop in them. So thanks for doing something more complicated and including mistakes. Question: I noted with interest your discouraging the use of faces for sketches and planes. What do you think of using a shape binder for positioning a plane? TIA

[@FreeCADAcademy]

Very good question. To be honest I don’t know right now if I would suggest it. Haven’t used shape binders in a while and I often forget that they exist because they’re uncommon in other cad programs. But if I remember correctly, I found shape binders quite useful. Maybe ask in the FreeCAD forum for more input or read the documentation. Best regards

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

It's wild that it's called the "topological naming problem", because the problem is the topology does not have names, everything is referenced by an index number that can change.

[@maxi5300]

Very good exercise!!! I had the problem that the third sketch did not allow me to extrude it, I had to move it 0.01 in Y because otherwise it would give me an error (Since it was not in contact with the body). Greetings from Argentina.

[@mcjiprock]

Thanks, this was extremely clear and helpful. Also, where can we follow the progress on the body part sketching problem?

[@argus5323]

Nice job... thank you for doing these... I'm new to using cad and want to use this for CFD flow analysis on an airplane... if freecad has upgraded that since some other video I would be interested in your approach to it.... the Velocity XL or the Velocity Twin is what I would be interested in...

[@FreeCADAcademy]

sounds like an interesting suggestion for new videos!

[@MichaelCampbell01]

Nice; learned a few things. Is the Topo issue ever going to be solved?

[@FreeCADAcademy]

They plan to solve it with the next FreeCAD version. That's what I have heard from some developer. But I don't take responsibility for this information :D seems to be a hard thing to properly solve

[@cobelali]

Very nice tutorial. I have a couple of questions. Is there a drawback if you use constraint preserving fillet instead of regular fillet? Is there an easy way to locate open loops? I followed you step by step, but I can't pad the sketch due to "wire not closed" condition.

[@six1free]

great video, will definetly be re-watching as I have these problems... you make sketcher look so easy :D I'm learning for 3d printing, and having a problem doing the simple operation of trimming bits from an STL file - my most succesful ways have been importing as a mesh and then using planes and solids to remove but it tends to destroy the object and exponentiates the faces. in your next video could you import an STL and interact with it in sketcher? if not, could you briefly describe how in reply?

[@FreeCADAcademy]

FreeCAD is probably not the easiest tool for STL editing. Especially not for beginners. I don't say it's impossible but it's a little bit more work and you should have a solid FreeCAD knowledge. I'd suggest trying Tinkercad for this.

[@six1free]

@@FreeCADAcademy fair enough, thanks for the answer - and yes, that's what I've been using :D unfortunatly it limits the number of polygons and I'd like to work on things that are a little more complex

[@six1free]

@@FreeCADAcademy I guess I'll search for videos of freecad working with stl and see what comes up

[@yash1152]

26:22 is there a way to somehow relate or group those "features" (here, pins) so that selecting one will show option of select others too? (for appying fillet) how do other CAD systems deal with such repetitive selections?

[@FreeCADAcademy]

In other cad software just use a pattern for the pin and the fillet - I will demonstrate this soon in my upcoming solid edge videos

[@flare7437]

How do you spin it around? I can only press the arrows in the top right

[@JonnyD000]

Let's say you wanted to make the shaft aluminum and the fork steel, and schedule the weight of the overall part how would you apply the material and schedule that?

[@FreeCADAcademy]

then you'd better model these two as separate parts in my opinion and assemble them

[@radionut4422]

At about 10:30 you offset the datum plane -30 in the Z direction. I saw that it was on the face you would have used, but to me it seemed it was at +30 in the Y direction. I have had to use trial and error when I offset a plane because it never was the direction I thought it should be. To me, a XZ plane means every point on the plane has the same Y coordinate and for this plane after it is offset that Y coordinate would be +30. Please explain why the offset was -30 in Z direction.

[@FreeCADAcademy]

the offset in Z is always perpendicular/normal to your plane. so it's a LOCAL coordinate system of the plane and it has nothing to do with your GLOBAL coordinate system. hope this helps

[@radionut4422]

@@FreeCADAcademy Thanks for that answer! So it would always be a Z offset since a plane has infinite X&Y

[@FreeCADAcademy]

@@radionut4422 exactly. So to offset X or Y wouldnt make any sense, as rotation around Z wouldnt make any sense either. A plane can be rotated around its local X and Y plane and offset in Z direction

[@yash1152]

1:26 windows 10 yayyy!!

[@demirmahir]

Please leave out basic skatching tools, constraints and what they do and how they should be applied next time you're creating, as you said it, a more advanced FreeCAD video. Advanced users should know that and are looking to get to another level. Things like "you can create a new document by clicking the New button" and "go to the Part Design workbench" should definitely be left out as well. There is too much FreeCAD begginer stuff on KZbin, it seems like it's easiest to create and everybody is jumping on that ship. What is lacking are advanced design approaches, workflaws, etc. I gave up on this video after 5 min. because I don't need another video where constraints are explained.