Learning FreeCAD for Beginners | 38 | Modifying STEP and STL files

We learn the difference between STL and STEP files from a beginners perspective and how to modify them in FreeCAD. We demonstrate a number of examples including ones that have been downloaded from the web and created from FreeCAD. We learn how to make solids from shells, refine shapes, add gemoetry to existing STL and STEP files to modify them. Fill in voids etc.
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[@nicholasphipps4665]

this is the BEST exlanation of stl vs. step vs. freecad video ive seen. thank you for the lesson! -Cheers

[@MangoJellySolutions]

Great to hear and thank you for the feedback always good to hear people's views.

[@AlasdairDavies-h8z]

Great tutorial for converting STEP files into meshes and cleaning them up

[@MangoJellySolutions]

Glad it was helpful, thank you 👍👍

[@Ed_Downunder]

Lots of information to unscramble. Trying different approaches to get a result opens up another level of modelling. Thank you for all your hard work.

[@MangoJellySolutions]

Great to hear it was of use :)

[@louismolino8674]

Very helpful. I have always been confused about importing and using STL and STEP and which to use and what can be done with each. This clears up much of my confusion. Thank you for another excellent video. You have the best FreeCad content. Keep up the good work.

[@MangoJellySolutions]

Thank you for the kind words. I reshot the video to include the examples downloaded from the Internet as I felt it was somewhat lacking in information. I'm glad I spent that extra time in doing this now. Glad your enjoying all the videos and it's a pleasure to make them for the community.

[@russellwilliams2898]

Thanks!

[@MangoJellySolutions]

Thank you so much for the donation.

[@zacharyoswald4264]

very helpful demo, thank you!

[@russellw5447]

Handy stuff to know, you can modify appropriately.

[@scorpioo4320]

this has been very helpfull , thank you

[@martinxp2535]

Another useful tool in my tool bag ! Thanks!

[@MangoJellySolutions]

Glad to help 😊

[@Sembazuru]

Starting at 23:44, for removing that slot as with everything else in FreeCAD there is another way using a 3rd party workbench. Specifically, I'm referring to the Defeaturing workbench. Just as an FYI.

[@imJGott]

Good tutorial! I needed this because I’m trying to remix two files to build a hinge between the two.

[@MangoJellySolutions]

Glad it was helpful and came just at the right time :)

[@K_Shea]

This dang sure is not for beginners but I do envy your experience.

[@jmmatas08]

I like a lot this video. Than you, it is very useful for me

[@MangoJellySolutions]

Thank you 😊

[@briansrcadventures1316]

Good video, thank you! At the moment I'm using Blender to edit STL file, but it certainly looks like FreeCAD will be more useful!

[@MangoJellySolutions]

Glad you enjoyed, hope it helps with making it a bit easier.

[@SpaceMarshalGyorni]

I would absolutely love a version of this video that deals with large assemblies, of which I may only want to modify a specific part. I've run into a plethora of problems with this, especially with trying to export or modify parts that are attached far, far off the origin of some obscure coordinate system which I'm not even sure where it belongs to.

[@PandorusFightStick]

great video, been watching alot of your content, very helpfull!! 1 question, can you change dimesion on the original slf at all? have a file that i need to reduce the overall dimesions

[@MangoJellySolutions]

Glad you have been enjoying. In the draft workbench there is a clone tool. I have never tried this with a mesh but after you use the tool in the properties of the clone there is a scale. Give that a go.

[@derekdepauw964]

Good day. Thank you for your video. I'm newer to freecad and wondering how to examine and adjust sketch dimensions, or if it is possible?

[@MangoJellySolutions]

Hi, welcome to freeCAD :) You can change the sketch dimensions by double clicking on the sketch in the treeview to enter and then double clicking on the dimension text in the sketch to open up and edit the dimension. Hope that helps

[@andik2329]

Beginner here. Great video, as always. My Question: how do you edit the size of an object? Let's make it longer or wider.

[@MangoJellySolutions]

Glad you enjoyed. If you just want to change the size of the step file you could use the draft workbench clone feature. The clone has a scale option where you can aplly a scaling along the different axes.

[@andik2329]

Thanks for the fast reply. I couldn't find a video about changing dimensions.

[@dewaldtpretorius2352]

Great video, thank you. I have downloaded a step file which I can add holes to by following your steps. I also want to "Fold a wall" using the sheet metal wb. I draw a single straight line along a flat surface, select the surface and then the sketch, click fold a wall, and the operation always fails. Is it even possible to use the sheet metal wb on an imported step file? Any tutorial out there that I can follow? Thank you.

[@TheScotsalan]

At timestamp 21, when you want to drag a part from one part to another body, but have to drag it outside first, thats a mega hair tear out detail 😂. I made a mistake yesterday where I had a sketch that took ages to do, but I had sketched it outside a body. I was at it for hours, how to attach it into a body to revolve it. In the end, I just resketched it. 😂

[@MangoJellySolutions]

I feel your pain, the amount of time I have done this and ended up shouting at the screen, then realized, yep have to drag it outside first! Always catches me.

[@TasosX]

Very helpful video but when I export as a step file, do you know how I can reduce it in size so that I can send it by email?

[@lilnay2K12]

Hey Jelly, what if want to change the size or dimensions of a pre-existing design or body

[@TheEdmaster87]

I was wondering about the same thing. I think we need to take out that part you want to modify out of the assembly, create a body, create a new sketch, adjust to whatever dimensions you want, and then redefine. But I might be wrong..

[@yxcvmk]

I experience it too, that FreeCad is becoming very slow with STL-files. But why? My CPU-cores are all far away from 100%, currently ~15%, GPU@2%, but the computing in FeddCAD takes forever... Is there an explanation? Memory is quite full, but only@80%

[@benzpinto]

whats a mesh and whats a shell and whats a solid? what are their purposes? i know a solid is the object that you can edit in freecad.

[@pellcorp]

Did not realise freecad could do this, goodbye tinkercad!

[@MangoJellySolutions]

Glad I could help 😊

[@Mr99ZK]

I find editing an stl file in FreeCAD to be extremely slow and annoying. Even after it is converted to a solid and a sketch is created, every operation is very slow and I have an I5 processor with 8GB of RAM. I would think that would be enough. I have FreeCAD 0.21. I will probably stick with using OpenSCAD to modify an stl as it is light-years faster than FreeCAD. Creating a object from scratch in FreeCAD works fine, but importing, converting and modifying an stl with a sketch is extremely slow. Either that or I am doing something wrong. I followed the following steps. 1. Part → Create a shape from mesh provide 0.01 resolution 2. delete original STL/mesh (I just hid this) 3. select the part and then Part → Convert to solid 4. delete the previous shape (I just hid this) 5. Part → Create a copy → Refine shape 8. select new refined shape. Part Design → Create Body . this will also add base feature 9. At this point we can create a new sketch and work on our model just like normal.

[@fooballers7883]

A nice one...Txs

[@MangoJellySolutions]

Thank you