Using FreeCAD Path - 0 (Foundations)

Version 0.17 of FreeCAD introduces a completely overhauled Path Workbench. The Path workbench is a CAM tool for producing CNC g-code. Video 0 is an introduction to the concepts and ideas on which Path is built.

[@SebastianHornbaek]

6 years later, this is still a very good intro to basic concepts of CAD/CAM/CNC! Well done :)

[@jean-francoisdumais6355]

Remarkable, extremely useful series, characterised by logic, depth, precision, conciseness and intelligent, economical and efficient use of examples. Could be used as an ideal example (very hard to match!) for anyone making a video with the aim of introducing some software. Part #4 is a model in the genre. I wish every aspect of Freecad could be covered by a video of that calibre. It would become so much easier to understand, and the understanding would be so much deeper and precise. Thank you so much and congratulations !!!

[@dicelabiblia7461]

Amazing project, it benefit a lot of people like me. You made possible what we only could dream, thank you

[@marcosiccardi7956]

Thank you for this series!

[@lewishirschy3887]

Thanks for this great series on the FreeCAD Path Workbench and the useful information in the Path Prostprocessor Customization Wiki! I recently purchased a Langmuir Crossfire plasma cutter with their new FireControl software. I decided that I did not want to use Autodesk Fusion 360 (one of the software CAD packages that Langmuir suggests and furnishes postprocessors for). Langmuir supports a well-used Forum from which I learned that FreeCAD can be used with the Crossfire with an appropriate postprocessor. (Several other forum members also prefer to use FreeCAD.) A postprocessor has been developed for the older version of the Langmuir Crossfire using Mach 3 but so far a postprocessor for the newer FireControl software has not been developed. I've been working with Langmuir and several other Langmuir forum participants to write a Python postprocessor for FireControl. Langmuir has been very supportive of this effort. One issue that has come up with both Mach 3 and FireControl FreeCAD Python postprocessors is output in scientific notation for some of the gcode. FireControl needs its gcode in floating point numbers. (Seems to occur on very small, e.g., zero, and larger numbers, e.g., over 1000.) Could you provide some pointers on how to resolve this issue? Thanks

[@sliptonic]

Hi Lewis, I'm happy to help but not in youtube comments. Please post to the Path/CAM subsection of the FreeCAD forum and mention me. Attach your current version of the postprocessor.

[@lewishirschy3887]

@@sliptonic Thanks. Will do.

[@lewishirschy3887]

Have tried without success to set up an account in the FreeCAD forum so I can send you the requested information. Don't get a confirming email after setting up the account to activate it. Actually set up 2 accounts on different machines and different email accounts. Same problem on both accounts. Thoroughly checked both email accounts for receiving/sending --- both seemed to be working fine. Turned off VPN, Antivirus, etc. Requested several times that the confirming email be resent. Sent a request for help to the FreeCAD forum board administrator from both accounts but have not received any replies. The account set-up process seemed standard and straightforward. I'm probably messing something up on my end. Any suggestions? Is this the the post location you want comments and the postprocessors sent to: forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?t=20273&start=150 Looking forward to your help on the postprocessor. Thanks for the offer to help. Lewis

[@sliptonic]

@@lewishirschy3887 I've posted to the moderator section of the forum on your behalf. Once you have an account, you can create a post in the Path/CAM section. Your first post will have to be approved by a moderator before it's publicly visible but that usually happens within an hour or so. Just make sure your first post doesn't look like spam :-) forum.freecadweb.org/viewforum.php?f=15

[@lewishirschy3887]

Thanks. I'll be on my best behavior :)

[@rweait]

Really appreciate these videos. Thanks, sliptonic!

[@VladiFx]

Great explanation, thanks sliptonic!

[@tomknud]

Great introduction, thanks.

[@David-xd1ii]

Thanks a lot for your hard work

[@elganhowell1402]

Great start to my CAM experience - and thank you. What post processor is available for a Mach3 machine?

[@sliptonic]

There's a mach3_mach4 post available in the 0.19 pre-release. That said, mach3 gcode is pretty standard so the linuxcnc post will probably work

[@elganhowell1402]

@@sliptonic Thank you and your swift reply greatly appreciated.

[@philip_fletcher]

Thank you for producing this video series - I'm just starting with Path on version 0.20.1 - do you know of any changes or gotchas that I should be aware of (compared to 0.17)?

[@sliptonic]

Quite a lot has changed between 0.17 and 0.20.x. Most notably is the tool system. Check out the other videos on toolbits and don't waste your time on legacy tools. They are deprecated and will be entirely removed in the next major release.

[@philip_fletcher]

@@sliptonic Thank you - I'll look for your later videos on tools and watch them first so I know what to ignore!

[@lokapakti1548]

Sir am facing "active body" problem in 0.18 version of FREECAD pls tell how to resolve it

[@1pcfred]

I am definitely going to have to try Path out. right now my FLOSS CAD/CAM work flow is convoluted, to put it mildly. I only have FreeCAD .17_pre installed right now though. So I probably have to upgrade? Looking at file dates it appears I built it on February 2nd. I guess I'll do a git clone and try that out. Can't get much newer than that.

[@gryzman]

now maybe time to redo this video for 0.22 ? :)

[@MorningCarnival]

What benefits would I have from using Path over say Vectric Aspire?

[@sliptonic]

Aspire is good software. The product is very feature rich and has been around a long time. But it is commercial software. You pay. If they change license terms, you may pay again. If they remove feature or if there are bugs they don't want to fix, you're stuck. FreeCAD is FOSS (free open-source software). That means free of cost but also free-like-freedom. It also runs on linux, mac,and windows.

[@flypic1098]

Great. Thanks. Jim

[@ikeonyechi]

Great video, can one import 3d models and generate toolpath for it.

[@thomasneemann5618]

thank you

[@mivison]

Keep up the good work!

[@qzorn4440]

nice info... so are you part of the freecad group? it is 2021 and freecad is always on the move, should people be going to freecad-19 and will it auto windows install? thanks a lot...:)

[@sliptonic]

I'm one of the core developers. I work almost exclusively on the Path workbench. 0.19 will be formally released within the next day or two so absolutely you should be moving to it. There will be installers for linux, windows and MacOS.

[@qzorn4440]

@@sliptonic thank you so much for the update...:)

[@edwardturpin6544]

That's the largest lure I've ever seen, LOL.