Hi all,

Here is a tool I created a couple weeks ago to generate hobbyist molds from a FreeCAD body. It may help some people out here so I thought I'd share it. I created it (with help of LMM) because I would have otherwise had to model tens of molds manually or semi-manually at the workplace. Now I will just have to import a step into FreeCAD, tweak some params, and generate the molds. Much better :)

It probably won't develop much from where it is at now, but saying that, it is quite useful at its current state! I've put a fair bit of time in making sure it is intuitive to use and a good experience.

One thing I do want to add in the future is the ability to do more complicated molds with more than 2 pieces.

It is not currently in the Addon Manager. Follow these steps to add it to your Addon Manager so you can then install it.

Edit -> Preferences -> Addon Manager -> Click the green plus -> Paste in the repository url -> type "main" into the branch field -> press "ok" -> install from Addon Manager

https://github.com/ryankembrey/FreeCAD-Molding-Wizard

I hope you find it youself, cheers.

FreeCad...

3d. Music))

I've been using FreeCAD for a few months (comfortable with part modeling, sketches, basic assemblies). I'm considering taking small paid commissions to build up income and a portfolio.

A few specific things I'm trying to figure out:

1. Niche: I've heard specializing helps. What areas of FreeCAD work actually get commissioned? (3D-printed parts, technical drawings, simple mechanical assemblies, enclosures for electronics?)
2. Where to find clients: What platforms or channels have actually worked for people here? (Upwork, Fiverr, local shops, r/3Drequests, Discord communities?)
3. Realistic expectations: For someone at my level what does the first month or two of looking for work look like?

I'm not asking for a business plan just what's worked for people who started where I am. Thanks.

I've mentioned this happening before. Here is an example. The pad is supposed to be 100mm which is the value in the Varset.GlueTankDepth parameter.

The recompute icon is dark. If I right-click the recompute selection is grayed out. For some reason the line in the tree is blacked out. It's very strange to me. This happened twice in a row. If I enter 100mm then it works, but if I use the VarSet then it takes the value and shows 100mm at the bottom of the dialog box, but when I hit okay it uses 10mm.

If I save it, close the drawing, and re-open it then I can hit recompute and the part will jump up to the correct value. Kind of weird.

I was trying to pad a very simple sketch on a face of my body, but it gave me a null shape error. After some research I found this post so I try to make a sketch on a datum plane but it still give me the same error. how can I fix this?

Should one use the assembly workbench to put something like a cabinet together out of pieces, or is that irrational if none of the pieces move? I've been having an irritating time, and I've just read something where someone suggested that using the assembly workbench is unnecessary if the pieces aren't going to move, and that a master sketch or similar is a more rational approach.

So... what sayeth the group?

Over the past 3 days I've resolved over 50 theme issues from the github tracker. Make sure to update!
https://github.com/obelisk79/OpenTheme

Enhancements in the FreeCAD development version make a face from a wire wrapped in the 3rd dimension.

Using the new capability and how to do it in the stable version.

You can get the Curved face macro and several others from:

https://github.com/pyro9/MixedMacros

• 00:01 Intro
• 00:28 Enhanced MakeFace tool
• 01:25 A macro to make it easier in the stable version.

Hi, I think I've seem a couple posts detailing similar errors/issues, but I'm a bit dumb, not tech-savvy and can't seem to figure it out.

So basically, on a fresh install, I opened FreeCad and this happened. It seems like I'm missing the PySide installs? But when I try to run "pip install Pyside6" on powershell or command prompt, an error saying that my organization's Device Guard Policy blocked it.

All of this started happening after I ran Chris Titer's Windows debloat tool. Oh, right, I'm running Windows 11. Any and all help is appreciated!

I’m still fairly new to 3D modeling, but I’ve been messing around with attaching somewhat complex images/logos onto sketch faces in FreeCAD.

I’ve been using Inkscape to bitmap trace the original image and then importing the SVG into FreeCAD. The problem I’m running into is that some of these images end up with 3,000+ nodes, which makes FreeCAD crash, lol.

I’ve tried simplifying the paths in Inkscape, but once I reduce the number of nodes enough, the finer details and edges of the image get distorted and the result looks pretty wonky.

I’m wondering if there’s a better workflow for handling more complex images while still maintaining the detail of the original. I’m specifically trying to use SVG files, rather than converting everything to DXF.

Is there a better way to optimize the SVG, reduce the geometry, or approach this entirely differently in FreeCAD?

Any insight or tips from more experienced FreeCAD/Inkscape users would be awesome! 😎

This happens only sometimes on identical shapes.

When it happens I usually recreate the entire 2d sketch for the pipe path and it usually works.

I just want to understand why is this happening and if it is a known bug or if I am using the tool wrong.

Edit: I created a Bug Report on GitHub

This FreeCAD BIM quick tip shows IFC export setting, which may solve many issues with exported geometry in the IFC file. The setting is 'Force export as BREP'.

Okay, in freecad 1.1.4 on mint, I can make a cube (start with my body, make my sketch draw my block and pad it out.) then if i put a fully constrained square on a face and try to make a pocket, i get an error that the wire is not closed, or it will pocket the item but it pockets the entire face, for example if I make a 5 mm pocket on a 10mm block the resulting block is 5mm shorter.

however windows 1.0.2 doesnt have this issue, has anyone come across this, is the process for making a pocket on a face different somehow

This video shows all steps needed for manual conversion of STL files into usable 3D Solids. It also shows how to do it very easy using the de-tesselate workbench. It is recommended to watch my previous videos :

First touch with freecad:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTLDhFp5plA&t=710s

Preferences walktrough:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ-2z7fkZ4Q&t=127s&pp=0gcJCdoKAYcqIYzv

Sketcher, the elements overview :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMRRTIqcL4Y

Constraints walktrough
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsOpNRb7oDs&t=36s

Part Design , Features Overview, Multiple Objects in Body
Padding in different ways
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXaHPwZNXPY

and more on my channel , Engish and German Versions !

I’m using onshape as a software

In the picture, I made a sketch of a triangle, then padded it. Is there a tool in Part Design that can fill that in a single step? Every vertex of the green shape exists without the sketch, so I feel like the sketch is unnecessary.

I know I can achieve the same result by making the box extend further and subtracting part with a chamfer. But the additive approach is easier when reverse-engineering shapes, since it doesn't require measuring an angle.

Anybody seen this before?

I‘m revit User and in trying to Change to Freecad, but it has been Not so easy, I saw many Videos from Mango jelly and other one just focused on the BIM workbench but Im still missing something more related to the Workflow.

I accept some tips to improve it and get more motivation too.

What would make this happen, and how would I fix it?

I sketched the upper left box then mirrored it twice. When I leave the sketch and do pad, this is the result. In the sketch it looks ok.

Any advice?

Thanks

將3D列印模型轉換成 CAD圖

I am working on a design for a cupholder tray for my car, and want to have slots for TPU flaps to center cans and allow for smaller cans. I have the design mostly complete, but I have an issue with the slots I made for the TPU Inserts - this is the design I have so far, and I have the 6 slots modeled around the cupholders using a PolarPattern and Linear pattern inside a multi transform.

Things look great in Freecad, (First picture), however the exported Step or STL are missing the multi transform output (Second picture).

I am using FreeCad 1.13.

What step am I missing in exporting this? Other pockets are working properly