19/03/21 (18:36) I. Getting started I.1. Preliminary I.1.a Installation ✔ Installation (version 0.19 in October 2020): see this page. • Warning, there has been a big change between version 0.16 and version 0.17: videos or explanations concerning 0.16 may no longer be valid from version 0.17. • Under Linux Debian, the version from the official Freecad repositories does not work correctly and I replaced it with the version from thesite FreeCad, which is in fact an app- Image and does not require any installation (except to make the file executable). You have to start it with something like: App-Images / FreeCAD_0.18_xxxxxxx.AppImage ✔ At random from the videos concerning FreeCad, I encountered the use of two software which can be interesting in other fields: • Simple screen recorder: Screen capture software to make videos Under Debian, there is also RecordMyDesktop , Vokoscreen • Key-mon : to show on the screen how the mouse and keyboard are used I.1.b First essential contact ✔ A very good page (in French) which explains the interface well, and which connects in particular to this page clearly explaining the various navigation modes (see in particular the touchpad). ✔ Then you can watch some videos and alternate with the "references" part. ✔ An interesting page explaining the philosophy of construction of objects, especially the part entitled "Methodology for editing functions". ✔ Optionally, see how to customize the interface as well as the toolbars. I.1.c FreeCAD and other CAD software ✔ To retrieve Fusion 360 projects • It is said on this page to go through a STEP export / import. • I also met cadexchanger which has a free evaluation version but I did not look further…. • In this video, we see how to transform a mesh object into a body! ✔ On this pagethere is a post that talks about other similar software and in particular Solvespace, which seems to be preferred by author Back to Table of Contents 1 19/03/21 (18:36) I.2. General I.2.a To start, some videos with version 0.19 ✔ A beginner exercise (with 0.19) using theworkshop PartDesignas well as circular symmetries and repetitions. ✔ A simple exercise (with 0.19) with PartDesign around the revolution and the creation of second body. ✔ An example using a spreadsheet (workshop Spreadsheet) to configure an object. : a good reflex! I.2.b A good series of videos in French The following series of videos is from the CAD Printer site. ✔ It is very interesting but dates from 2016/2017 and in the intro video, we see that it uses version 0.16; So be careful because there were big changes between 0.16 and 017. ✔ But personally I didn't see any incompatibility. Modulo the previous remark, it is a very good introduction to FreeCAD, and we can watch these videos one after the other. I have extracted a few of them below, the strengths of which I highlight, but this is a very personal choice. ✔ An interesting video concerning the settings of FreeCAD as well as the description of the functions and icons used to work on sketches. ✔ A nice example of a surface of revolution (icon ) also showing how we can use an axis of revolution different from the axes of the coordinate system. ✔ A video (interesting even if the beginning is a bit long) on how to use an external geometry (icon ) and explaining some associated pitfalls. ✔ A video on how touse symmetry and repeat functions : icons , , , etc. ✔ A video on rounding, chamfer and undercuts ✔ A very good video introduction to the Part workshop. • But she also talks about thewindow Properties that appears below the hierarchy and which allows you to modify the color and placement of all objects (whether they were produced with theworkbench Part or with the PartDesign workbench). • And it also shows how different workshops can be used successively. ✔ A superb video showing how to make a thread (and another) ✔ Avideo smoothing and blayage (loft and sweep) ✔ Protusion and cavity on a non-flat surface ✔ Video of transition between versions 0.16 and 0.17 Back to Table of Contents 2 19/03/21 (18:36) I.2.c Some examples with explanations written For those who prefer to read texts rather than watching videos: another possible entry based on commented examples including: ✔ the famous Lego piece ; ✔ a nicely dug cube (workshop Part and placements); ✔ good threading and another threading. I.2.d To go further ✔ To understand bodies, watch this video and / or also this video by jp-willm ✔ A box with no screw : he does a subtraction with a propeller and rehearsals with theworkshop draft ; he also navigates between theworkshops Part and PartDesign ✔ Realization of a die ✔ Building a hand spinner ✔ An example of modeling of a house (not yet looked at) ✔ Creation of a thread with FreeCAD (not yet looked at) ✔ boat propeller (not yet looked at) ✔ The creation of a pentagram with the use of clones (and some criticisms) ✔ Creation of an atos door (with multiple and draft) ✔ A hardware exercise I.2.e Other Videos ✔ Introduction to animation (but with 0.17) and the Animation module: part I, part II, part III However, this module no longer works with version 0.19. Ditto for this animation of a diesel engine ✔ A very long project from someone who hesitates: it might be interesting to watch (1h45mn) ✔ How to import an image (but using Gimp and SVG) Back to Table of Contents 3 19/03/21 (18:36) I.3. Online manuals I.3.a The main workshops (a good reference) Each of the following pages is available in French as well as in English: just click on the language at the top (in theframe Other languages). The online help table of contents (where you can find how to install FreeCAD). In particular, we find descriptions of the first workshops used: ✔ theStart workshop, which is just the page presented when no project is open; ✔ the workshop By t which allows you to manipulate volumes (cubes, spheres, cones, etc.) especially using Boolean operations; ✔ the workshop Part Design which allows to make more complex parts based on sketches, protrusions, drilling, etc. ; ✔ the workshop Sketcher which allows you to make sketches (basis of theworkshop Part Desing); ✔ theDraft workshop which also contains 2D drawing tools, and in particular the clone tool (sheep's head) allowing to clone an entire sketch as in the animation of the piston. ✔ theSpreadSheet workshop which allows you to configure the objects you build; ✔ theTechDraw workshop which allows you to make side drawings (see an introductory tutorial); ✔ thePath workshop which generates the outputs for CNC and laser cutters. ✔ Thedraft workshop which allows you to make drawings in 2D but rather with objects that cling to a grid (see for example this video). But this workshop also makes it possible to make orthogonal or circular networks of existing bodies (??? Doc ????) I.3.b External workshops To the previous workshops, you can add external workshops according to your needs. They are listed on this page (the same in English). We can cite in particular: ✔ theFasteners workshop which makes it easy to add screws, bolts, nuts, etc. ; ✔ theFCGear workshop concerning gears. As it is explained on this dedicated page, these external workshops are installed using <tools> <Add-on manager>. It is essential to relaunch FreeCAD before using them. ✔ TheAssembly 4 workshop studied in detail later in this paper. I.3.c To go further ✔ Thetool Boolean Fragments (which gives all the possible combinations) and where we also speak of programming. ✔ A nice, sturdy example to make a 5-armchair leg ✔ A box in several parts with the cover and fixing screws (assembly) Back to Table of Contents 4 19/03/21 (18:36) starI.3.d Other references ✔ Creation ofgears but with an old version of FreeCAD ✔ An interesting site with lots of references on this page or on that one. ✔ An interesting page on new features. II. First personal details II.1. Tree icons On this page, you can see the meaning of the icons appearing in the tree view. only indicates that the object must be recalculated ; indicates the Tip of the body: resulting function, which is exported to the user; indicates that the object is not attached to something, it depends only on itsproperty Placement ; indicates a sketch that is not fully constrained; indicates that the object has an error that needs to be corrected. II.2. If nothing works anymore ✔ When you cannot do what you want in thetab Model or all the icons are grayed out and therefore unusable, or the program squeals constantly, it is not necessarily because the program crashed as I often thought at the beginning! ✔ In such a case, one should always start by checking whether there is not something going on in thetab Tasks, be it a sketch, a protusion or whatever. You just have to close this task so that generally everything is back to normal. ✔ For the few (rare) cases where I really had a crash, FreeCAD offers recovery of the last saved state. In fact, most of the crashes I experienced happened after Iof overused <Ctlr + Z>rollbacks to do a lot. II.3. Beware of pitfalls in sketches Sometimes (and even often at the beginning) it is impossible to be able to make a protusion or a sketch after having closed a sketch; this is reflected in two different ways: ✔ when the protusion (or other) window is opened, the object is erased from the screen; ✔ we receive the message “ Failed to validate broken face” or “ Linked shape object is empty”.