Get it while it’s hot! New goodies to use and an improved UI for users.
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Looking forward to trying it out. I’ve been teaching myself Freecad for a while and I’ll be honest, it has been a mildly infuriating experience at times. Still seems like the best option for a free CAD tool without ridiculous licensing terms though. This looks like quite an improvement in any case. Hopefully it’ll even fix the regular crashes I’ve been getting.
I’ve been using it since it was a weekly release, (now I mostly use the 1.2 weeklies), and it’s been very stable even on a low powered mini desktop with 8 Gbits of shared RAM. I think they are finally finishing up the timeline that was set out when they went after the TNP mitigation and general cleanup of the disaster that was .1X series of FreeCAD with the 1.0 release.
Spoiler Alert: I think the 1.2 Weekly releases are even better yet. So give that a shot if you are willing to put up with occasional breakage and problems. The more users of different skills with different hardware can really help speed the killing of bugs if you report issues. Besides, it’s just plain fun!
Is this worth trying to learn if I can already fiddle around in blender? I have already given it a go a while ago but couldnt really get easily started so I dropped it.
Depends on what your goals are. Despite my inability to grasp Blender, it’s a great piece of software for those organic and artistic designs. And to be fair, it can do a bit of CAD work with an add-on. But it soon hits a limit for that kind of work.
But not everyone can “see” the different type of workflow and end results that each type of software is good at. I certainly cannot see that Blender doughnut well enough to make it. Even with my hand being held in the video tutorials. But I can take that same doughnut and turn it into a torque converter for an automatic transmission. Go figure…
Still, I keep trying to make that Blender doughnut despite my lack of success so far. And I encourage you to keep trying to make something with CAD. Don’t give up. We’re going to win someday!
CAD is a very different workflow than 3D modeling like blender. Someone could probably explain it better than me but think of CAD as being for engineering and something like blender being for artists. Thats not to say you cant do art in a CAD program or engineering in a modeling program its just a different tool for a different job.
I think I can explain it.
CAD tools are focused on parametric design, meaning you have parameters that effect how the model is shaped.
It’s very useful for creating a product. Let’s say you made an object 10mm too short, and a whole bunch of other features are based on that measurement. If you update it to add 10mm, if you’re using the tool correct, those features built on top will adjust and accept the change.
If you do that in a tool like blender, any feature based off of that incorrect measurement will have to be painstakingly updated one at a time.
So it’s basically a question of “does your design have/need dependancies?”
Can we get a link to the release article and not post links to some shitty video?
It’s pretty simple don’t watch it then. No one, least of all me, is going to force you to watch it.
That commenter was rude but it would be nice to have a link to the release for those of us not in an environment to watch the video. I appreciate video posts even if I cant watch them though!
I understand. But I made an “executive decision” for the video link because most people like to see some the improvements in action. I felt that it would get more people excited and would be quicker for them to get through.
The extensive change log is on the FreeCAD github page if you want to read all about it. Download FreeCAD 1.1 while you are there!
And I highly encourage everyone at least skim through that page to see all the changes as they get the time to do so.
Yes! FreeCAD is amazing and these updates look great. I don’t know why so many people are taking this chance to complain about it. You don’t have to use it!
The confidence that it won’t be paywalled, or enshittified, or otherwise screwed over by a corporation is worth a lot to me, but I think it’s fine if that’s not the case for everyone. Enjoy whatever else you want to use. Improvements in FreeCAD can only be good for everyone, right?!
I’ve done all my work in Freecad for years. Its really good at converting a stl back in to a solid. Some think its hard to do but its really easy and consistent. Some take more steps than others but its a solid tool for doing a rework on a 3d printable object. I can usually in a matter of minutes split a stl into separate models for multi color printing.
What’s your workflow for this? I have a handful of stls I would love to tweak.
This is going to be a upside down work flow since it varies depending on what you are trying to achieve. If you want to split an object up in order to make it a multi part/color print then start with 1a otherwise start with 1
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Start with a new document
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import stl file
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Under the part menu convert to ‘shape from mesh’
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Under the part menu in the copy menu click ‘refine shape’ not required but I find it sometimes makes the resulting solid a little smoother.
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Under the part menu click ‘Convert to solid’
If all steps are successful you are done. If not then delete everything and start back with the mesh. The most common error for me is ‘Cannot convert because Shape is not a shell’
1a. Under the mesh menu click ‘Split by components’ There are also some repairs you can make on a mesh under analyze. I rarely use these but have had some success with them from time to time. This will create at least two component meshes. I’ve had many more than that and at some point it isn’t worth it at least for me.
2a .Perform steps 1 through 5 on all components. Under the part menu select all the converted solid components and use the union tool to create a fusion of them.
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I just want to say this YouTuber got a sub from me last night. Went into his back catalogue and recent videos were really good and I learned a few nice things.
Regarding fc1.1, I really like the update. These guys are on the gas and making substantial updates. I can’t overstate how .9 whatever was hard to use vs 1.0 and now 1.1 is another leap again. It’s just great to see.
I speak as someone that only started learning any CAD as a hobby in the last 5 years. I’ve toyed with every (free) program short of going the pirate route and I’m really glad to see a FOSS alternative start to step up.
I do still have a laundry list of things I’d like to see them fix/change. But as is, it’s working well enough for my use cases!
He’s very good. He is one of the developers of FreeCAD. MangoJelly tends to be my go to though.
I knew MangoJelly but not this Deltahedra. I’m finding the latter’s video more interesting tbh, and less time-wasting.
Deltahedra is fast-paced for sure. I enjoy his tutorials also. Another person you can check out is AllVisuals4U. He makes short and to the point tutorials also. He keeps them to 5 to 6-minute videos.
I just recently discovered him and watching someone who knows what they’re doing use the workflows the right way has been a FreeCAD game changer for me.
I watched this video and shouted at my screen like most people watch sports or a new tech launch. “Fuck, yeah!” “Goddamn!” “Holy shit that’s brilliant.” “That didn’t make sense but it is really cool anyway!”
Anyway, good job, FC team.
Time to give it another try I guess. I used Fusion almost exclusively until I switched to Linux (and have also used Solidworks in the past), and I found freecad 1.0 to be an exercise in frustration.
I gave it a very solid shot, but after many hours messing with it and watching tutorials I decided to try Onshape instead. I was able to become comfortable and productive in Onshape in less than half the time it took me to lose my cool with freecad.
The 1.1 update looks to be addressing some of the pain points, so they seem to be on the right track. I hope they keep that momentum going.
I have used Fusion and can get what I want from it. But I have an intense dislike of the clown car UI.
So sit down and watch MangoJelly’s tutorials and practice them. Enjoy that smooth Aussie voice. It takes time to learn new things so don’t give up. We’re pulling for you!
What’s the vendor lock-in like with Onshape? My father used a “free” year of Solidworks and when it was over he was locked out from all his projects unless he paid. He uses FreeCAD exclusively now and is happy to own his files.
With Onshape unless you pay them money your files are public. You can’t use the free version for commercial use. Some advanced features are blocked like simulations.
I’ve been able to freely export .step files for anything I’ve made in Onshape. As another commenter said there are catches, like all your files are public if you’re using the free version and there are premium features that require payment. But it’s currently not locked down like it seemed Autodesk were preparing to do, where all your files live on their cloud only and can never be exported. For sure there is potential for the same enshittification with Onshape though, which is why I hope the freecad devs soldier on.
Also if you’re worried about your files being public, just name them with codes indecipherable to anyone but you. It doesn’t seem like the public file repository actually gets searched that much in general, and with a meaningless code the odds of someone finding and stealing a specific design are probably near zero.
I’ve been learning CAD for printing. I really want to use FreeCAD, but every time I try to do anything, I sink 2 hours into reading wiki’s and watching videos. When I apply what I’ve learned, I end up with a cube (sometimes a cylinder!) and a wall of errors. Then I hop into tinkerCAD/fusion360 and create what I need in 15 minutes.
I’m looking forward to the day that FreeCAD is intuitive enough for me to hop in and do what I need in 15 mins without feeling like I’m manually programming a lunar landing. It’s not there yet, but I’m happy to see the update.
Checkout Deltahedron freecad tutorials on youtube. As a complete beginner, I got reasonably good at freecad pretty fast with them.
Keep trying and keep practicing. Install FreeCAD and practice with MangoJelly tutorials to learn.
One thing that often makes it hard for people switching to any new CAD is things don’t work the same way. So do your best to forget the way you used to do things. Fusion isn’t FreeCAD and FreeCAD isn’t Fusion. You will need to learn new things. So don’t expect it to work the same way.
The next thing that is very helpful is to find models to practice and gain confidence and skills. MangoJelly tutorials are great to learn from, but you need varied practice to gain skills. Here are 50 models you can practice with to gain confidence and skills using any CAD program. Other practice models can be found if you do some searching.
Good Luck!
I absolutely get you since that was my experience also.
It’s a concept thing for me. Do everything in sketches and make something with it using the Partdesign workbench. But knowing that you can’t just draw a cube and extend part of one face like you can in fusion helped me to understand the take freecad has in cad.
There are some very basic beginner friendly tutorials out there on YouTube. That’s what did it in the end for me.
you can’t just draw a cube and extend part of one face
I used to work with sketches in SOLIDWORKS and Inventor too, but those were just easier to use.
Still, it keeps improving, so fingers crossed.
Oh, yeah, I understood sketches being the starting point, I just lived on the struggle bus any time I tried to sketch anything. The interface is close enough to vector drawing, that it constantly felt like I knew what I was doing, except everything I did threw an error 😅 or the things that in vector drawing would be a simple ‘click on an anchor and drag’, are multi-step processes involving a spreadsheet here.
I know a lot of it is a matter of practice, and I’m sure there are also growing pains for the software. I’m genuinely excited by the changes they’ve made to modifying sketches, and the little explanations at the bottom of the screen, I hope they are able to keep the momentum going.
The struggle bus… You made me laugh
But it’s one of those really complex programs that require some knowledge of the problem field and familiarity with UI how can it be made intuitive? Never used fusion, but tinkercad isn’t intuitive or simple.
TinkerCAD has a low enough learning curve that it is successfully used to teach elementary school students how to model. I disagree with your “but it’s a complex program, so it can’t be easy to pick up.”
Something being inaccessible to the masses shouldn’t be a badge of pride. Make the basics relatively easy to learn, and design the complex elements in a way that builds on the knowledge used for whatever was needed to get to that point. If we want to increase usership of FOSS products, we need the barrier to entry to be at least on par with the commercial products, if not lower. In fact, dedicating a few dev cycles towards new user onboarding to walk people through sketches, extruding, etc. to make it as accessible as possible would make such a difference.
Fusion is okayish, but definitely not something you can just jump into without going through some explainer tutorials. Especially when it comes to the time line.
I taught myself Autocad and even with that knowledge, fusion was kinda unintuative when starting out. It didn’t take long to get into it though
coming from a company that used solidworks, i’ve always found trying to use freecad infuriating, even moreso after onshape came out and i saw what could be done even in a web browser. but seeing as it’s foss, i’ll keep trying it every release.
I used SW professionally for years before I retired and SW was suddenly not free to use for me anymore. Personally, I found the switch to FreeCAD was pretty easy for me. But the ease or struggle to learn something new varies a lot between people.
Best I can tell you is to forget everything you “know” from SW as best you can. And when you get frustrated that what you are doing in FreeCAD doesn’t work like SW, try to remember we ain’t in Kansas anymore Toto. That’s how I had to approach things.
Good Luck! I’m pullin’ for ya!
Same. It is crazy how much progress they are making now.
Same boat. After using Soldworks everything else feels soo unpolished. But I’ve tossed Photoshop for Gimp and it’s getting easier with time, so I’ll make this work too.
It’s improving faster. It’s still a frustrating, crashy experience, but it’s getting better quickly, hopefully it reached critical mass and will do Blender.
I’m at about 130 models in FC 1.0 and have yet to see a crash. There are things TinkerCAD can do that Fusion 360 cannot, like import and edit a large STL.
Come on this just seem disingenuous, or extremely lucky. It’s great it’s out there but calling it stable is not one of them. Yesterday my freecad crashed for just closing a sketch that I didn’t even change and now all edge/face references are broken. (anyone a tip how to easily fix that? Doing it manually takes ages)
Ok. So apparently I did get crashes and never realized it. Thanks Lemmy!
Yeah I find it hard to believe. Maybe you’re just sticking to a safe subset of features. I don’t know. Didn’t mean to berate you or anything. But I have had so many corrupted saves and random crashes I’m starting to more and more use openSCAD.
Maybe it’s the Linux build? What are your running?
I had one or two crashes in the two years of frequent use (few times a week for multiple hours) on arch linux, lately I’ve been using weekly appimages and they crash a lot more.
I’ve always used the stable AppImages, on Fedora previously, Bazzite now, the crashes have reduced, but they’re still frequent, especially (but not exclusively) when working on large assemblies.
As in assembly workbench?
Yeah
Reading this I can’t tell if you are talking about solidworks or freeCAD. JK but man solidworks is still one of the buggiest programs. If you use solidworks though the Solidworks error report screen is just part of the experience. Still I believe the gold standard for design software out there over NX, AutoCAD, and CATIA.
I went from SOLIDWORKS to FreeCAD and I miss the former a lot, I think I’m objectively 5 times slower on FreeCAD, but alas, SOLIDWORKS is not supported on Linux and not open source, so I must endure.
I recommend watching that channel, because that guy is faster in FreeCAD than I could ever be in Fusion360.
What channel?
Edit: Oh, right, OP is actually a video link. I just went directly to the comments here.
I’ve never had professional experience with CAD software and tried both onshape and freecad at the same time just before fc1.0 release, onshape for some reason was like using iphone or something like that while freecad was just ok. There are frustrating limitations and some things are broken and require workarounds true.
I’ve both used CAD software professionally and worked on CAD software as a developer, and I also find FreeCAD weirdly frustrating. It’s not the crashes; it’s something about the workflow.
Yes, I would like to use freecad. And for reference I love blender and use it almost daily. The freecad interface and work flow just kind of bounce me off them so far. I can sculpt, model, paint, rig and edit video in blender. Right now getting started making a basic part in freecad seems like black magic.
Maybe your brain just isn’t wired to use it(yet), my experience with blender and other 3d modeling software was like black magic, and cad software was at least transparent.
Possible. In free cads defense I started learning blender in 1996. Didn’t really get proficient till 2012 lol. Though I have used AutoCAD fine. But that was way back in 1994 under DOS.
This is great! I was impressed with 1.0 but there were a lot of quality of life improvements needed to get it to match the big CAD guys. Looking through this it looks like they’ve got most of the baseline functions and easy of use accomplished.
I think the 1.1 release is the end step of the original plan started back at the .18 release of fixing the major underlying issues that FreeCAD had. And the mitigating of TPN and the need to redo a fair amount of code to make FreeCAD better. That effort led to the 1.0 release. And the 1.1 release is the result of the cleanup and optimization of the code in FreeCAD. Which is the final step in the roadmap. And the video talks a lot about those improvements in stability, speed, and simplification of use.
It even does Finite Element Analysis and a separate mode for architecture.
I really struggled to try to get into FreeCAD, but I don’t totally blame FreeCAD because I’ve also struggled with “real” CAD programs, my brain just doesn’t really seem to work that way.
OpenSCAD and other programmatic CAD on the other hand makes me feel like a goddamn wizard magically combining shapes in the ether to create the most absurd objects.
I explained this to my engineer brother and he laughed and said he had already thought about OpenSCAD being right up my alley and wasn’t surprised, but he finds it extremely difficult and counterintuitive for him. It’s funny how we must have totally different mental models of working with 3d shapes I guess.
It’s ok to not get it when it comes to parametric CAD. I can’t get the hang of OpenSCAD. And don’t get me started on Blender. Years of trying, and I STILL can’t make that doughnut…
I was the same way. I started with OpenSCAD and it made way more sense at first.
But what drove me to FreeCAD was when my parts started getting more and more complicated. I think it was being able to chamfer or fillet all the things that really pushed me.
I am in awe of experts of either program though. I think I still really love how openSCAD is so much easier to understand the steps someone took to get to a finished model when you look at other people’s work. And you can just lift pieces out and reuse them.
Wow this looks good
Yay! 👍
