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FreeCAD

Posted by mbue 
FreeCAD
November 29, 2008 03:08PM
Since I'm currently looking into building a RepRap myself and searching for the various resources (hard- and software). I guess I should at least mention the stuff I've found here smiling smiley

Aside from Blender (which is pretty cool too) ... has anybody here tried FreeCAD?
[juergen-riegel.net] Homepage
[juergen-riegel.net] Feature list
[juergen-riegel.net] Download

If the development (of the 2D-draft module) was a bit more advanced it would be perfect for creating models for RepRap (think: cheap version of any commercial 3D CAD software).

Right now there is only a rudimentary 2d-drafting tool (which has to be downloaded separately! [1]), but you can see the power that lies in this program already.

Of course it would totally rock if RepRap is pushing development of FreeCAD (or vice versa).

Cheers,
Martin

[1] [juergen-riegel.net]
Re: FreeCAD
December 01, 2008 05:16AM
Some more info on FreeCAD...

Even if it's not 100% usable for creating new geometry right now it can at least import/export[1] a lot of the various 3D file formats (CSG volume based and meshes) out there to some extent.

Right now the import/export of 3D formats is supported:
CSG Volume: STEP/stp, IGES/igs, BRP/BREP
Mesh: STL, AST, BMS, OBJ, Inventor v2.1 ASCII (.iv) [1]
...and more (e.g. point cloud formats, SVG and similar for 2D import, DXF im-/export [I guess it's 2D] etc.)

Tolerance/details of the exported meshes can be tweaked like this:
1) Workbench: "Complete" or "Mesh Design"
2) Menu: Meshes -> Create mesh from geometry -> Set tolerance value
3) Export the generated mesh instead of the original CSG volume.

Martin

[1]
Mesh export from a CSG volume screws up curved surfaces sometimes tough.
It mostly happens with imported CSG volumes (my test files often had cuts in the curved surfaces) and it's mostly well below the tolerances of most RepRaps if the tolerance is set accordingly (which produces very big files sad smiley)
It's still very ugly and has to be fixed at some point I guess.
I'd love to hear how this can be avoided in FreeCAD.

Also I could not yet successfully export (closed) meshes as CSG volumes - I never found a good reason to do that anyway smiling smiley

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/2008 11:57AM by mbue.
Re: FreeCAD
December 02, 2008 04:05AM
Mesh export problems have been solved with a workaround (until the next release anyway). Many thanks to Werner Mayer for his help here.

As mentioned in this post...
[sourceforge.net]
...you can use the command
App.ActiveDocument.ActiveObject.Shape.exportStl("path/to/generated_file.stl")
in the python console of FreeCAD to generate a sane .stl mesh file from the opened CSG volume.

You can read the full thread here:
[sourceforge.net]

EDIT: The problems with conversion from a CAD shape to a mesh (e.g. stl/obj) are solved and the fixes will be in the next version. See [sourceforge.net] for more info.

Martin

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/2008 11:58AM by mbue.
Re: FreeCAD
November 24, 2011 11:59AM
Hello all,

I am trying to export a geometry to .stl file. How can I do this in freeCad ?
I didn't find .stl option in the export menu.

I also tried to export using the "Mesh format" and "fileName.stl" to save my geometry, but it gave me a file with estrange symbols.

How can I solve this problem ?


Thanks a lot.

Rodrigo
Re: FreeCAD
December 03, 2011 01:59PM
Just select the part, use the menu "File" -> "Export...", and enter a filename with .stl at the end of it. You don't have to select anything in the format dropdown, I just leave it blank. FreeCAD saves STL files in binary format which saves space, but won't be readable in a text editor, which is probably what those weird symbols were that you saw.
But it is still a valid STL file and I am able to open the file in other applications which support STL.
FreeCAD problem... Please Help
May 08, 2012 03:06AM
I exported file from Blender software file (*.obj) into the FreeCad. When I want to export that file from freecad with the extension *.dxf , then Freecad Saves that file but when saved file is opened in the freecad then there is nothing to display.

what is the problem??????

I want to export in *.dxf format in autodesk inventor from Freecad..............please help
Re: FreeCAD (surface from mesh)
May 23, 2012 07:52AM
Hello guys.....

I exported a mesh in freecad as .obj file. it show the mesh without any flaws. now i have to convert this mesh into a surface after which i can give some thickness to the model. how can i do this in freecad's modules . any help would be greatly appreciated ........
Re: FreeCAD
May 24, 2012 05:55AM
I think you're expected to give this "thickness" in FreeCAD already.


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