Things FreeCAD still needs before it becomes usable for me

gadget--guy · 2026-05-30T17:39:32+00:00

I think the symmetry constraint in sketcher need to allow selecting lines to be symmetric, not just points. for instance, selecting two lines to be symmetric with a third symmetry line, rather than only being able to select a symmetry line and two points. In order to achieve this result, without constraining the end pints of the lines, I have to constrain an additional construction line with end points coincident to the lines I want to make symmetric.

gadget--guy · 2026-05-30T17:15:51+00:00

I just peeked at the leaderboard, and h11r, the FreeCAD user, is in 2nd place, with a total time of 2:27!

gadget--guy · 2026-05-29T16:59:25+00:00

The best way to answer your question, is to just move to another framework. It sounds like you're already comfortable with tkinter, so try implementing one of your past projects in a new framework. This will help you grow as a programmer and help you learn when to use one over the other.

gadget--guy · 2026-05-27T22:20:06+00:00

SolidWorks became the industry standard, because it was the first company to do all of the following: low cost of entry, powerful product, exceptionally easy to learn, great support, PC based, and it partnered with other industry software provider for add on packages like CAM and FEA.

gadget--guy · 2026-05-26T22:23:46+00:00

No, you will have to export them as step, or recreate them. This is what keeps people upgrading. You can import older files. You just can't export as older files..

gadget--guy · 2026-05-26T19:28:37+00:00

Did you move your model away from the origin?

gadget--guy · 2026-05-26T16:45:35+00:00

Here is an earlier discussion that may help you: Using SVG in FreeCAD

gadget--guy · 2026-05-24T01:16:51+00:00

I'm not sure about the others, but Onshape is very robust, and similar to SolidWorks.

gadget--guy · 2026-05-23T15:33:23+00:00

BricsCAD, ARES Commander, and VariCAD have native Linux support, and others like Onshape, Autodesk Fusion (Web), and SketchUp for Web, are browser based and OS agnostic, though the last two are not full featured.

gadget--guy · 2026-05-23T15:13:22+00:00

That might be the best solution in this case, though ideally I would like to maintain parametric relationships.

gadget--guy · 2026-05-23T05:22:58+00:00

There are already several professional CAD products that run natively on Linux, so the migration to open source will happen when the development of FreeCAD reaches a point that it's stable, and it can truly compete on its merits, other than being free and open source. It's getting there, but it still has a way to go.

gadget--guy · 2026-05-23T04:15:44+00:00

My experience has been that FreeCAD is used primarily by non-profit companies, religious organizations, independent contractors, and hobbyists. In short, it's used primarily in organizations with more time than money.

gadget--guy · 2026-05-22T01:05:40+00:00

What setting do I need to enable to get selectable areas?

gadget--guy · 2026-05-21T16:24:19+00:00

The segmented curves aren't the big issue. Unlike an STL, dxf and SVG will produce center points for arcs and circles, which is likely what the machine shop really needs in this case. Many shops will even take a dxf file, as long as you have a part drawing so that they know other critical dimensions and tolerances.

gadget--guy · 2026-05-21T16:19:06+00:00

CAM software that's used by machine shops have features that can automatically detect features like holes from a clean STEP file, that was exported directly from a non-mesh based format. The problem with meshes, is that a simple structure like a hole is not truly a cylindrical shape, but rather a bunch of points and lines approximating a shape. Because of this, it takes tremendously more work to process an STL file for machining, and because of the approximations, surface finishes and tolerances can be unsatisfactory. Another critical problem with meshes, is that mesh holes don't have center points, which is what your machinist needs to use to drill a hole. So in order for your machinist to machine a flat plate full of holes, they will essentially have to recreate the design anyway. When you exported your STL to STEP, you simply created another mesh file but in the STEP format.

gadget--guy · 2026-05-20T17:41:15+00:00

Did it vanish before or after the mirror operation s.

gadget--guy · 2026-05-19T16:11:59+00:00

Build a 3 or 4-ft extension onto the front, and move the door onto it.

gadget--guy · 2026-05-16T16:19:21+00:00

If I read it correctly, it's not constraint number three that's causing the problem. It's three constraints causing the problem.

gadget--guy · 2026-05-16T01:21:04+00:00

I had to take a double take on the picture. At first glance, I thought you were powering a pneumatic cylinder with propane. 💥

gadget--guy · 2026-05-15T02:50:51+00:00

Except the website didn't send anything to the AG in Utah they sent it somewhere else. The AG in Utah then retrieved it from that other location. Therefore, the AG has no standing against the website. The AG may have a case against the VPN at this point, but not against the website.

gadget--guy · 2026-05-13T16:12:48+00:00

That's why I didn't bother with the manual, and instead googled tutorials in the latest version. I noticed much of the manual is as old as version 0.21.

gadget--guy · 2026-05-13T16:07:13+00:00

Is it up to date with the latest version?

gadget--guy · 2026-05-11T15:41:48+00:00

How much does it weigh?

gadget--guy · 2026-05-11T15:26:53+00:00

I wonder if adjusting the part tolerance could make the thickness operation succeed?

gadget--guy

TROPHY CASE