Mac freecad macros tutorial install#
Mac freecad macros tutorial software#
Mac freecad macros tutorial plus#
Mac freecad macros tutorial free#

We can also select only part of the assembly as for example the lid and generate a drawing of only these elements.

Mac freecad macros tutorial free#

In the TechDraw workbench we create a new drawing and are now free to insert different views. Creating a drawingīesides the cutlist a drawing is quite helpful when building the final piece.

Mac freecad macros tutorial plus#

To do so just select the part info button from the assembly 2 plus workbench and you can add various information.Īll this information will at the end show up in the part list and makes cost calculations and ordering parts easy and convenient. When we use hardware such as hinges or knobs for a project we add information about a part directly in the cad file.

Mac freecad macros tutorial software#

You can also export the data to another software such as Cut List Optimizer, a free (but not open source) optimization program that helps you to optimize sheet good usage. We import the cutlist in libreoffice so that it is easy to calculate square footage, price, weight and other data. If the dimensions are not listed please modify the A2plus workbench as described above. Creating a CutlistĪfter everything is assembled we create a cutlist with the part list button. Assembling a project this way is fast and actually quite fun. Just select two faces that you want to align, click on the plane coincidence button and decide if the two objects are opposed or aligned with one another.Īfter aligning three faces a board is locked in place. These parts can be aligned with one another in a variety of ways.įor woodworking projects most of the assemblies can be solved by making planes coincident. This will add the dimensions of each board in the table discussed later in the article.Īlso make sure that in Edit, Preferences, A2plus the checkboxes for “Recalculate imported parts before updating them” and “Use experimental topological naming” are enabled.Īfter switching to the A2plus workbench we can now import the individual parts one by one with the button that shows a plus sign. # in the last 3 fields before the filenameįor object in (dc.findObjects('Part::Feature')): # add dimensions from the overall bounding box of the file PartInformation = os.path.split(linkedSource) #without complete path.Īfter these two lines paste the following code: # In the current version these lines start at line 113: # last entry of partinformations is reserved for filename Look for the following two lines in the file. Second modification: You will also have to modify the file a2p_bom.py in the same directory.

Mac freecad macros tutorial install#

Go to Tools, Addon manager and install the latest version.įor the cutlist functionality we will discuss later you have to change two files of this addon.įirst modification: In the directory where the Assembly 2+ workbench is installed (under Linux that is the directory ~/.FreeCAD/Mod/A2plus) replace the file a2p_partlistglobals.py with the one that you can download here. adding four times the material thickness to the overall length.Īfter creating all the files following the same schema we make sure the Assembly 2 plus workbench is installed. You can also perform calculations when entering the dimensions, e.g. This would be for example Master#p.Material. This cube gets then dimensions from the spreadsheet in the format filename, hashtag, table name, dot, variable name. To enter a formula for the dimensions we click the blue circle. We create a new file for each individual board. This Macro can be installed over the Addon Manager of FreeCAD.Īfter having saved the file with the spreadsheet under the filename Master comes the part that is quite cumbersome.

We use the Alias Manager Macro to create aliases for these numbers so that we can refer to them by name later. For the box these are the material thickness, as well as the inner width, length and height. The first step is to create this spreadsheet with all the dimensions. In the same way we could also change the material thickness and create tiny boxes as well as large storage containers. We only have to change the parameter in a spreadsheet and the box becomes square. The big advantage of FreeCAD is that it is fully parametric and you can change dimensions after finishing the design. For a more detailed comparison of different software solutions tale a look at our CAD for makers article.Īs an example we use this Japanese Toolbox design we use in a variety of sizes.

A lot of the details are clearly more oriented towards products that have few but rather complex parts – not so much a woodworking project that mainly consists out of simple boards. The article contains quite a few fixes and workarounds that make the work with FreeCAD easier and more comfortable.įreeCAD is an open source software that is mainly geared towards mechanical engineers. In this article we give an overview on how we design woodworking projects in FreeCAD.