A great quick tip, this time for #FreeCad by the #AllVisuals4U youtube channel.

https://yewtu.be/watch?v=0mSnchhcS9w

#CAD #Opensource #FOSS #Floss

Updated my Vernier caliper box design on #Thingiverse:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6108640

I created it in #FreeCAD (https://www.freecad.org/), the tool of my choice for #CAD works, the "source" is attached as well.

I noticed through the years that parametric 3D-modeling for me is like a form of "meditation" as it helps to calm down the mind.

And as a bonus you'd start to see many human-made things differently as soon as you'll get into CAD because you'd start to see all the intricate nuances of design.

@meuon @chakie I second this. I have models I’m working on right now where certain elements of some sketches aren’t fully constrained. However, I have the ones that matter fully constrained, and it works just fine. #freecad is worth the time investment. Autodesk is a terrible company that will yank the rug out from under you at any moment. I thought they’d turned the corner when they released F360, but no, same old shit. I abandoned it after the first rug pull.

The earlier image is the original stones in bluefish the Stargate Cat in pla silk gold on plinth I designed in #FreeCAD. I ended up with some inaccurate dimensions, and wanted to make them work a little better with internal illumination. Second image, I used Natural Tough Pla. Only the two stones on the left have been swapped out, as I only have two plinths done. Internal illumination is from "emergency lad candles" the front one has been on for over 12 hours, I'm not impressed so far.

@mcdanlj @linux_mclinuxface @DreadMakerAdam I typically publish my #freecad file and a STEP version for those without FreeCAD to modify if they want. I’ve sometimes also included a STL for people without a slicer that supports STEP. Seems like the most accessible options for sharing your design with the wider community.

That print job finished probably before I had gone to bed. I still need to tweak the design in #FreeCAD as the screw holes didn't end upwhere they should for the VESA mount on the back of this psnel, but I was able to get the print to work by taking a tool and enlarging the hole a bit by hand. Realized that the monitor I'd just installed would be a good place to try FreeCAD on another model that needed changes, did that, exported the model for Cura, dumped the Gcode to the printer. More.

Been doing my first bit of 3D design/pruning in a while. A friend need some concealed brake cable covers for his mountain bike frame... All done, let's see if good measurements were accurate!!!

For a change though, I've used the spreadsheet in FreeCAD to store his measurements, and built the design from them parametrically. If it doesn't fit, just have to change a few numbers and it will magically resize to be correct. Technology is clever

#FreeCAD

There's a new version of the #FreeGrid macro for #FreeCAD which can generate boxes and grids with the exact number and arrangement of grid units. It's pretty sweet! FreeGrid is sort of like Gridfinity but uses round numbers and FreeCAD instead of ~random numbers and Autodesk Fusion360.
https://in3d.ca/freegrid-an-open-grid-based-3d-printed-storage-system/
https://github.com/instancezero/in3dca-freegrid

#FreeCAD, or "Why doesn't Constraint Point on Object work?"

The laser tool frame is mostly a #FreeCAD workflow. How 'vital it is that I use that is arguable. I know that FreeCAD will export STL and SVG files, so it's possible that I can do some of the cover plate artwork there too.

Less sure I am about using it for generating files for circuit boards. I may resort to some other solution there. But it's probably a good place to learn about the capabilities of FreeCAD in that field.

And yes, I can learn to use Inkscape for some of this.

@djb_rh @mcdanlj if you like to code up objections, it may also be worth looking into [CadQuery](https://github.com/CadQuery/cadquery) and [Build123D](https://github.com/gumyr/build123d) -- both build upon the same CAD kernel as #FreeCAD but expose its features in different programming paradigms.

#3dprinting

The problem with the modern world is you can wake up at 4am with a design for a part in your head, create it in FreeCad and have it printing by 6am. It'll be done by 2pm. I'm going back to bed. #FreeCad

Womp, really disappointed a bunch of new bugs got introduced into #FreeCAD Spreadsheet WB in the 0.21 release. As I understand there was a minor issue around string handling and the 'fix' has resulted in a huge number of new issues, it's basically unusable at the moment. There doesn't appear to be any conversation around this yet but the fact the unit tests are failing has me wondering wtf. Hope to get some time this week to look into it and maybe propose reverting back to the 0.19 bench.

womp, my workshop computer is on it's last leg. takes 20+ attempts just to get it to POST and now it hangs when trying to start apparmor. It's purpose is music and importantly tweaking #FreeCAD models when running the CNC (thankfully it's not the control computer). Sadly don't have the money to replace it and I cannot figure out what wrong with it.

One of the best perks of designing parts that you and only you will ever use: dimensions that no reasonable human would ever choose.

It's to spread them out slightly wider, giving slightly better support than a 30x15 spacing would. #FreeCAD

Die ersten Ergebnisse meiner ersten #3DPrinting Erfahrung mit dem #PrusaMK4 als Kit komplett selbst zusammengebaut. Der Bau hat gut funktioniert, nur habe ich unterschätzt das man wirklich ALLES zusammen setzen, schrauben und basteln muss 😅
Jetzt muss ich mich noch mit #FreeCAD anfreunden. Bis dahin gibt es ja schon endlose Vorlagen 😁

Dans les méandres de la configuration d'un #velo aux petits oignons :

- taille du cadre par rapport à ma taille et mon usage

- compatibilité du matériel. En particulier : les normes de boîtier de pédalier et de douilles de direction

😑

Être un #geek capable de choisir les composants et monter un PC de 0 ne m'avait que très partiellement préparer à ça 😅

Et je n'ai pas encore regardé l'outillage si je choisis un montage #DIY

#freeCAD

@prokoudine
I always look forward to update from librearts, thanks for what you do:)

I'm especially excited about contextual constraints in #freecad wow, so useful!
@inkscape @FreeCAD @ardour

When I was growing up, we were finishing the conversion of math and physics nerds carrying slip-sticks, to various grades of calculators. As I was preparing to design in #FreeCAD, for #3DPrint component, I observed that I was again carrying a variety of slip-stick, this time not to calculate something, but to measure something. Will the Caliper be the new marker of geeks in day to day life?

that part worked out OK, though the 4th print is showing issues at the printer.

I took a bit of time in FreeCAD to further the CAD of the good ol' Osborne One at 1:6 scale. The letter shapes are quite wrong and there's more to do on the front panel, but it's starting to look a bit like the thing.
#miniatures #FreeCAD #osborne