FreeCAD 101

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Take-home points and learning outcomes of the 2 tutorials below:

• by learning to sketch in FreeCAD, you can then create any 3D objects imaginable
• Importing part libraries and working with them is a powerful way to do design work using Part Libraries. This can get the casual user to powerful design capacity using real geometries.

Introduction

After these 2 tutorials, you are ready to work on User Contributed Designs. Please pause the videos as needed in order to practice the demonstrated lesson, as these tutorials are dense.

A FreeCAD Manual

The FreeCAD Manual has a different learning approach than the official FreeCAD documentation wiki that makes it more suitable for a first contact with FreeCAD.

FreeCAD Test

Purpose

This exercise tests your ability to:

• Install OSE Linux
• Download and use library parts in FreeCAD
• rotate, move, and align objects in 3D
• Use the Sketcher in FreeCAD to make features on faces
• Use circular assembly constraints in FreeCAD
• Use Vokoscreen to record instructional screen-casts
• Use KdenLive to edit a basic video, adding images and sound
• Upload videos to YouTube
• Upload FreeCAD source files to the wiki
• Embed videos in the wiki
• Using Disqus and upvoting comments

Test

1. Download and install the OSE Linux with FreeCAD, Kdenlive, and Vokoscreen.
2. Download 8-hole square tubing (without rounded corners) from the OSE Part Library.
3. Use the tubing to create an x-y-z bolted corner cube.
4. Record a video of you building the cube, from the beginning, using Vokoscreen.
5. When you are done building the cube, create a 1" bolt and nut using the Bolt Library in FreeCAD.
6. Insert one bolt through any of the corners, as if you were actually building the cube - using the Assembly Workbench in FreeCAD.
7. Tighten the bolt with the nut (just insert the nut onto the bolt).
8. Now take any face on the tubing of the resulting cube - and using Sketcher on that particular face - write your initials on that face. Pocket those initials so that they are cut into the face.
9. Speed up the file to turn it into a 30 second video using Kdenlive.
10. Add Pling by Jaspertine from the Open Source Soundtracks
11. Upload the video to YouTube and embed in the section below - above the Disqus section.
12. Upload the FreeCAD file to your Work Log.
13. Use Disqus below to tell us how long it took you to learn the FreeCAD tutorials and Kdenlive. Please include any suggestions on the videos. Also, please score yourself 0-100 based on the percentage of the Test points that you have completed successfully - and include that score in your Disqus comment.

At that point - Welcome to the Team, Ms/r. Opensourcer. You now have the basic skills to manipulate objects in 3D and to begin composing useful parts - including your ability to document your work with videos.

Self-Verifying FreeCAD Exam Videos

Polemidis
Having completed this exercise, you will enable any reviewer to verify your skill set in 30 seconds by viewing a video with your signature (initials on the cube). Here are the results:

Michael Beyer Jr : 3/29/2017

Roberto Jaramillo : 3/30/2017

Please Comment on Your FreeCAD 101 Test Experience

How long did it take you? Were you able to do it? What could have helped you to learn the skills more effectively? Please upvote most useful responses here.

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Brian Hull completed OSE FreeCAD test 2/16/2017

Test took me 30 minutes to complete. A lot of that time was spent clicking around and learning how the software worked. Overall, FreeCAD worked fine and only had a few glitches for me. I would say pretty good for a free software. This was my first time working with the assembly workbench. There was a few places where I thought the software could be improved but I'll wait until I use it more before I complain too much. I would rate myself a 75 out 100.

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Jonathan Kocurek - Completed OSE FreeCAD Test 02/28/17

The FreeCAD took me awhile due to software and also a new interface, features, and multiple unknowns. It took me about 6+hrs figuring out certain issues with sketching my initials on to the metal. Definitely will have to study up on all of the different components of the software.

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Jean-Baptiste Vervaeck - Completed OSE FreeCAD Test 06/03/2017

After 12+ hours of practicing in FreeCAD, downloads & installations, watching tutorials and reading through freeCAD documentation, I was able to work through steps 3 through 8 in 37 minutes. I was running FreeCAD in ubuntu 16.04 running inside VirtualBox 5.1.14 on a Win7 PC which slowed down the process considerably. It took me quite a while just to find the "just right" configuration in order for kdenlive to properly render the edited video (it was only when my CPU usage maxed out that there were interruptions in the quality of the rendered video). 80/100 -- 10 point deduction for not tightening the nut/washer on the bolt and another 10 point deduction for not adding in the inner parts on the letter "B" in my initials pocket. Also, I started out working with the wrong parts file, not having been able to find the 8 hole tube with square corner file on the wiki till it was pointed out to me.

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Michael Beyer Jr : 2017-03-29 : 15 hours

probably more like a total of 45 hours as i am still actively learning linux after making it my main operating system a few months ago, so time spent learning freecad was interspersed through also learning linux at the same time.

ways to improve my learning will be continued practice, continued vigilant documentation.. having better documentation would have made it easier for me to learn more quickly and effectively, so i seek to add to the documentation. this way, others will have an easier time getting up to speed with the current developments, as the ultimate goal is to decrease barriers to entry and increase motivation to contribute to the project.

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Links

• FreeCAD Architecture Tutorial