FreeCAD: Freedom to Create, Freedom to Pick Your Hardware

13/3/2017

With Blender initially released in 2002 as a free 3d modeling, rendering and animation software, it disrupted the market because it was dominated by commercial software which would cost you a fortune to buy it. It is very interesting as the community developed software has been growing significantly, it forces the software company to change their business model into yearly based license. Definitely getting more affordable to some, but still, it doesn't stop the community to develop even better software to share to the world.

There's a community that has been developing CAD software since 2001. Not much people are aware of this. Including myself. However, I've been placing my eyes on them since 2010, the moment I heard about their advancements in delivering stunning free software for engineers, educators, students and enthusiasts, since I'm personally an enthusiast as well. This group developed a remarkable 2D/3D CAD software and distribute them for free. And it's called: FreeCAD.

FreeCAD is a general purpose parametric 3D CAD modeler. The development is completely Open Source (LGPL License). FreeCAD is aimed directly at mechanical engineering and product design but also fits in a wider range of uses around engineering, such as architecture or other engineering specialties.

FreeCAD features tools similar to Inventor, Catia, SolidWorks or Solid Edge, and therefore also falls into the category of MCAD, PLM, CAx and CAE. It is a feature based parametric modeler with a modular software architecture which makes it easy to provide additional functionality without modifying the core system.

As with many modern 3D CAD modelers it has many 2D components in order to sketch 2D shapes or extract design details from the 3D model to create 2D production drawings, but direct 2D drawing (like AutoCAD LT) is not the focus, neither are animation or organic shapes (like Maya, 3ds Max, Blender or Cinema 4D), although, thanks to its wide adaptability, FreeCAD might become useful in a much broader area than its current focus.

FreeCAD makes heavy use of all the great open-source libraries that exist out there in the field of Scientific Computing. Among them are OpenCascade, a powerful CAD kernel, Coin3D, an incarnation of Open Inventor, Qt, the world-famous UI framework, and Python, one of the best scripting languages available. FreeCAD itself can also be used as a library by other programs.

FreeCAD is also fully multi-platform, and currently runs flawlessly on Windows and Linux/Unix and Mac OSX systems, with the exact same look and functionality on all platforms.

As with many modern 3D CAD modelers it has many 2D components in order to sketch 2D shapes or extract design details from the 3D model to create 2D production drawings, but direct 2D drawing (like AutoCAD LT) is not the focus, neither are animation or organic shapes (like Maya, 3ds Max, Blender or Cinema 4D), although, thanks to its wide adaptability, FreeCAD might become useful in a much broader area than its current focus.

Who Uses FreeCAD?
There are plenty of FreeCAD users around the world. And mostly, they are:

The home users/hobbyists. Got yourself a project you want to build, have built, or 3D printed? Model it in FreeCAD. No previous CAD experience required. Our community will help you get the hang of it quickly!
The experienced CAD users and professionals. If you use commercial CAD or BIM modeling software at work, you will find similar tools and workflow among the many workbenches of FreeCAD.
The programmers. Almost all of FreeCAD's functionality is accessible to Python. You can easily extend FreeCAD's functionality, automatize it with scripts, build your own modules or even embed FreeCAD in your own application.
The educators. Teach your students a free software with no worry about license purchase. They can install the same version at home and continue using it after leaving school.
The students. Having worry free license that performs very well starting from concept learned during school days, to a project collaboration between colleagues.

Multiplatform Solution
This has been a great solution for a group of people who work together but they are using different platform/OS. FreeCAD is multiplatfom (Windows, Mac and Linux), and reads and writes many open file formats such as STEP, IGES, STL, SVG, DXF, OBJ, IFC, DAE and many others.

How Good Is FreeCAD?
With such questions, it depends. FeeCAD can be the answer, definitely for users who ask for the most economical one (as it's free, of course). However, there are list of features (it keeps on growing in each new release) that are mind blowing for such zero cost CAD software.

Key Features

A complete Open CASCADE Technology-based geometry kernel allowing complex 3D operations on complex shape types, with native support for concepts like brep, nurbs curves and surfaces, a wide range of geometric entities, boolean operations and fillets, and built-in support of STEP and IGES formats.
A full parametric model. All FreeCAD objects are natively parametric, which means their shape can be based on properties or even depend on other objects, all changes being recalculated on demand, and recorded by the undo/redo stack. New object types can be added easily, that can even be fully programmed in Python.
A modular architecture that allow plugins (modules) to add functionality to the core application. Those extensions can be as complex as whole new applications programmed in C++ or as simple as Python scripts or self-recorded macros. You have complete access from the Python built-in interpreter, macros or external scripts to almost any part of FreeCAD, being geometry creation and transformation, the 2D or 3D representation of that geometry (scenegraph) or even the FreeCAD interface
Import/export to standard formats such as STEP, IGES, OBJ, STL, DXF, SVG, STL, DAE, IFC or OFF, NASTRAN, VRML in addition to FreeCAD's native Fcstd file format. The level of compatibility between FreeCAD and a given file format can vary, since it depends on the module that implements it.
A Sketcher with constraint-solver, allowing to sketch geometry-constrained 2D shapes. The sketcher currently allows you to build several types of constrained geometry, and use them as a base to build other objects throughout FreeCAD.
A Robot simulation module that allows to study robot movements. The robot module already has an extended graphical interface allowing GUI-only workflow.
A Drawing sheets module that permit to put 2D views of your 3D models on a sheet. This modules then produces ready-to-export SVG or PDF sheets. The module is still sparse but already features a powerful Python functionality.
A Rendering module that can export 3D objects for rendering with external renderers. Currently only supports povray and LuxRender, but is expected to be extended to other renderers in the future.
An Architecture module that allows BIM-like workflow, with IFC compatibility.Path module dedicated to mechanical machining like milling (CAM), and is able to output, display and adjust G code.

And those are just simply some of what this free software is offering. There are so many features inside it that you would experience no issue with when migrating from commercial ones into FreeCAD. And with faster and consistent results on operation in it, you would appreciate it more.

Benefits of Using FreeCAD
FreeCAD is definitely free 2D and 3D CAD drafting, modeling, rendering and assembling (features are growing rapidly). You could take big costing benefit out of it. With this fee CAD software, you could simply focus your investment on good supporting hardware such as HP Workstation. No need to use the monstrous brute force like Z840, FreeCAD runs smoothly on Z2, Z240 and Z440. This time, you could get to higher specification (higher proc of choice, RAM and graphics) for your hardware without the worry of spending it to the CAD software. A bargain that is very hard to resist. On top of everything else, you could immediately work with it in such peace of mind, knowing that you have spent your investment, under freedom to create corridor.

For more information and to download FreeCAD, you could visit FreeCAD's official web page at www.freecadweb.org.