School me on CAD, CAM, etc..

[matthewsx]

Thanks! I haven't tried FreeCAD and didn't know if it included a CAM package. Most of my work to date has been more or less 2.5 D; no 3-D surfacing. I'm still a manual G-coder at this time; at least the CAD would let me do the drawing and tell me tangent points, etc. for arcs.

Bruce

You have a Tormach right? If so Path Pilot is based on Linux CNC.

Edit: Sorry, I conflated the two, I use both....

John

 

[BGHansen]

You have a Tormach right? If so Path Pilot is based on Linux CNC.

Edit: Sorry, I conflated the two, I use both....

John

It'd be nice to be able to accurately draw something (other than my Post drafting machine), generate the G-code, then dump that into PathPilot. PP will puke if there are conflicts in the G-code (unknown codes, G02/G03 with parameters that don't reconcile, etc.) which are then manually edited/corrected. Once it "buys" the routine, it's shown in its entirety on the screen and can be run virtually. I think of it as a bit of a CNC simulator in that respect. I'm just going to have to jump in and start watching some videos after the holidays.

Bruce

 

[graham-xrf]

I had at least 6 hours a day to eat, sleep, conduct personal hygiene, and try to improve myself when I was in Iraq in 2004. There, of all places, I was able to get a copy of Solidworks 2002 from Haji, who had it accidentally mixed in with his bootleg DVD movies. I taught myself how to use it by going through the built-in tutorials while lying in my bunk during the wee hours. Since then, I've used SW '03, '06, 07, 09, 11, 14, 16... and a little bit of the DSS versions after that. Truth, 2004 is all I really need for shop work. It has a fastener library, materials library, FIE (static), and all the tools I need. My current install is 2016. Unfortunately, native tool paths didn't come around until 2020, so I still need a CAM package. I have a SheetCAM license for the plasma table, but that doesn't do milling. There are 3rd party CAM plug-ins ($$) for earlier versions.

Because of the time committed to SW and the fact that I like it very much, I've been resistant to try FreeCAD. Not only would I have to learn it, I'd have to de-program what I already know as muscle memory. Maybe it's a sign that I'm getting old and rigid, unable to adapt to new patterns. I don't think my attitude has always been so. Same as how I feel I would be happier working freely with a T-square and angles, especially when designing, I feel that way about CAD just being easier in Solidworks. Like, I should keep a Windows XP machine running SW 2004 permanently offline so I can just design with what I know, but that never works. I'd look at that antiquated PC and realize I'm much older than it is, and wonder what that says about me.

I have also run the gamut of CAD software, both in electronics and RF design, electromagnetics, and mechanical, including a less than stellar lock-in with LabView and OrCAD. I know what it is like to discover that "older" computer saved work, and CAD packages won't even run on a new PC, just because they are "no longer supported for permissions required by operating system". Fundamentally, I rarely ask permissions for anything I do anyway, and I cease to interact with entities that require such. Only for stuff like crossing borders legally, or constructing a shop outbuilding in a National Park.

Like you, I recognize that many of us, myself included, likely do not have enough life left to "start over", go again with "rescue as much as possible", onto a new platform, and spend years becoming slick with the mouse muscle memory, and familiar procedures in a different way. I want to spend these good years (hopefully) doing stuff I enjoy, like playing with machines that make precision stuff, and getting that buzz feeling of achievement. I am not to be lured into becoming some kind of "CAD older statesman whizz-kid" locked into somebody's corporate CAD acquisitive monetized business model!

My messing with FreeCAD turns out to be not so difficult as first I thought, because it allows me to "not have to dabble too deeply".
I know I am using a monster powerful tool, with "workbenches" which I will never have need to exploit what they do, but that'[s OK.
This "under-usage" situation may be similar to getting into the latest version of Microsoft's "Excel" spreadsheet. I would guess most folk only ever use about 10% of it's functions which it does well. It gets harder to keep persuading folk the gee-whizz features in the latest version are worth having, against that it only has to keep doing its main spreadsheet thing well, and definitely not acceptable to require all one's previous work files to be "converted".

The game of having the latest versions be incompatible with one's previous documents was not going to be tolerated any more. Simply to be able to send stuff to other folk required a file format to be longer lived. I used LibreOffice, which does pretty much everything the same as as Excel, and can export in about 11 different formats, starting with xls, through xlsm, and xlsx, and xltx, etc.

The same thing, I think, happened to mechanical CAD. Whether it be Solidworks (which is Dassault), Solid Edge, Pro-Engineer, whatever, they will all invent a file format just for their CAD, and the business of passing designs between folk using different platforms becomes a mess, starting with "can it import a DXF?". Over time, just like with PDF documents, a standard develops. Every platform imports as many formats as possible, but will only export their own, with the only work-around being to export to another software, save it out, and import back.

I had then had enough of it! I used FreeCAD, even in my limited, dabbling way. Easily good enough for drawings, and I exported STEP, and also .IGES format files, knowing everyone could use them. The "backwards compatible" feature meant no more re-doing work, just to be loadable onto something's "new version". Only now, rubbing with HM members who drive their machines with CNC setups, do I start using a little more of what FreeCAD can do.

 

[devils4ever]

Gee, the PATH workbench was there all the time... It is a standard workbench. It is part of the basic FreeCAD package I built from source. Ask devils4ever, I know nothing about it. But I'd like to learn about it!

I found the PATH workbench a little trickier to use than the design workbenches (Part Design, Part workbenches).

 

[hman]

I know that there are lots of instructional videos out there ... but I've always learned better from books than videos.

Does anybody know of a FreeCAD tutorial book that covers the Path workbench? I've tried searching Amazon, but no joy.
Many thanks!

 

[rabler]

I know that there are lots of instructional videos out there ... but I've always learned better from books than videos.

Does anybody know of a FreeCAD tutorial book that covers the Path workbench? I've tried searching Amazon, but no joy.
Many thanks!

I haven't seen one that explicitly covers the path workbench, but my experience with books on freecad is pretty poor. Like you and others, I strongly prefer a written guide to a video. I'm sadly guessing that video is easier to produce these days than a decent book.

 

[devils4ever]

There are several videos on the Path workbench. Look for the ones by Joko Engineering. I think he is one of the developers. Make sure you look for the latest version of FreeCAD. Path changed on the latest version.

 

[PhilJustLearning]

I'm also a user of FreeCAD now on Linux (Ubuntu 22.10). Many years ago I started with SketchUp Make as others have too, it was very easy to use after the initial learning curve. At that time you could download and run the program, SketchUp Make 2017, on your PC without all the license hassles of today.

Sketchup Make 2017 (Last free version)

(Last free version)

openbuilds.com

As I get more involved with machining I want to grow my skills with CAD. I tried FreeCAD years ago and had some disappointing results trying to get it running and not crashing on Linux. I figured I should give it another try, open source software does improve. So I recently tried version 20 (the AppImage on Linux) and it works very well now.

For folks using Linux, I think the AppImage can make a big difference by making sure the program has all the right libraries and so it doesn't crash like before.
FreeCAD is also available for Windows and MacOS.

FreeCAD: Your own 3D parametric modeler

FreeCAD, the open source 3D parametric modeler

www.freecad.org

I also wanted to tell everyone of the helpful videos I found for this version 20 (I bounced around a bit before stumbling on these). After the first few videos I was up and running and was able to make a simple drawing for an object to 3D print. FreeCAD also has CAM built in using the Path workbench. I have plans to use FreeCAD workbenches to create G-code to drive my Sherline 4410 CNC lathe when I get CNC NEMA 23 stepper motors, drivers, & controller all connected and configured.
The video link is:

https://www.youtube.com/@MangoJellySolutions/playlists

By sure to select Playlists, and version 20 FreeCAD for beginners. See attached.

Path workbench

Path Workbench - FreeCAD Documentation

wiki.freecad.org

Phil

 

[hman]

Thanks for the link! I have a couple of tutorial books, but none of them include the Path workbench. I plan to download andstart using FreCad pretty soon.

My current 3D CAD software is somewhat limited, and does not include any kind of CAM module.

 

[PhilJustLearning]

Thanks for the link! I have a couple of tutorial books, but none of them include the Path workbench. I plan to download andstart using FreCad pretty soon.

My current 3D CAD software is somewhat limited, and does not include any kind of CAM module.

You're welcome, great to hear @hman
What I like about the video tutorials, and these in particular, is he walks you through version 20 step by step assuming you are not already familiar with FreeCAD. Like many of us, we have used some of these tools before, but each one is a little (a lot sometimes) different and there are lots of menus too. Once the key concepts are grasped, then it should be easier to some do self-learning after that and be productive.
Phil