FreeCAD is a free 3D CAD program intended for the design and construction of parts and assemblies, creation of technical documentation, simulation of production on CNC machines, Finite Element Method (FEM) analysis, BIM design of construction objects, and more.
Simply put, FreeCAD has the same purpose as SolidWorks, Solid Edge, Catia, T-Flex, Ascon Kompas, NX, Creo, ZWCAD, and others. The most significant difference between them is that FreeCAD is absolutely free and open-source. You can download it for free, install it on as many computers as you want, use it, distribute it, and even modify it. Its code is open and published under the LGPL license. The data you create in FreeCAD is entirely yours, and its structure allows it to be edited even without FreeCAD. Since FreeCAD is free, open-source software, no company can blackmail you by changing the rules specified in the license or penalize you for illegally using their 3D CAD software. If you think large software companies don't do this, read about how Autodesk changed the license for Fusion360 software, how it constantly changes the price of this software, how it shut down ArtCAM software, and how the SolidWorks company first declared the Draftsight program free, and then, once people got used to it, declared it commercial.
About the FreeCAD Program
FreeCAD is developed and maintained by a community of programmers and users united only by their passion for this program and free software.
A very good feature of FreeCAD is that it can run on the most important operating systems: Windows, Linux, or MAC.
It should be noted that FreeCAD falls under the category of 3D CAD programs, not 3D modeling programs. The main role of FreeCAD is geometric CAD modeling of parts and assemblies such as machines, devices, furniture, casings, etc. 3D modeling programs are used for "organic" modeling using polygonal meshes, i.e., for modeling people, animals, characters for video games or the film industry, and so on. If you are interested in free 3D modeling software, I advise you to study free software such as Blender, Wings3D, etc.
At the beginning, I wrote in the definition that FreeCAD belongs to the family of 3D CAD programs, which is only partly true, as FreeCAD is a much more complex software package also intended for production (CAM), calculations (CAE), 3D printing, BIM, etc.
History of FreeCAD
FreeCAD began development in January 2001, and its founders are Jürgen Riegel and Werner Mayer.
FreeCAD was created when Jürgen Riegel started working on the Cas.CADE project. Cas.CADE was a commercial kernel for geometric modeling, which the owners declared free, i.e., open-source, in 2000 and renamed OpenCascade. This event allowed FreeCAD to become completely free and open-source. In March 2002, Jürgen Riegel registered the software under the name FreeCAD, and in 2003 he presented it to the public for the first time on the OpenCascade forum.
Since 2007, FreeCAD has been under the LGPL license.
Due to the complexity of 3D CAD programs, programming 3D CAD tools could not begin immediately because a lot of purely programming work had to be done first: planning, interface, harmonization of various parts of the program, selection of auxiliary libraries, harmonization of the kernel and programming languages, icons, and so on. These are very important tasks that we, the users of 3D CAD software, rarely think about.
FreeCAD received its first user Workbenches in version 0.7, released in 2007. These were the Part and Draft Workbenches. The Part Workbench is used for 3D CAD modeling using primitives, and the Draft Workbench for 2D and 3D wireframe CAD modeling.
At the end of 2009, FreeCAD appeared in the Debian Linux operating system repository, and in 2010 it was also added to the Ubuntu Linux operating system repository.
In FreeCAD version 0.9, the Sketcher Workbench appeared, which is used for drawing 2D parametric sketches.
The Part Design Workbench, used for modeling with typical shapes, appeared in 2011 in FreeCAD version 0.11. The Robot Workbench also appeared in this version of the software.
This is how the program's framework for 3D CAD modeling of parts and assemblies was created. Since mostly programmers worked on the development of FreeCAD at that time, several beginner mistakes were made that later significantly slowed down the development and popularity of the program. The most significant mistakes were the slow resolution of the Topological Naming Problem and the slow development of Workbenches for assembly modeling and the creation of technical drawings.
When the FreeCAD framework was built, the conditions were met for its more serious and faster development. More and more users and programmers gradually became involved in the development, FreeCAD began to develop faster, and this resulted in the release of version 1.0. The release of FreeCAD 1.0 is a major turning point for this increasingly popular free 3D CAD software. First, the Topological Naming problem was solved, and second, FreeCAD finally had built-in Workbenches that engineers most often use: modeling parts and assemblies, modeling sheet metal parts, modeling construction objects, simulation of production on CNC machines, Finite Element Method calculations, creation of technical drawings, etc. In other words, from version 1.0, FreeCAD became ready for professional use.
Capabilities of FreeCAD
Since FreeCAD is free 3D CAD software, its capabilities are more modest than those of commercial competitors, into whose development hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested.
On the other hand, FreeCAD has enough capabilities to satisfy a large number of industrial and scientific-technological fields.
FreeCAD is a 3D CAD/CAM/CAE/BIM program and consists of a large number of Workbenches. Each Workbench covers an area of design, construction, production, etc. It should be noted that there are Workbenches whose capabilities can even be measured against those of commercial 3D CAD programs, but on the other hand, there are also new or unfinished Workbenches.
FreeCAD can be used for:
- 3D CAD modeling of mechanical parts (parametric modeling using typical shapes, modeling using primitives, sheet metal modeling),
- Wireframe, surface, and solid modeling,
- Assembly modeling,
- BIM - Building Information Modeling of construction objects (read about FreeCAD BIM here),
- Furniture modeling,
- Databases of standard parts and standard calculations,
- Creation of technical drawings based on 3D models,
- Drawing 2D geometry, i.e., 2D CAD,
- Simulation of part machining on numerical machines (milling, turning, etc.),
- Finite Element Method calculations (strength, heat transfer, fluid movement, etc.),
- 3D printing,
- Robot work simulation, etc.
Workbenches are developed daily, and if you are not satisfied with the current capabilities of a Workbench, you can wait a while until it is improved, or you can even fix or add the functionality you need yourself.
A large number of people will say that FreeCAD is inferior to commercial 3D CAD software, that it doesn't have a bunch of functions that commercial software has, etc. Of course, they are right, but the following explanation should be added here. Imagine that on one side you have a modern car that costs a lot of money, has a tremendous number of both necessary and unnecessary functions, and is expensive to maintain. Now imagine that on the other side you have a new, functional, and free car, but the model is 20-30 years old, so it doesn't have a bunch of modern features. Wouldn't most people who don't have a lot of money agree to have a functional free car? FreeCAD may not have a large number of capabilities that commercial 3D CAD software has, but those capabilities will probably appear in it sooner or later. Here it is important to note that FreeCAD sometimes only at first glance lacks certain capabilities that commercial 3D CAD software has, but when you dig a little deeper you will see that some of them exist, but they must be achieved indirectly or in several steps, and the result is the same.
If you look at the list of who FreeCAD is intended for, you can conclude for yourself at what level the functionality of this increasingly popular free 3D CAD software is. Simply put, FreeCAD can be used today to solve simple and medium-complex problems, i.e., modeling parts that do not have very complex geometry and forming assemblies that do not have an excessively large number of parts.
FreeCAD is not recommended for modeling parts that have very complex geometry. These are mostly parts with complex fillets, inclined sides, complex ribs, etc., i.e., complex plastic, cast, and forged parts.
It should be noted that when FreeCAD cannot do something, the problem is not always only with it, but also with the imperfection of the OpenCascade geometric modeling kernel on which FreeCAD is built. Hundreds of millions of dollars have not been pumped into it as into commercial kernels (e.g., Parasolid, ACIS, etc.), so its capabilities are not so sophisticated. On the other hand, it is the only free quality 3D CAD kernel, and we should be happy that it exists at all.
A large number of people have invested immense knowledge and time in the development of FreeCAD and the OpenCascade kernel without financial compensation, and that effort should be greatly appreciated.
Finally, I would like to mention one of the reasons why I love FreeCAD. With modern 3D CAD software, everything is at your fingertips, a bunch of functions pop up under the mouse, you have a million options and tools for every little thing, they constantly change the interface from version to version, they force you to work the way they imagined, etc. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but these things bother me, and I like FreeCAD because it doesn't do anything on its own, the interface has been the same for years (if you want, you can change it however you like), and to do some things you sometimes have to think and be resourceful. In short, FreeCAD doesn't spoil you but forces you to think and become more capable and smarter. Personally, I think it is much better for young people to start learning 3D CAD modeling with FreeCAD, and not with some expensive modern 3D CAD software. To me, that is similar to a person learning to add with a calculator but not knowing how to add in their head.
FreeCAD still has beginner shortcomings that are mostly easily overcome with a little anger, persistence, and help from the FreeCAD community. Be persistent, because by working you will reach a level of knowledge that will allow FreeCAD to become a completely normal 3D CAD tool in your hands.
Purpose of FreeCAD
The FreeCAD program is a 3D CAD/CAM/CAE/BIM program, and today it is at such a stage of development that it can be useful to a large number of users who deal with various scientific and technological fields.
First, I would answer the most frequently asked question by beginners. The answer is **YES**, FreeCAD is a 3D CAD program like Catia, NX, SolidWorks, Solid Edge, Inventor, T-Flex, etc. If you learn to work in FreeCAD, you will easily switch to any commercial CAD/CAM/CAE/BIM program used by the company you get employed in. The working principle is very similar in all 3D CAD programs.
FreeCAD can be used by:
- Students and teachers of secondary technical schools,
- Students of technical faculties,
- Secondary technical schools and faculties,
- Scientists such as physicists, chemists, etc.,
- Small companies that need 3D CAx programs but do not have money for commercial 3D CAx packages,
- Various departments in large companies that do not need a commercial 3D CAD program but only a viewer for 2D documentation or 3D models of parts and assemblies (quality control, production, marketing, etc.),
- Start-up companies that start developing their products,
- Enthusiasts,
- Tradesmen (carpenters, locksmiths, welders) – If you are a tradesman and your kid understands computers and smartphones, why not make them learn the basics of the FreeCAD program and gain the ability to solve various geometric problems you encounter in your work very quickly in 3D space,
- Programmers and mathematicians who are interested in the field of 3D graphics,
- Illustrators – FreeCAD can be excellently used for creating 2D and 3D technical illustrations, i.e., for creating technical illustrations in books, seminar papers, graduation papers, diploma theses, doctoral dissertations, technical instructions, etc.,
- Various programming or specialist companies that want to create their products based on FreeCAD or its 3D models.
As you can see, there is an extremely large number of potential users of the free 3D CAD program FreeCAD, and we hope that over time, an increasing number of people will see its good features and start using it.
FreeCAD is intended for a large number of technical disciplines, and due to its modularity, that number of disciplines is constantly increasing. FreeCAD is intended for the following areas:
Mechanical Engineering (Design, construction of parts and assemblies, production on CNC machines, Finite Element Method simulations, etc.),
Civil Engineering and Architecture (Design, construction, BIM, Finite Element Method simulations, etc.),
Electrical Engineering (design and construction of casings, arrangement of parts within devices, PCB, Finite Element Method simulations of heat transfer, i.e., cooling, electromagnetism, etc.),
3D Printing,
Robotics,
Woodworking Industry (Design, construction of furniture and various wood products, production, simulations),
Physics (Optics, electromagnetism, simulations, etc.).
Advantages of FreeCAD
Like everything else, FreeCAD has its drawbacks and its advantages compared to commercial 3D CAD programs.
In this text, I would like to list a few key advantages of this free 3D CAD software over its commercial competition:
- It enables the freedom of creation.
- It is not necessary to pay the cost of the software.
- It is not necessary to pay for software maintenance or the cost of new versions.
- It is not necessary to pay for additional modules (CAM, CAE, BIM, surface modeler, etc.).
- The program is open-source, and compared to commercial software packages, the user has complete freedom ("Free as in Freedom").
- You can use it on weaker hardware than required by commercial 3D CAD software.
- It has a large community of developers and users willing to help via tutorials (check out our YouTube playlist), forums, social networks, etc.
- You can influence various program functions, and if you know how to program, you can independently program the functions that are missing in the program. FreeCAD is written in the programming languages C++ and Python and uses technologies such as OpenCascade, 3D Coin, etc.
- It is translated into Serbian, Croatian, and Slovenian, allowing most people from the EX YU region to use it in their local or neighboring language. In this way, FreeCAD is accessible to a large number of people who do not know foreign languages.
- It makes 3D CAD accessible to small companies, startups, enthusiasts, and self-employed individuals, i.e., everyone who does not have enough money to purchase 3D CAD software.
- All capabilities are programmed to solve a problem, not for marketing.
- FreeCAD will not spy on what you are doing.
- By using free software, you become part of a large community that promotes social solidarity, cooperation, independence from large corporations, etc.
- It runs on all three most widespread operating systems: Linux, Windows, and MacOS.
As you can see, these are not negligible advantages. I understand that for many industries, FreeCAD is currently weak for professional use, but that does not mean one should not help it, slowly learn it, slowly implement it into their company, and so on. I will not comment on remarks like "SolidWorks is better," "I only like Catia or NX," and so on, because such statements are childish.
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