1. FreeCAD — main 3D CAD (CAx);
2. QCAD — main 2D CAD (CADD);
3. SolveSpace — helper 2D/3D parametric CAD & CAE for daily engineering, sketching & relax.[0,1,2,3]
[0] https://github.com/solvespace/solvespace
[1] https://github.com/Symbian9/SolveSpace-Daily-Engineering
[2] https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL53gPqUkbj3JndwS2T410...
Do any of these easily let you build a map from only the distances between two landmarks? I've been wanting to make an accurate map of the trees in my yard. That should be pretty easy to turn into a map using basic trig, but I don't want to do it by hand.
Use QGIS[0] or OpenOrienteering Mapper[1] (simpler than QGIS) app for any GIS/cartography/mapping tasks.
JFTR, GIS apps are "CAD for cartography"; FreeCAD/QCAD/SolveSpace are "CAD for civil engineering", but could be used for some GIS tasks.
Anyway, OpenOrienteering Mapper & QGIS are CAD apps You are looking for!
[0] https://qgis.org
> FreeCAD has a 2D constraints-based solver (the sketch workbench)
Fun Fact: SolveSpace solver "libslvs" used by 'realthunder' for Assembly3 Workbench for FreeCAD.[0,1]
[0] https://github.com/realthunder/FreeCAD_assembly3/wiki/Build-...
[1] https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?p=204024#p204024
I was using lightwave a lot and it was obvious, depending on view it rotated the object. For CAD software it is some sort of black magic where one axis never works.
Currently playing with bricscad but I think that my disconnect with any of CAD systems comes from same root.
This works well in OpenSCAD and I just saw that Slic3r displays a handy arrow in the 3D preview when you focus the text box that controls the rotation
What type of rotation you mean? (part rotating/posing or "spinner"/"rotor" animation)
(Doing 3d printed speaker stand for 3d and I am workarounding this "issue" in sweat and tears ;) )
> Just turning the object on zx or zy axis
There are no such type of axis, because "XY", "ZX", "ZY" — are planes formed by two crossed axis combination ("XY" plane formed by crossed "X" and "Y" axis, etc.).
> Doing 3d printed speaker stand for 3d and I am workarounding this "issue" in sweat and tears
If you mean that you need just rotate solid object from horizontal to vertical (for 3D printing) — there are few ways.
SolveSpace has NO "limits in terms of CAD" (as SolveSpace 3.0 actually in active development, heavy rework & list of implemented features growing each week) — the only limits it has is that for creating _too_complex_ solids & assembly it just requires to use more tricks & more powerful PC ;)
When people say "CAD" they are talking about any number of technical things.
Say you want to insure a free form surface is a minimum radius connecting all other surfaces. Depending on the scenario, one may be able to do that in the software today, but doing it may require well above average math and geometry skills.
In "CAD", the skill requirement is much reduced, leaving the user more focused on requirements and overall design intent, not implementation details.
Just FYI, on what "CAD" often means to people.
Yep, I know. I use 'master' builds since SolveSpace became open-source.[0]
SolveSpace is my daily engineering tool during last 7 years ;)
[0] http://libregraphicsworld.org/blog/entry/solvespace-released...
One big "quality of life" thing that even OnShape is missing that Fusion has is the ability to dimension a line from another line, i.e. you can specify a dimension as "line_23 / 2", which allows you to do math with the other element as a variable. It's a pretty small feature, but extremely useful.
SolveSpace has a lot of constraints & this is a key feature of SolveSpace.
What "missing constraints" you talking about?
MagicaVoxel — https://ephtracy.github.io/ — will work with your 3D printer & is closer to building sandcastles. It’s a simpler way to get started.
Once you go back to FreeCAD, open the Python console. You’ll see the code that goes with each step in the GUI!
https://medium.com/tech-notes-and-geek-stuff/install-magicav...
So - I wrote my own tool/library in Go and it's essentially replaced my OpenSCAD usage.
That looks really cool. What kind of files can it output?
> SDFs make CSG easy
Can you share some more info about how this works?
CSG = constructive solid geometry: Take primitive 3d shapes and do unions, differences, intersections on them to build more complex shapes.
Fairly obviously the union of 2 sdf functions is going to be the minimum of those values. That pretty simple.
Intersections and differences are not much more complex....
See: https://iquilezles.org/www/articles/distfunctions/distfuncti...
for some quick examples.
This company provides Linux based software for front panel designs. I had their EU branch made several panels for me. The software was pleasant to use. File export seems to be only a proprietary format. Obviously 2D only.
Not open source like the other options discussed here, but free for hobbyists.
The productivity gain goin to fusion was about 10 fold. I think onshape is even better tho. I particularly like the assembly system.
I have no CAD experience outside of what I learned in university over a decade ago, so it has been a challenge.
I have generally found it quite hard to achieve some simple designs, it's not always easy to understand what a tool does from its name, and it's not always easy to find a video online to help. Sometimes you know what you need to do, but can't find the tool for it because you have no idea what it's called in CAD land.
The bugs which cause parts to just disappear when you run certain operations are an issue, and there is little help to explain the cause, I've gotten a few designs into the broken state others have mentioned where you need to undo a bunch of work to recover, which is unfortunate.
On the other hand, I found creating drill holes, countersunk or counterbored incredibly easy and powerful.
I hope to find an up to date video series I can follow to learn more as I'm sure it'll become a lot easier to use once I understand the tools better.