this post was submitted on 27 Jun 2024
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FreeCAD

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FreeCAD is an open-source parametric 3D modeler made primarily to design real-life objects of any size. Parametric modeling allows you to easily modify your design by going back into your model history and changing its parameters.

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Hi c/FreeCAD, totally newbie here! I'm having a ton of fun learning FreeCAD, but I have a small question. I know the toponaming problem is going away soon, and maybe that makes this kind of irrelevant, but I'd still like to know.

Sometimes when I'm watching or reading guides on avoiding the toponaming problem, the person will say something along the lines of: "actually this technique is also more professional/proper/correct anyway, real engineers do it this way." Basically that the methods that avoid the problem are also just best practices in general. But they always say that as kind of an aside, and I wish they'd say more! What makes those methods better? Does anyone have any suggestions for articles or videos about this?

For one example, there was one guide that suggested you should use a datum plane instead of referencing one of the object's surfaces. I understand the toponaming problem well enough to get why referencing a surface can cause it. However, the person in the guide used the same surface that would have been referenced, as the attachment point for the datum plane. Why does that not produce the same issue?

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[โ€“] TeaEarlGrayHot@lemmy.ca 9 points 4 months ago (4 children)

When I'm using FreeCAD, I'll use a spreadsheet for all of my variables, so everything is linked together by formulas. Next, I'll use datum planes rather than drawing directly on object faces (which completely solves topological naming), although I wouldn't attach the plane to the surface--just geometrically define the distance and angle in the spreadsheet and reference it directly (e.g. if I want a datum plane halfway up my object, I'll make its height h/2)

[โ€“] MxRemy@lemmy.one 3 points 4 months ago

Ohhh, that's brilliant! I've been using named sketch constraints and then formulas referencing those so far, but AFAICT you can't seem to name the parameters in pads/pockets/etc? Using a spreadsheet sounds much better, thanks!

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