how to draw a 3d box in freecad

FreeCAD Assembly iv Tutorial 1

A quick starting time guide

This tutorial will walk y'all through building the following assembly:

The centrality is designed in FreeCAD with the PartDesign workbench
The bearings are imported from a Pace file

This tutorial is too available equally a video:

YouTube

Prerequisites

It is assumed you have read the Assembly4 instructions, and the Assembly4 workbench is already installed. It is also assumed y'all take basic knowledge of FreeCAD, especially the Sketcher and PartDesign workbenches.

Download the Footstep file bearing_20x37x9.stp (directly link to bearing_20x37x9.stp, right-click and save the file) to your local hard drive.

Toolbar and Menu

Buttons in the toolbar are activated with relevant selection. If a button you want to utilise is inactive, try to alter the selection (with the mouse).

These functions are also accessible with the Assembly menu:

Create the documents

We start with an empty FreeCAD.

Create 3 new documents: File > New (or ctrl-northward)
In i document, create a new Model: Menu > Assembly > New Model (or ctrl+m)
- this is going to be the assembly
- save this file every bit asm_tuto1.fcstd
In the second document, create a PartDesign::Trunk: Card > Associates > New Trunk
- call it Axis
- this is where we'll design the axis
- save this file as centrality.fcstd
In the third document, create an App::Function: Bill of fare > Assembly > New Part
- call information technology Bearing
- this is where nosotros'll import the bearing from the STEP file
- save this file as bearing.fcstd
Close all 3 documents (yous don't need to close FreeCAD)
Re-open all 3 documents

Result: These documents are now set up to be used past Assembly4.

Document "axis"

Switch to document "axis" (past clicking on its tab).

Body

Make the trunk active (right-click on Body and then choose Toggle active body from the context menu). Result: This volition switch to the PartDesign workbench.
Create a new Sketch (should be in the active body). In the Task view, select XY_Plane
Draw the following sketch:
Make a revolution of the Sketch:

LCS_1

Switch to Assembly4 workbench
Select the torso Axis (remember it's a PartDesign::Torso)
Create a new Local Coordinate System (LCS) (Menu > Associates > New Coordinate System). Phone call it LCS_1 . This tin likewise be washed by right-clicking on the Axis body in the tree, then choosing Create > New Coordinate Organization from the contextual carte
Edit its MapMode in the Placement in its Property View (see inlay in screenshot below on how to actuate it)
Choose the circumvolve as shown:
Select the option Concentric
Click OK
In order to brand our life easier later on, nosotros'll change the basic color of the Body by right-clicking on the Trunk in the Model tree, and cull Appearance . In the Brandish Properties dialog change the Shape color to something fancy.
Save

Result: The part centrality is now ready for assembly

Document "bearing"

Switch to document "bearing" (by clicking on its tab).

If yous haven't washed and so already, download the Step file bearing_20x37x9.stp to the aforementioned local directory as the 3 previous documents: axis.fcstd, bearing.fcstd, and asm_tuto1.fcstd.

Step import

Import (File > Import) the previously mentioned STEP file bearing_20x37x9.stp

Effect: This volition create a bunch of solids in the bearing document, just not in the part Bearing . This is a documented limitation of App::Function and must be dealt-with manually.

Select all the imported solids within the model tree, and drag them over the Part Bearing (in the tree). Note how the cursor changes to a minor hand and an arrow appears close to the cursor, significant that the solids are moved:
You tin can check that the solids have indeed been moved by collapsing the model tree (with the small triangle). Annotation: If information technology didn't piece of work, gear up it. If necessary, delete the file bearing.fcstd and begin again.

LCS

In gild to identify this begetting in the assembly, we will demand ii new Local Coordinate Systems; each in the centre, but each on 1 side. LCS_0 looks similar information technology is in the eye, but one can never trust a Step import and then we don't use that. Instead, we create the ii new Local Coordinate Systems and place them in the centre of the geometry.
- Select the Model in the tree view
- Create a new Local Coordinate System (LCS) (Assembly > New Coordinate Organisation), leave the default name LCS_1, click OK.
- Create a new Local Coordinate System (LCS) (Associates > New Coordinate Organization), go out the default name LCS_2, click OK.

Placing Local Coordinate Systems

At present place LCS_1 past:
- Right click LCS_1 in the tree
- Choose Edit datum
- Select the edge equally shown in the screenshot below
- Choose the Concentric option:
Click OK
Now place LCS_2 using the same process, just selecting the border on the opposite side of the bearing as shown in the screenshot below:
Click OK
Salve

Result: The part begetting is now fix for associates

Document "asm_tuto1"

Switch to document asm_tuto1 past selecting its tab in the principal window

Insert axis

Select Menu > Assembly > Link a Office , or in the toolbar click on :

This will bring upward the following dialog in the Task console:
Select centrality#Axis
Enter a name, for instance axis
Click OK, this will insert the role into the assembly.
Now the inserted Role needs to exist placed in its right location: since the just-inserted role is nonetheless selected, click on Menu > Assembly > Edit Placement of a Part:

it will bring up the Identify linked Office dialog:

Annotation: the Function that is being placed is transparent during this operation

Make the same selections as in the screenshot higher up
- in the left panel Select LCS in Part choose LCS_0
- in the drop-down combo-box Select part to attach to cull Parent Associates
- in the right panel Select LCS in Parent choose LCS_Origin

Notation: If you click Ignore in the Place Link dialog, and so the linked part will all the same be in the assembly simply without any Placement: in this instance we accept created a raw App::Link interface to the part axis. This link can be moved in the assembly by the congenital-in FreeCAD dragger (Right Click > Transform)

A new axis case appears in the tree inside asm_tuto1. This new instance has a Assembly property section with the following properties:
- AssemblyType : notes which associates solver should be practical (Asm4EE hither)
- AttachedBy : notes by what coordinate organization in the linked office this case is attached to the assembly, preceded by a #
- AttachedTo : notes to which parent, and inside that parent to which coordinate system, separated past a #, the example is attached
- AttachmentOffset : is an App::Placement belongings that applies an offset between the attachment LCS in the linked part and the target LCS in the assembly.
Click OK
Event: the axis part is now in the asm_tuto1 document, including the tree, with all its sub-objects.

Insert bearing 1

Select Associates > Link a Function, select bearing#Bearing
Change the proposed proper name bearing to bearing_1 (we will have 3 bearings)
Click OK
This will insert a link to the _Bearing_part.
Bring up the Place linked Function dialog:
- in the left panel Select LCS in Part choose LCS_1
- in the drib-downwardly combo-box Select part to attach to choose role axis
- in the correct panel Select LCS in Parent cull LCS_0

Event: As you can meet, this has placed the begetting just in an awkward orientation. This is normal, and it'due south due to the different orientations of the LCS during their mapping.

This is easy to correct:

Click on the Rot X and Rot Y and Rot Z buttons until the bearing is in its right position and orientation. You lot can either spend time thinking virtually which axis (X-Y-Z) to rotate, or try everything until it fits. The result will be the same:
In this instance 1 Rot Y was needed.
Click OK

Notation: At present we tin meet why it was useful to change the axis color.

Insert begetting 2

Select Assembly > Link a Part, select bearing#Bearing
Change the proposed name to bearing_2
Click OK
Bring upwardly the Place Link dialog:
- in the left panel Select LCS in Function choose LCS_1
- in the drib-down combo-box Select part to attach to choose role bearing_1
- in the right panel Select LCS in Parent choose LCS_2 Notation: When an LCS has been renamed (as we did in the begetting function) this is how it appears.
Upshot: This time the orientation is correct.
Click OK

Insert bearing 3

This fourth dimension, nosotros'll save some time: select in the Model tree one of the previously inserted bearing_1 or bearing_2, and click on Menu > Assembly > Link a Part : the tool will recognise the linked file, and will increment the previously chosen name with i digit and propose bearing_3
Click OK
Bring up the Identify Link dialog:
- in the left console Select LCS in Part choose LCS_1
- in the drop-downwards combo-box Select function to attach to choose part axis
- in the right console Select LCS in Parent choose LCS_1
- Orient bearing_3 with the buttons Rot X and Rot Y and Rot Z until it is in its correct position
Click OK

Nosotros are nearly done.

Offset bearing three

In real-life, this would be a atomic number 82 spiral with a standard iii-bearings mount, where the ii bearings facing each other are diagonal contact bearings that tin can also take thrust, and the third solitary bearing is a deep groove ball bearing. In order to not over-constrain the centrality, the third begetting mustn't impact the flange of the axis, there must be some room to allow for temperature dilatation compensation AKA thermal expansion.

This is where the AttachmentOffset property of the example comes in play. In addition to store the rotations used to orient the inserted part, it can also apply a translation of the inserted office relative to the target LCS:

Select the case bearing_3 in the Model tree
Open the MapMode of the AttachmentOffset property
In the Z field type: 2mm
Click Apply
Click OK
Save
Click Yes

Effect: Now your beginning Assembly4 assembly is finished!

Cheque

...but or grade we want to check whether everything went according to plan, right?

Shut all three documents
Re-open up asm_tuto1.fcstd
Ignore the warnings: Enumeration index -1 is out of range, ignore it
In the Model tree, right-click on Sketch in the Revolution in the part axis and cull Edit Sketch
Modify the Sketch like in the epitome below:
Click Close
The assembly has updated, the centrality is longer, and all the bearings accept followed:

By right-clicking on the Body inside axis, you tin Toggle active body and edit it with PartDesign, modifying and adding features, like for example a chamfer:

Should it happen that you make modifications in the associates and some parts didn't reply, right-click on that role and choose in the contextual menu Recompute object.

Note: Y'all can too do a Recompute object on the top level associates Model.

Feedback

Did this tutorial help you lot, exercise y'all have anything to share? Please open a ticket or mention something in the dedicated FreeCAD forum thread pertaining to this tutorial. Y'all can too brand a PR with your proposed changes.

Happy Assembling!

Sinclair Doem1958