Thanks for the review as it really cut a learning curve very quickly for this AutoCad user that cannot afford the expensive software. Now, on to your website.
Just adding that "sketchup make 2017" is an option it's old and not supported anymore but it's still powerful and it's a local program no need for internet connection.
Update on 1/18/24, copied from Sketchup: "SketchUp only offers downloads of the last two major versions of SketchUp Pro. To be consistent with our policy, we will no longer offer the ability to download SketchUp Make."
I spend so much time googling every single thing I want to do in FreeCAD... It usually ends with me pretty much ragequitting after trying to make a sketch printable or something very basic for 5 hours of nonproductive research. If anyone knows of a FreeCAD tutorial series for ACTUAL beginners, that actually explain workflows... I am all ears. Because of the options here. It seems like FreeCAD has all that I want it to do. But there's a brick wall type of impossible learning curve where it becomes so frustrating to decipher decades old UI-decisions that only make sense for CAD-designers with 50 years of experience with hieroglyphical sierra-moon-logic to every single task.
Hey there, I've only ever attempted to deep dive on Blender and luckily their resources are fairly substantial. I saw (and asked a few friends) many recommending Joko Engineeringhelp. I'm assuming you've already seen their videos, but if you haven't, their FreeCAD playlist is here: ru-vid.com/group/PL7eiW2bt21YU6QEbly78kUgQCNEiDUwSH
It's so true. Nothing seems intuitive. I have a book called "Freecad 0.18 Learn by doing". It's helped with workflow, but every new thing is such a pain that I'm looking for alternatives now.
What kind of thing are you having issues with? I don't really understand the more advanced stuff, but I've made a few perfectly usable items with the software.
@@galvanizeddreamer2051 Lets say, I want to design a book case. Or a wooden box. I've managed to muddle my way through boolean stuff to make a single part. But I am very much stumped about how to go about putting parts together. Or should I block it out as a single part and break out sub parts from it? Or should I... Etc etc, And when I google it, I get so wildly incompatible approaches, most written two or three gui redesigns back or with obscure plugins. I never get a feel for what the workflow should be. And moving between tools and settings feel like a constant chasing of quantum goalposts as menu items and settings and prompts change effects at seemingly random. Sometimes I can write something in a box, sometimes it's greyed out and locked. I see no logic or reason in any of it so it becomes impossible to learn how to go forward.
@@jmalmsten I might be missing what you are trying to do, but I'll see what I can explain as someone with little but functioning knowledge of the program. (I will admit, I am using 0.19, as I have not yet upgraded to 0.20, I didn't even know that update was a thing until yesterday.) The way I do things, I use exactly one, sometimes two workspaces, that being: First, and most importantly: *Part Design* And second: *Spreadsheet* (third if you count *Sketcher,* but entering a sketch from the sidebar automatically brings you into this workspace, so I don't.) In Part Design, you have 90% of the tools you need to make something. First, start off with a "Part" (yellow staircase icon), then create a "Body" (blue staircase icon) inside the Part. Parts are by definition a collection of bodies, and bodies are explicitly limited to a single watertight object. A screw, or a piece of extruded aluminum are going to be their own body, while a multi-object assembly such as a 3D printer hotend or even a bucket and lid are a Part. If you want to use universal variables for your widths or thicknesses, that's where you use Spreadsheets. I can't actually remember how to do that, so sorry. Something regarding tutorials, RU-vid is going to be your best bet, as they often are using the newest versions of things, and you aren't running into decade old forum posts. "MangoJelly Solutions for FreeCAD" has a 0.20 tutorial playlist, which I am going to go watch through, and will assuredly be able to answer your questions better than me. I do apologize if this didn't answer any of your questions. Without explicit knowledge of what your are having trouble with, or experiencing those issues myself (I am by zero means a "power user" with this sort of thing. The most practical thing I've made is a Japanese Beetle trap hanger, which was a sketch and a pad at most), I don't really know where to point you. I do wish you the best regardless.
Another con for FreeCAD is it's packed to the brim with bugs. FreeCAD is the most frustrating CAD modeling software I have ever used. However, it's the only one that has a wide range of tools that are pretty advanced to get recreate any model. Just expect when you have worked a week on a model, it can corrupt for no reason when coming back to it later.
That’s not fun. Although a bit different, a friend of mine set up a custom auto-save feature in Blender that you setup where the alternate files go and frequency that they save at (or hot key). Saved me on multiple occasions. Not sure if there’s an easy way to do that in FreeCAD
@@TrustRadius I save a different file after every pad, pocket, or any type of action that modifies the part. Because if I make about 10 backup files. 8 of them will become corrupted in a unique way with all of them. Examples: The sketch moves entirely off the part. Even though it has been fully constrained. Some sketches hopel planes. Instead of it being on the XZ plane, it's on the XY plan. Disappearing sketches within pads. Disappearing operations, such as pads, and pockets. Boolean operations changing from 'Fuse' to 'common'. And so many more annoying little things here and there. Such as a line having 2 different dimensions. In the original part of a pad, it was 10.3mm, and when it is referenced in a different sketch it's actually 11.08mm. My computer is known to throw errors with games, applications, and websites. So this is normal for me, but it's infuriating. Get a new PC? I wish I had the money.
Oooof. I feel that. My upgrade timed during the shortage in 2020/2021, so used prebuilt with a 2080. Definitely suggest a decent used setup if it ever makes sense! I’m curious if all of those are program or a mix of system issues. Programs like this do seem to have greatly varied experiences across different hardware. I was thinking about exploring more details with certain CAD software in an upcoming video and this could be an interesting issue to look into more.
@@TrustRadius It's probably a mix of program, and hardware issues. But other programs are buggy (within reason). This is by far the worst it's ever been. This acknowledges that I need to completely get another computer. And I have to morally argue with myself on selling this. Even if I give away this PC for free. I am still putting a heavy burden on someone else.
I would not consider sketchup or onshape as a free tool because you can't download it. It's useless if I want something to do while I'm in an airplane traveling.
I've seen a lot of people gravitate to sketchup in the past for architecture because of it's ease of use. If your doing it as a hoddy I recommend looking up "sketchup make 2017" it's the free old desktop version they stopped supporting but it is still powerful and you don't need to be online to use it.
NanoCAD and LibreCAD are both able to open them (possibly with round tripping). It sounds like Sketchup requires a plug-in. I couldn’t find any confirmation from FreeCAD, so if anyone else knows for sure - let us know! All should be compatible with different workarounds in a worst case scenario.
