Sandbox:PartDesign Workbench

''Temporary page. References What's new in PartDesign Next, Updated PartDesign workflow, FC v0.17dev: Part Design Next Usecases and Best practices, Workbench.cpp, Sandbox:Part Design Next''

The Part Design Workbench provides advanced tools for modeling complex solid parts and is based on a feature-editing methodology. It is mostly focused on, but not limited to, creating mechanical parts. It is intricately linked with the Sketcher Workbench.



Feature Editing Methodology
While the Part Workbench and other FreeCAD workbenches construct models by combining shapes together, the PartDesign workbench uses ‘’features’’. A feature is an operation that modifies the shape of a model.

The first feature is commonly called the ’’’base feature’’’. As more features are added to the model, each feature takes the shape of the previous one and adds or removes matter, creating lineal dependencies from one feature to the next. In effect, this methodology mimics a common manufacturing process: a block is cut on one side, then on another side, holes are added, then rounds, etc.

All features are listed sequentially in the Model tree and can be edited at any time, with the last feature at the bottom representing the final part.

Features can be sorted into different categories:


 * Sketch-based: these features start from a sketch to define the shape of the matter to be added or removed.
 * Additive: adds matter to the existing model. Additive features show yellow icons.
 * Subtractive: removes matter from the existing model. Subtractive features show red and blue icons.
 * Primitive-based: based on geometric primitives (cube, cylinder, cone, torus…). They can be additive or subtractive.
 * Transformation features: they apply a transformation to existing features.
 * Dress-up: features that apply a treatment to edges or faces, such as fillets/rounds, chamfers and drafts.
 * Procedural: can be said of features that are not based on sketches.

Body
The Body is a container that groups a sequence of features forming a single contiguous solid.

What is a single contiguous solid? It is an object like a casting or something machined from a single block of metal. If the object involves nails, screws, glue or welding, it is not a single contiguous solid. As a practical example, a wooden chair would be made of multiple bodies, with one for each of its subcomponents (legs, slats, seat, etc).

Different bodies can be created in a FreeCAD document; they can also be combined to form a single contiguous solid.

Body Visibility Management
A body will present by default its most recent feature to the outside. This feature is defined as the tip. As a new feature is added to the body, visibility of the previous feature is turned off, and the new feature becomes the tip. There can only be one feature visible at a time. It is possible to toggle the visibility of any feature in the body, by selecting it in the Model tree and pressing the spacebar, in effect going back in the history of the body.

Body Origin
The body has an Origin which consists of reference planes (XY, XZ, YZ) and axes (X, Y, Z) that can be used by sketches and features. Sketches can be attached to Origin planes, and they no longer need to be mapped to planar faces for features based on them to be added or subtracted from the model.

Datum Geometry
Datum geometry consists of custom planes, lines, points or externally linked shapes. They can be created for use as reference by sketches and features. There is a multitude of attachment possibilities for datums.

Cross-referencing
It is possible to cross-reference elements from a body in another body via datums. For example the datum shape binder allows to copy over faces from a body as reference in another one. This should make it easy to build a box with fitting cover in two different bodies. FreeCAD helps you to not accidentally link to other bodies and queries your intent.

The Tools
The Part Design tools are all located in the Part Design menu and the PartDesign toolbar that appear when you load the Part Design workbench.

Part Design Helper

 * PartDesign Body.png Create body: Creates a Body in the active document and makes it active.
 * PartDesign_NewSketch.png Create sketch: creates‎ a new sketch on a selected face or plane. If no face is selected while this tool is executed, the user is prompted to select a plane from the Tasks panel. The interface then switches to the Sketcher_Workbench in sketch editing mode.
 * [[Image:Sketcher_EditSketch.png|32px]] Edit sketch: Edit the selected Sketch.
 * [[Image:Sketcher_MapSketch.png‎|32px]] Map sketch to face: Maps a sketch to a previously selected plane or a face of the active body.

Datum tools

 * PartDesign Point.png Create a datum point: creates a datum point in the active body.
 * PartDesign Line.png Create a datum line: creates a datum line in the active body.
 * PartDesign Plane.png Create a datum plane: creates a datum plane in the active body.
 * PartDesign ShapeBinder.png Create a shape binder: creates a shape binder in the active body.
 * PartDesign Clone.png Create a clone: creates a clone of the selected body.

Additive tools
These are tools for creating base features or adding material to an existing solid body.
 * PartDesign_Pad.png Pad: extrudes a solid from a selected sketch.
 * PartDesign_Revolution.png Revolution: creates a solid by revolving a sketch around an axis. The sketch must form a closed profile.
 * PartDesign AdditiveLoft.png Additive loft: creates a solid by making a transition between two or more sketches.
 * PartDesign AdditivePipe.png Additive pipe: creates a solid by sweeping one or more sketches along an open or closed path.
 * Create an additive primitive: adds an additive primitive to the active body.
 * PartDesign AdditiveBox.png Additive box: creates an additive box.
 * PartDesign AdditiveCone.png Additive cone: creates an additive cone.
 * PartDesign AdditiveCylinder.png Additive cylinder: creates an additive cylinder.
 * PartDesign AdditiveEllipsoid.png Additive ellipsoid: creates an additive ellipsoid.
 * PartDesign AdditivePrism.png Additive prism: creates an additive prism.
 * PartDesign AdditiveSphere.png Additive sphere: creates an additive sphere.
 * PartDesign AdditiveTorus.png Additive torus: creates an additive torus.
 * PartDesign AdditiveWedge.png Additive wedge: creates an additive wedge.

Subtractive tools
These are tools for subtracting material from an existing body.


 * PartDesign Pocket.png Pocket: creates a pocket from a selected sketch.
 * PartDesign Hole.png Hole: creates a hole feature from a selected sketch. The sketch must contain one or multiple circles.
 * PartDesign Groove.png Groove: creates a groove by revolving a sketch around an axis.
 * PartDesign SubtractiveLoft.png Subtractive loft: creates a solid shape by making a transition between two or more sketches and subtracts it from the active body.
 * PartDesign SubtractivePipe.png Subtractive pipe: creates a solid shape by sweeping one or more sketches along an open or closed path and subtracts it from the active body.
 * Create a subtractive primitive: adds a subtractive primitive to the active body.
 * PartDesign SubtractiveBox.png Subtractive box
 * PartDesign SubtractiveCone.png Subtractive cone
 * PartDesign SubtractiveCylinder.png Subtractive cylinder
 * PartDesign SubtractiveEllipsoid.png Subtractive ellipsoid
 * PartDesign SubtractivePrism.png Subtractive prism
 * PartDesign SubtractiveSphere.png Subtractive sphere
 * PartDesign SubtractiveTorus.png Subtractive torus
 * PartDesign SubtractiveWedge.png ‎Subtractive wedge

Transformation tools
These are tools for transforming existing features. They will allow you to choose which features to transform.


 * [[Image:PartDesign_Mirrored.png|32px]] Mirrored: mirrors one or more features on a plane or face.
 * [[Image:PartDesign_LinearPattern.png|32px]] Linear Pattern: creates a linear pattern based on one or more features.
 * [[Image:PartDesign_PolarPattern.png|32px]] Polar Pattern: creates a polar pattern of one or more features.
 * [[Image:PartDesign_MultiTransform.png|32px]] Create MultiTransform: creates a pattern with any combination of the other transformations.

Dress-up tools

 * PartDesign Fillet.png Fillet: fillets (rounds) edges of the active body.
 * PartDesign Chamfer.png Chamfer: chamfers edges of the active body.
 * PartDesign Draft.png Draft: applies and angular draft to faces of the active body.
 * PartDesign Thickness.png Thickness: creates a thick shell from the active body and opens selected face(s).

Boolean

 * PartDesign Boolean.png Boolean operation: imports one or more Bodies or PartDesign Clones into the active body and applies a Boolean operation.


 * PartDesign Migrate.png Migrate: migrates files created with older FreeCAD versions. If pure PartDesign feature based, migration should succeed. If they are mixed Part / Part Design/ Draft, the conversion will most likely fail.

Other tools

 * PartDesign MoveTip.png Move/Set tip
 * PartDesign CoordinateSystem.png Coordinate system: edit
 * PartDesign BodyTree.png Body tree
 * Sketch attachment : To describe all the ways of Sketch Attachment. See User:DeepSOIC
 * Move object to other body
 * Move object after other object
 * Body attachment : To describe all the ways of Body attachment, according to the object.
 * Super Placement : To describe all cases in which it is used "super Placement" in place of "Placement"
 * Duplicate selection

Tutorials

 * PartDesign Bearingholder Tutorial I (needs updating)
 * PartDesign Bearingholder Tutorial II (needs updating)
 * PartDesign tutorial (needs updating)
 * Basic Part Design Tutorial (needs updating)
 * Sketcher tutorial