Whiffle Ball tutorial

Introduction
This tutorial is here to teach you how to use the Part Workbench.

The Part Workbench was the first workbench developed. It provides the basic geometrical elements that can be used as building blocks for other workbenches. The Part Workbench is meant to be used in a traditional constructive solid geometry (CSG) workflow. For a more modern workflow using sketches, pads, and features, use the PartDesign Workbench.

You will practice:
 * inserting primitives
 * changing values of primitives
 * modifying the placement
 * doing boolean operations

If you selected something wrong or want to de-select everything, just click on empty space in the 3D view.



Setup
1. Open FreeCAD, create a new empty document with, and switch to the Part Workbench.

Press the button or press  in the numerical pad of your keyboard to change the view to isometric to visualize the 3D solids better.

Insert primitive cubes
2. Insert a primitive cube by clicking on.
 * 2.1. Select in the tree view.
 * 2.2. Change the dimensions in the tab of the property editor.
 * 2.3. Change to.
 * 2.4. Change to.
 * 2.5. Change to.

3. In the tab of the property editor, click on the  value so the ellipsis button  appears on right.
 * 3.1. Press on the ellipsis to launch the Placement dialog.
 * 3.2. Change the translation values.
 * 3.3. Change to.
 * 3.4. Change to.
 * 3.5. Change to.
 * 3.6. Press the button to close the dialog.

4. Repeat the process, inserting a second, smaller cube by clicking on.
 * 4.1. The second cube will be created with the same name, but with an additional number to distinguish the object.
 * 4.2. Select in the tree view, and change the dimensions and placement like with the previous object.
 * 4.3. Change to.
 * 4.4. Change to.
 * 4.5. Change to.
 * 4.6. Open the Placement dialog.
 * 4.7. Change to.
 * 4.8. Change to.
 * 4.9. Change to.
 * 4.10. Press the button to close the dialog.

Change visual properties
5. The previous operations create a smaller cube inside a bigger cube. To visualize this, we can modify the properties in the property editor.
 * 5.1. Select, the smaller cube, in the tree view, and change the color. In the tab, click on the  value to open the "Select color" dialog, then choose a green color.
 * 5.2. Select, the larger cube, in the tree view, and change the transparency. In the tab, change the value of  to.



Insert primitive cylinders
6. Insert a primitive cylinder by clicking on.
 * 6.1. Select in the tree view.
 * 6.2. Change the dimensions in the tab of the property editor.
 * 6.3. Change to.
 * 6.4. Change to.
 * 6.5. Open the Placement dialog.
 * 6.6. Change to.
 * 6.7. Press the button to close the dialog.

7. Repeat the process, inserting a second cylinder by clicking on.
 * 7.1. The second cylinder will be created with the same name, but with an additional number to distinguish the object.
 * 7.2. Select in the tree view, and change the dimensions and placement like with the previous object.
 * 7.3. Change to.
 * 7.4. Change to.
 * 7.5. Open the Placement dialog.
 * 7.6. Change to.
 * 7.7. Change the rotation, ; to, and  to.
 * 7.8. Press the button to close the dialog.

8. Insert another cylinder. This time create a duplicate, so that the radius and height doesn't have to be changed, only its placement.
 * 8.1. Select in the tree view, and go to the menu . This will create.
 * 8.2. Open the Placement dialog.
 * 8.3. Change to.
 * 8.4. Change the rotation, ; to, and  to.
 * 8.5. Press the button to close the dialog.

Change visual properties
9. The previous operations create three cylinders that intersect with each other, and with the previously placed cubes. To visualize this better we can modify the properties in the property editor.
 * 9.1. Click on to adjust the 3D view so that all elements are seen in the view.
 * 9.2. Select, the larger cube, in the tree view, and change the transparency. In the tab, change the value of  to.
 * 9.4. Select, in the tab, click on the  value to open the "Select color" dialog, then choose a red color.
 * 9.5. Select, in the tab, click on the  value to open the "Select color" dialog, then choose a blue color.
 * 9.6. Select, in the tab, click on the  value to open the "Select color" dialog, then choose a pink color.



Fuse and cut
10. In the tree view, select (the inner, smaller cube),, , and , and fuse them together by clicking on.

Hold while you click to select multiple items.

11. Then perform a boolean cut of the and the new  object.
 * 11.1. In the tree view select first, and then.
 * 11.2. Then press.
 * the order in which you select the objects is important for the cut operation. The base object is selected first, and the subtracting object comes at the end.
 * 11.3. If the colors look strange, select the new object, go to the  tab, click on the  value to open the "Select color" dialog, then choose a gray color.



Insert primitive cubes to cut shapes
12. Insert another cube that will be used to cut the previous partial solid.
 * 12.1. Clicking on.
 * 12.2. Select in the tree view, and change the dimensions and placement like with the previous objects.
 * 12.3. Change to.
 * 12.4. Change to.
 * 12.5. Change to.
 * 12.6. Open the Placement dialog.
 * 12.7. Change to.
 * 12.8. Change to.
 * 12.9. Change to.
 * 12.10. Press the button to close the dialog.

13. Insert another cube that will be used to cut the previous partial solid.
 * 13.1. Clicking on.
 * 13.2. Select in the tree view, and change the dimensions and placement like with the previous objects.
 * 13.3. Change to.
 * 13.4. Change to.
 * 13.5. Change to.
 * 13.6. Open the Placement dialog.
 * 13.7. Change to.
 * 13.8. Change to.
 * 13.9. Change to.

Now we'll duplicate the previous two objects to use them to cut the previously obtained solid.

14. Select only in the tree view, and duplicate it. Go to.
 * 14.1. The resulting solid is.

15. Select only  in the tree view, and duplicate it. Go to.
 * 15.1. The resulting solid is.

Cutting the corners part 1
16. Select and, but make sure, that  is selected FIRST.
 * 16.1. Activate menu to change placement.
 * 16.2. Tick option to object placement, notice that all values are reset.
 * 16.3. Choose "Rotation: X-Axis" and "Angle: 45°" and click on.
 * 16.4. Choose "Rotation: Z-Axis" and "Angle: 45°" and click on.
 * 16.5. Click on to close the dialog.

17. Apply a boolean cut by clicking, the resulting object will be named.

Cutting the corners part 2
18. Select and, but make sure, that  is selected FIRST.
 * 18.1. Activate menu to change placement.
 * 18.2. Tick option to object placement, notice that all values are reset.
 * 18.3. Choose "Rotation: X-Axis" and "Angle: 45°" and click on.
 * 18.4. Choose "Rotation: Z-Axis" and "Angle: -45°" and click on.
 * 18.5. Click on to close the dialog.
 * 18.6. Apply a boolean cut by clicking, the resulting object will be named.

If everything went well your model should look like this:



Finishing the model
19. Select and, but make sure, that  is selected FIRST.
 * 19.1. Apply a boolean cut by clicking, the resulting object will be named.

20. Select and, but make sure, that  is selected FIRST.
 * 20.1. Apply a boolean cut by clicking, the resulting object will be named.