Macros recipes

This page contains macros to add functionality to your freecad installation

Object creation

 * [[Image:Macro_makeCube.png|16px]] Macro MakeCube : creates a rectangular cuboid from 4 points
 * Macro Solid Sweep: creates a solid by sweeping a 2D profile along a trajectory previously selected in the 3D view. The 2D elements can be created through the regular tools in FreeCAD's GUI.
 * Macro Rectellipse: creates a parametric rectellipse
 * [[Image:Macro_Draft_Circle_3_Points.png|16px]] Macro Make Circle 3 Points: creates a circle on 3 selected points, the points can be objects (this example brings together the two examples below, all parameters simply settle on a graphic window).
 * [[Image:Macro_Draft_Circle_3_Points.png|16px]] Macro Draft Circle 3 Points: creates a circle from 3 selected points 2D orthogonal
 * [[Image:Macro_Draft_Circle_3_Points.png|16px]] Macro Draft Circle 3 Points 3D: creates a circle from 3 selected points in the space 3D
 * Macro Screw Maker1_2: This macro creates a screw with or without thread, according to ISO standards (screw_maker1_6.py.zip with Pyside support). (Screw Maker 2.0 - new version!)
 * Macro GeodesicDome: This macro creates a geodesic dome shell
 * [[Image:Macro_BOLTS.png|16px]] Macro BOLTS: The aim of BOLTS is to build a free and open-source standard parts library for CAD applications.
 * Macro Ellipse Center+2Points Makes an ellipse by selecting three points (in this order): centre, major radius and minor radius
 * Macro Airfoil Import & Scale : Imports and scales a .dat airfoil to desired chord length.
 * Macro Line Length: Create a line giving coordinate XYZ length and angle to plane X Y
 * Macro CutLine: Cut a line and create x points, giving the number of points, create line or not, create points or not, create bicolor or not on choice.
 * Macro Circle: Create a circle or arc giving radius, diameter, circumference, area, startangle, endangle, arc, anglecenter, cord, arrow, center (point) on choice.
 * Macro CutCircle: Cut a circle or arc and create x arcs, giving the number of cut.
 * Macro TriangleAH: This macro create one triangle creates a triangle by giving the head angle and the height of the triangle (the triangle of the head is positioned to the xyz coordinates 0.0)
 * [[Image:FCTexture.png|16px]] Macro FCTexture: Create a project from a bmp image to create a texture easily
 * [[Image:FreeCAD Doc.png|16px]] Macro PartsLibrary: Starts the Parts library browser
 * [[Image:BoundBoxTracing.png|16px]] Macro BoundingBox Tracing : This macro red trace (editable) around the BoundingBox with 6 rectangles
 * [[Image:PartDesign_InvoluteGear.png|16px]] Involute Gear: allows you to create gear. See InvoluteGearFeature.py in FreeCAD_sf_master.
 * FCCircularTextButtom.png Macro FCCircularText: This macro create a text around a cylinder
 * Macro Geneva Wheel: Allows the user to create a Geneva wheel mechanism from scratch. Must edit values within the Macro to alter the size of the object.
 * Macro WireXYZ: This macro creates a Wire with the coordinates extracted from a file. The coordinates X Y Z are separated by a space.
 * FCSpring_Helix_Variable.png Macro FCSpring Helix Variable: This macro create one spring truncate, the troncature is adjustable on the all coil to choice.
 * Macro Arch Axis System Repartition: This macro help you to create an Arch Axis System along a line with a set of parameters.
 * Macro Cabinets32: creates side and top/bottom walls for a cabinet with drilled holes for connection parts of manufacturer Hettich.
 * Macro_Half_Hull_Model.png Macro Half-Hull Model: This macro generates both three dimensional half-hull and full-hull models from a series of 2D line drawings.
 * Macro Stairs: Create stair helix, create your stair nosing select and run the macro.

Object transformation

 * Macro ArrayCopy: copies the selected object several times, on an array grid
 * Macro FlattenWire: flattens draft wires that are not plane to their median Z coordinate
 * Macro MeshToPart: converts selected meshes to parts
 * Macro JointWire: allows to find and joint all non connected edge to the closest non connected one using a line
 * Macro Remove parametric history: removes all parametric associativity from an object, leaving it as a "dumb" shape
 * Macro SuperWire: Forces the creation of a Wire from lines and arcs that don't necessarily touch each other. Use this if normal wire operation fails
 * Macro HealArcs: Sometimes arcs are transformed into BSplines, for example when scale operations have been applied to them. This macro recreates valid arcs from them. Useful before exporting to dxf
 * Macro FaceToSketch: Converts the selected Face to a single Sketch without constraints.
 * Macro EdgesToArc: Converts the selected Edges to a circular Arc if possible. Useful for restoring discretized arcs.
 * [[Image:Macro_CloneConvert.png ‎|16px]] Macro CloneConvert: Creates a clone of the object and the converted in the chosen position and size (inch, mm, m, µm...). The base object is recognized in mm (FreeCAd base)
 * Macro Creating faces from a DXF file: This macro create face from a DXF file, the "Layer" are recognized separate and trained in groups.

3D View operations

 * Macro Rotate View This macro rotates the current view by 90° to the left. Only works if you are in Top view.
 * Macro View Rotation Provides a GUI to permit rotation of view by precise amounts in all three directions.
 * Macro Texture Objects This macro allows you to temporarily put a texture image on the selected objects.
 * Macro Mouse Cross This small macro turns the arrow of the mouse in a precision cross.
 * Macro Align ViewToFace This macro aligns the current view to a selected face.
 * Macro Align Object to View This macro align the selected object to the current View and set the coordinates Placement of the camera.
 * Macro Align Face Object to View This macro align the face of the selected object to the current View (in case face hole the hole is placed to the view).

Wizards

 * Macro Automatic Drawing: allows the user to get the view of his object in a drawing with 4 different position(front,top,iso,right). Needs some modification to be perfectly effective
 * Macro Corner Shapes Wizard: pops up a dialog asking for the dimensions of your corner piece, then creates the object in the document and creates a page view with top, front and lateral views of the piece
 * Macro CartoucheFC: This GUI macro to fill simply all fields of the cartridge of the plan implementation worksheet FreeCAD, the format of the date and the symbol of the projection mode adapt to the EU region or US selected.
 * Macro CartoucheFC Full: (Full field edition for this Templates) This GUI macro to fill simply all fields of the cartridge model 1 of the plan implementation worksheet FreeCAD, the format of the date and the symbol of the projection mode adapt to the EU region or US selected.
 * Macro CartoucheFC 2: (Full field edition for this Templates) This GUI macro to fill simply all fields of the cartridge model 2 of the plan implementation worksheet FreeCAD.
 * Macro SheetMetalUnfolder: Creates an unfolded part from a sheet-metal-part.
 * Macro UnrollRuledSurface: allows to unroll ruled surfaces and to draw them on a page.
 * Macro UnfoldBox: allows to unfold the surfaces of a box of any shape and to draw them on a page.
 * Macro Geneva Wheel GUI: A GUI front end that allows the user to create a Geneva wheel mechanism from scratch.
 * [[Image:Part_Prism_Apothem.svg|16px]] Macro Apothem Based Prism GUI A GUI dialog that creates an Apothem, (inradius) Based Prism from user input.

Utility

 * Macro MessageBox: shows how to give information to the user through the GUI.
 * [[Image:FCInfo.png|16px]] Macro FCInfo : Gives a series of information about the selected shape and can display a conversion of length, inclination (degrees, radian, grade) shape, surface, volume and the weight of the form in the density selected in various international and Anglo-Saxon units
 * [[Image:FCInfo.png|16px]] Macro FCInfo Alternate Linux : same as above, but for Linux
 * [[Image:Macro_FCInfoGlass.png|16px]] Macro FCInfoGlass : Gives a series of information about the selected shape and displayed in screen 3D
 * Macro 3D Printer Slicer: Exports current design to slicer software or CAM software.
 * Macro Delta xyz : Gives the Delta values and the distance between 2 points
 * CenterFace.png Macro CenterFace : This macro red trace (editable) the center face (mass) with 1 point and print the coordinates
 * Macro ObjectInfo: User-friendly "Info" module created by a FreeCAD user
 * MacroMenu: Add the macros found in the macros folder to the Macros menu of FreeCAD
 * [[Image:Force_Recompute.png|16px]] Macro ForceRecompute : Forces manual recompute of model
 * Macro Shake Sketch: Shake a sketch in order to discover its unconstrained parts.
 * [[Image:Replace_Part.png|16px]] Macro Replace Part in Assembly: Replaces a part (simple copy) in an "Assembly" with another Part (simple copy).
 * WF_wf.png Macro WorkFeatures: Tool utility to create plans of the axes, planes from 3 points, axes on a form, information on the coordinates of the shape and many other useful features to facilitate the creation of your project. This utility is up next in the combo view.
 * Macro_Dump_Objects.png Macro Dump Objects: This macro generates a listing of all objects in the current document - the list can be in a window or on the Report view.
 * Macro Manage Navigational Style: This pair of macros allow you to alter the Navigation Style while in the Sketcher.
 * Macro_Toggle_Views_Visibility.png Macro Toggle Views Visibility: This macro toggles the visibility of various supporting views in FreeCAD, allowing the main window to be viewed with all available screen space.
 * Macro_Python_Assistant_Window.png Macro Python Assistant Window: This macro provides a cut/copy/paste workspace for Python code, it is segmented so different sections can be selected and it is persistent between FreeCAD sessions.
 * Macro_Build_Utility.png Macro Build Utility: This macro provides a utility to assemble a project from sub-project files using the Merge Project facility.
 * FCCamera_00.png Macro_FCCamera: This macro can rotate the screen in a defined angle and the defined axis and creates a plan to face the screen to create a form in the specified plan positions the selected face facing the screen, to detect the position of the camera ...
 * Macro_Global_Variable_Watcher.png Macro Global Variable Watcher: This macro facilitates the user selecting global variables and monitoring their values.
 * Macro HighlightCommon: Highlight common parts.
 * [[Image:HighlightDifference.png|16px]] Macro HighlightDifference: Compute the difference between two shapes.
 * [[Image:PropertyMemo.png|16px]] Macro PropertyMemo: This little macro create one Property additional (memo or other text) for you object (only Draft)

Mathematical functions

 * Macro 3D Parametric Curve: Draw a function described by parametric equations x(t), y(t) and z(t).
 * Macro Draw2DFunction: draws a function described by an equation z=F(x)
 * Macro DrawParametric2Dfunction: Based on the above macro, but for parametric and optionally polar equations.

Animation

 * Macro Crank Simul : Rotation rod and piston
 * Macro Spring : simulation of one spring
 * Macro Hinge : Open and close hinge
 * Macro Assembly : Assembly animate
 * Macro Animated Constrain: Animate angle constrain in sketcher
 * Macro Assemblage Imprimante 3D: Simulation of movements of a 3D printer

Raytracing

 * Macro Export to Kerkythea : Export from FreeCAD to Kerkythea

FEM

 * GMSHMacro : Create FEM Meshes by GMSH Mesh Generator

Drawing Workbench

 * Macro Get Normal Vector of Face: Get the normal vector of a preselected face for creating a drawing view normal to that face

How to use?
The above macros can easily be plugged on any FreeCAD installation
 * Copy the macro python code from the corresponding macro page
 * In FreeCAD, Macro->Macros->Create new, and give it a name
 * Paste the python code you copied
 * Hit the Save button, and restart FreeCAD
 * Open the Macro manager, select your new macro and click "execute"
 * Tutorial Macro Install HowTo

Additionally, you can also add your new macro to a custom toolbar
 * In FreeCAD, go to Tools -> Customize
 * In the Macros tab, add a new macro, and, if you like, define an icon and a keyboard shortcut
 * In the Toolbars tab, create a new toolbar, and add your macro, taking it from the "Macros" category.
 * Tutorial Customize ToolsBar

Adding new macros to this repository
"Macro My Excellent Macro: My excellent macro". A new page (red link) will be created.
 * Create a new page, beginning its name with "Macro", for example "Macro_My_Excellent_Macro", this can be done simply by editing this page, and adding a new link to your macro, like this:
 * In that page, paste the following text:

(With the default icon)

(With the icon custom)

(Another language with the default icon (example "/fr" "/de" "/it"....))

(Another language with the icon custom (example "/fr" "/de" "/it"....))

Note that the name of the icon must have the same name as the name of the macro.
 * You can also Upload a custom format icon.png
 * example : " Macro_My_Excellent_Macro " without extension (the extension is given by the system), and, replace " Icon=Text-x-python " by " Icon=Macro_My_Excellent_Macro "
 * Text-x-python [[Image:Text-x-python.png|32px]] is the default icon of the page dedicated to the Macro.


 * Paste your macro, and use the Code template to avoid adding spaces into your script. This will display the macro in a monospace font inside a light grey box like the example above.
 * If you like, upload a .png icon with the exact same name as your macro page (ex. Macro_My_Excellent_Macro.png)
 * Add an image: an image is useful to show what the macro does. Optionally you can create an animated gif that represents the object in context. The gif image should have a maximum size of 500x500px as the wiki does not resize animated gifs; if the gif is any bigger the animation won't work.
 * Optionally you can add some more info on how to use your macro, tips, limitations and workaround.
 * It is also interesting to include version information in your macro. This macro allows you to locate in time compared to the evolution of FreeCAD, do "Menu > Help > About FreeCAD and click to Copy to clipboard" and paste it your macro

Ex:

It is also advisable to create a macro in your header, this header can be used by the Plugin Loader program to install the macro and check versions

Ex:


 * Add it to the above categories, create a new category if needed.