Feature list

This is an extensive, hence not complete, list of features FreeCAD implements. If you want to look into the future see the Development roadmap for a quick overview the Screenshots are a nice place to go.

General features

Base

• Run as GUI Application with 3D Viewer
• Run as Command line Version with low memory footprint usable as Server
• Run as a Python module
• Plugin/Module framework for late loading of features/data-types
• Built-in Scripting
• Modular MSI Installer

Document

• Undo/Redo framework
• Transaction management
• Parametric associative document objects
• Compound (ZIP based) document save format

Gui

• GUI is fully customizable/scriptable
• Workbench concept
• Built-in python console
• User interaction mirroring on the console
• Full macro recording & editing

Application specific features

As the functionality of FreeCAD is separated in Module which deal with special data types and applications, here is the the list of application/data-type depended features:

Meshes

The Mesh Module handles all kind of meshes.

Modeling

Modeling features:

• offset (trivial or after Jung/Shin/Choi)
• Boolean operations (add, cut, intersect)
• Primitive creation

IO

The mesh module features following:

Imports:

• Ascii or binary STL (Stereo Lithography format) *.stl, *.ast
• The OBJ format *.obj
• Limited NASTRAN support *.nas
• Open Inventor meshes *.iv
• FreeCAD mesh kernel nativ *.bms

Exports:

• Ascii or binary STL (Stereo Lithography format) *.stl, *.ast
• The OBJ format *.obj
• Limited NASTRAN support *.nas *.brl
• VRML meshes *.wrl
• FreeCAD mesh kernel nativ *.bms
• Mesh as python module *.py

Evaluation and Repair

• Tests solid
• Tests non two-manifold
• Tests self intersections
• Hole filling
• Uniform orientation

CAD

The Part Module deals with everything around CAD-modeling and the CAD data structures. The CAD functionality is under heave development see the PartDesign_project and Assembly_project in the Development_roadmap.

An example of union, intersection and difference

Modeling

The modeling functions for the end-user are under development, nevertheless are a lot modelling algortithems of Open CASCADE accesebly throug the script interfaces as described in Topological_data_scripting.

• creation of primitives:
  • parametric creation of box, sphere and cone
  • topologic creation of vertex, edges, wires and planes
  • modeling with extrudes and fillets

• Boolean operations like:
  • Union - fuse shapes together
  • Difference - substraction of two shapes
  • Intersection - cut out the commen parts of two shapes

I/O

• STEP parts and assemblies
• IGES models
• BRep (*.brp), the native format of our Open CASCADE CAD kernel

Raytracing

The Raytracing Module brings all kind of shapes to renderers (like PovRay).

• writing CAD shapes as povray files
• writing viewing cameraposition as povray file

Drawing

The Drawing Module is in place for bring the 3D world on a paper/drawing. It also is intended for reporting to paper or web.

• not implemented jet

Cam

The Cam Module is dedicated to mechanical machining like milling. This module is at the very beginning and at the moment mostly dedicated to Incremental Sheet Forming. Althoug there are some algorithems for toolpath planing they are not usable for the end-user at the moment.