Manual:All workbenches at a glance: Difference between revisions

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One of the biggest difficulty for new users of FreeCAD, is to know in which workbench to find a specific tool. The table below will give you an overview of the most important workbenches and their tools. Refer to each [[Workbenches|workbench]] page in the FreeCAD documentation for a more complete list.
One of the biggest difficulties for new users of FreeCAD, is to know in which workbench to find a specific tool. The table below will give you an overview of the most important workbenches and their tools. Refer to each [[Workbenches|workbench]] page in the FreeCAD documentation for a more complete list.


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| [[Image:Part_Torus.png|32px]] [[Part_Torus|Torus]]
| [[Image:Part_Torus.png|32px]] [[Part_Torus|Torus]]
| Draws a torus (ring)
| Draws a torus (ring)
| [[Image:Part_CreatePrimitives.png|32px]] [[Part_CreatePrimitives|Create primitives]]
| [[Image:Part_CreatePrimitives.svg|32px]] [[Part_CreatePrimitives|Create primitives]]
| Creates various other parametric geometric primitives
| Creates various other parametric geometric primitives
|-
|-
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| Cuts (subtracts) one object from another
| Cuts (subtracts) one object from another
|-
|-
| [[Image:Part_JoinConnect.png|32px]] [[Part_JoinConnect|JonConnect]]
| [[Image:Part_JoinConnect.png|32px]] [[Part_JoinConnect|JoinConnect]]
| Connects interiors of walled objects
| Connects interiors of walled objects
| [[Image:Part_JoinEmbed.png|32px]] [[Part_JoinEmbed|JoinEmbed]]
| [[Image:Part_JoinEmbed.png|32px]] [[Part_JoinEmbed|JoinEmbed]]
| Embeds a walled object into another walled object
| Embeds a walled object into another walled object
|-
|-
| [[Image:Part_JoinCutout.png|32px]] [[Part_JoinCutout|Join Cutout]]
| [[Image:Part_JoinCutout.png|32px]] [[Part_JoinCutout|JoinCutout]]
| Creates a cutout in a wall of an object for another walled object
| Creates a cutout in a wall of an object for another walled object
| [[Image:Part_Extrude.png|32px]] [[Part_Extrude|Extrude]]
| [[Image:Part_Extrude.svg|32px]] [[Part_Extrude|Extrude]]
| Extrudes planar faces of an object
| Extrudes planar faces of an object
|-
|-
| [[Image:Part_Fillet.png|32px]] [[Part_Fillet|Fillet]]
| [[Image:Part_Fillet.svg|32px]] [[Part_Fillet|Fillet]]
| Fillets (rounds) edges of an object
| Fillets (rounds) edges of an object
| [[Image:Part_Revolve.png|32px]] [[Part_Revolve|Revolve]]
| [[Image:Part_Revolve.svg|32px]] [[Part_Revolve|Revolve]]
| Creates a solid by revolving another object (not solid) around an axis
| Creates a solid by revolving another object (not solid) around an axis
|-
|-
| [[Image:Part_Section.png|32px]] [[Part_Section|Section]]
| [[Image:Part_Section.svg|32px]] [[Part_Section|Section]]
| Creates a section by intersecting an object with a section plane
| Creates a section by intersecting an object with a section plane
| [[Image:Part_SectionCross.png|32px]] [[Part_SectionCross|SectionCross]]
| [[Image:Part_SectionCross.png|32px]] [[Part_SectionCross|SectionCross]]
| Creates multiple cross sections along an object
| Creates multiple cross sections along an object
|-
|-
| [[Image:Part_Chamfer.png|32px]] [[Part_Chamfer|Chamfer]]
| [[Image:Part_Chamfer.svg|32px]] [[Part_Chamfer|Chamfer]]
| Chamfers edges of an object
| Chamfers edges of an object
| [[Image:Part_Mirror.png|32px]] [[Part_Mirror|Mirror]]
| [[Image:Part_Mirror.svg|32px]] [[Part_Mirror|Mirror]]
| Mirrors the selected object on a given mirror plane
| Mirrors the selected object on a given mirror plane
|-
|-
| [[Image:Part_RuledSurface.png|32px]] [[Part_RuledSurface|Ruled Surface]]
| [[Image:Part_RuledSurface.svg|32px]] [[Part_RuledSurface|Ruled Surface]]
| Create a ruled surface between selected curves
| Create a ruled surface between selected curves
| [[Image:Part_Sweep.png|32px]] [[Part_Sweep|Sweep]]
| [[Image:Part_Sweep.svg|32px]] [[Part_Sweep|Sweep]]
| Sweeps one or more profiles along a path
| Sweeps one or more profiles along a path
|-
|-
| [[Image:Part_Loft.png|32px]] [[Part_Loft]]
| [[Image:Part_Loft.svg|32px]] [[Part_Loft]]
| Lofts from one profile to another
| Lofts from one profile to another
| [[Image:Part_Offset.png|32px]] [[Part_Offset|Offset]]
| [[Image:Part_Offset.svg|32px]] [[Part_Offset|Offset]]
| Creates a scaled copy of the original object
| Creates a scaled copy of the original object
|-
|-
| [[Image:Part_Thickness.png|32px]] [[Part_Thickness|Thickness]]
| [[Image:Part_Thickness.svg|32px]] [[Part_Thickness|Thickness]]
| Assign a thickness to the faces of a shape
| Assign a thickness to the faces of a shape
|}
|}
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| Trims, extends or extrudes an object
| Trims, extends or extrudes an object
|-
|-
| [[Image:Draft_Upgrade.png|32px]] [[Draft_Upgrade|Upgrade]]
| [[Image:Draft_Upgrade.svg|32px]] [[Draft_Upgrade|Upgrade]]
| Turns or joins objects into a higher-level object
| Turns or joins objects into a higher-level object
| [[Image:Draft_Downgrade.png|32px]] [[Draft_Downgrade|Downgrade]]
| [[Image:Draft_Downgrade.svg|32px]] [[Draft_Downgrade|Downgrade]]
| Turns or separates objects into lower-level objects
| Turns or separates objects into lower-level objects
|-
|-
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| Creates a 2D object which is a flattened view of another object
| Creates a 2D object which is a flattened view of another object
|-
|-
| [[Image:Draft_Draft2Sketch.png|32px]] [[Draft_Draft2Sketch|Draft to Sketch]]
| [[Image:Draft_Draft2Sketch.svg|32px]] [[Draft_Draft2Sketch|Draft to Sketch]]
| Converts a Draft object to a Sketch and vice-versa
| Converts a Draft object to a Sketch and vice-versa
| [[Image:Draft_Array.png|32px]] [[Draft_Array|Array]]
| [[Image:Draft_Array.png|32px]] [[Draft_Array|Array]]
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| Draws a regular triangle inscribed in a construction geometry circle
| Draws a regular triangle inscribed in a construction geometry circle
|-
|-
| [[Image:Sketcher_CreateSquare.png|32px]] [[Sketcher_CreateSquare|Square]]
| [[Image:Sketcher_CreateSquare.svg|32px]] [[Sketcher_CreateSquare|Square]]
| Draws a regular square inscribed in a construction geometry circle
| Draws a regular square inscribed in a construction geometry circle
| [[Image:Sketcher_CreatePentagon.png|32px]] [[Sketcher_CreatePentagon|Pentagon]]
| [[Image:Sketcher_CreatePentagon.svg|32px]] [[Sketcher_CreatePentagon|Pentagon]]
| Draws a regular pentagon inscribed in a construction geometry circle
| Draws a regular pentagon inscribed in a construction geometry circle
|-
|-
| [[Image:Sketcher_CreateHexagon.png|32px]] [[Sketcher_CreateHexagon|Hexagon]]
| [[Image:Sketcher_CreateHexagon.svg|32px]] [[Sketcher_CreateHexagon|Hexagon]]
| Draws a regular hexagon inscribed in a construction geometry circle
| Draws a regular hexagon inscribed in a construction geometry circle
| [[Image:Sketcher_CreateHeptagon.png|32px]] [[Sketcher_CreateHeptagon|Heptagon]]
| [[Image:Sketcher_CreateHeptagon.svg|32px]] [[Sketcher_CreateHeptagon|Heptagon]]
| Draws a regular heptagon inscribed in a construction geometry circle
| Draws a regular heptagon inscribed in a construction geometry circle
|-
|-
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| Defines the radius of a selected arc or circle by constraining the radius.
| Defines the radius of a selected arc or circle by constraining the radius.
|-
|-
| [[Image:Constraint_InternalAngle.png|32px]] [[Sketcher ConstrainAngle|Internal anglr]]
| [[Image:Constraint_InternalAngle.png|32px]] [[Sketcher ConstrainAngle|Internal angle]]
| Defines the internal angle between two selected lines.
| Defines the internal angle between two selected lines.
| [[Image:Constraint_SnellsLaw.png|32px]] [[Sketcher ConstrainSnellsLaw|Snell's law]]
| [[Image:Constraint_SnellsLaw.png|32px]] [[Sketcher ConstrainSnellsLaw|Snell's law]]
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! Description
! Description
|-
|-
| [[Image:Arch_Wall.png|32px]] [[Arch_Wall|Wall]]
| [[Image:Arch_Wall.svg|32px]] [[Arch_Wall|Wall]]
| Creates a wall from scratch or using a selected object as a base
| Creates a wall from scratch or using a selected object as a base
| [[Image:Arch_Structure.png|32px]] [[Arch_Structure|Structure]]
| [[Image:Arch_Structure.svg|32px]] [[Arch_Structure|Structure]]
| Creates a structural element from scratch or using a selected object as a base
| Creates a structural element from scratch or using a selected object as a base
|-
|-
| [[Image:Arch_Rebar.png|32px]] [[Arch_Rebar|Rebar]]
| [[Image:Arch_Rebar.svg|32px]] [[Arch_Rebar|Rebar]]
| Creates a reinforcement bar in a selected structural element
| Creates a reinforcement bar in a selected structural element
| [[Image:Arch_Floor.png|32px]] [[Arch_Floor|Floor]]
| [[Image:Arch_Floor.svg|32px]] [[Arch_Floor|Floor]]
| Creates a floor including selected objects
| Creates a floor including selected objects
|-
|-
| [[Image:Arch_Building.png|32px]] [[Arch_Building|Building]]
| [[Image:Arch_Building.svg|32px]] [[Arch_Building|Building]]
| Creates a building including selected objects
| Creates a building including selected objects
| [[Image:Arch_Site.png|32px]] [[Arch_Site|Site]]
| [[Image:Arch_Site.svg|32px]] [[Arch_Site|Site]]
| Creates a site including selected objects
| Creates a site including selected objects
|-
|-
| [[Image:Arch_Window.png|32px]] [[Arch_Window|Window]]
| [[Image:Arch_Window.svg|32px]] [[Arch_Window|Window]]
| Creates a window using a selected object as a base
| Creates a window using a selected object as a base
| [[Image:Arch_SectionPlane.png|32px]] [[Arch_SectionPlane|Section plane]]
| [[Image:Arch_SectionPlane.svg|32px]] [[Arch_SectionPlane|Section plane]]
| Adds a section plane object to the document
| Adds a section plane object to the document
|-
|-
| [[Image:Arch_Axis.png|32px]] [[Arch_Axis|Axis]]
| [[Image:Arch_Axis.svg|32px]] [[Arch_Axis|Axis]]
| Adds an axes system to the document
| Adds an axes system to the document
| [[Image:Arch_Roof.png|32px]] [[Arch_Roof|Roof]]
| [[Image:Arch_Roof.svg|32px]] [[Arch_Roof|Roof]]
| Creates a sloped roof from a selected face
| Creates a sloped roof from a selected face
|-
|-
| [[Image:Arch_Space.png|32px]] [[Arch_Space|Space]]
| [[Image:Arch_Space.svg|32px]] [[Arch_Space|Space]]
| Creates a space object in the document
| Creates a space object in the document
| [[Image:Arch_Stairs.png|32px]] [[Arch_Stairs|Stairs]]
| [[Image:Arch_Stairs.svg|32px]] [[Arch_Stairs|Stairs]]
| Creates a stairs object in the document
| Creates a stairs object in the document
|-
|-
| [[Image:Arch_Panel.png|32px]] [[Arch_Panel|Panel]]
| [[Image:Arch_Panel.svg|32px]] [[Arch_Panel|Panel]]
| Creates a panel object from a selected 2D object
| Creates a panel object from a selected 2D object
| [[Image:Arch_Frame.png|32px]] [[Arch_Frame|Frame]]
| [[Image:Arch_Frame.svg|32px]] [[Arch_Frame|Frame]]
| Creates a frame object from a selected layout
| Creates a frame object from a selected layout
|-
|-
| [[Image:Arch_Equipment.png|32px]] [[Arch_Equipment|Equipment]]
| [[Image:Arch_Equipment.svg|32px]] [[Arch_Equipment|Equipment]]
| Creates an equipment or furniture object
| Creates an equipment or furniture object
| [[Image:Arch_SetMaterial.png|32px]] [[Arch_SetMaterial|Material]]
| [[Image:Arch_SetMaterial.svg|32px]] [[Arch_SetMaterial|Material]]
| Attributes a material to selected objects
| Attributes a material to selected objects
|-
|-
| [[Image:Arch_Schedule.png|32px]] [[Arch_Schedule|Schedule]]
| [[Image:Arch_Schedule.svg|32px]] [[Arch_Schedule|Schedule]]
| Creates different types of schedules
| Creates different types of schedules
| [[Image:Arch_CutPlane.png|32px]] [[Arch_CutPlane|Cut plane]]
| [[Image:Arch_CutPlane.svg|32px]] [[Arch_CutPlane|Cut plane]]
| Cut an object according to a plan
| Cut an object according to a plan
|-
|-
| [[Image:Arch_Add.png|32px]] [[Arch_Add|Add]]
| [[Image:Arch_Add.svg|32px]] [[Arch_Add|Add]]
| Adds objects to a component
| Adds objects to a component
| [[Image:Arch_Remove.png|32px]] [[Arch_Remove|Remove]]
| [[Image:Arch_Remove.svg|32px]] [[Arch_Remove|Remove]]
| Subtracts or removes objects from a component
| Subtracts or removes objects from a component
|-
|-
| [[Image:Arch_Survey.png|32px]] [[Arch_Survey|Survey]]
| [[Image:Arch_Survey.svg|32px]] [[Arch_Survey|Survey]]
| Enters or leaves surveying mode
| Enters or leaves surveying mode
|}
|}
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{{VeryImportantMessage|Development of the [[Drawing Workbench|Drawing Workbench]] stopped in FreeCAD 0.16, and the new [[TechDraw Workbench|TechDraw Workbench]] aiming to replace it was introduced in v0.17. The Drawing Workbench may be removed in future releases. Use the TechDraw Workbench instead.}}

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The Drawing Workbench handles the creation and manipulation of 2D drawing sheets, used for displaying views of your 3D work in 2D. These sheets can then be exported to 2D applications in SVG or DXF formats, to a PDF file or printed.
The Drawing Workbench handles the creation and manipulation of 2D drawing sheets, used for displaying views of your 3D work in 2D. These sheets can then be exported to 2D applications in SVG or DXF formats, to a PDF file or printed.


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* The [https://github.com/hamish2014/FreeCAD_drawing_dimensioning Drawing Dimensioning Workbench] offers many new tools to work directly on Drawing Sheets and allow you to add dimensions, annotations and other technical symbols with great control over their aspect.
* The [https://github.com/hamish2014/FreeCAD_drawing_dimensioning Drawing Dimensioning Workbench] offers many new tools to work directly on Drawing Sheets and allow you to add dimensions, annotations and other technical symbols with great control over their aspect. '''The Drawing Dimensioning Workbench is no longer maintained.'''
* The [https://github.com/shaise/FreeCAD_FastenersWB Fasteners Workbench] offers a wide range of ready-to-insert fasteners objects like screws, bolts, rods, washers and nuts. Many options and settings are available.
* The [https://github.com/shaise/FreeCAD_FastenersWB Fasteners Workbench] offers a wide range of ready-to-insert fasteners objects like screws, bolts, rods, washers and nuts. Many options and settings are available.
* The [https://github.com/hamish2014/FreeCAD_assembly2 Assembly2 Workbench] offers a series of tools to mount and work with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assembly_modelling assemblies].
* The [https://github.com/kbwbe/A2plus A2plus] workbench offers a series of tools to mount and work with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assembly_modelling assemblies].


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* [[PartDesign_Workbench|The Sketcher and Part Design Workbench]]
* [[PartDesign_Workbench|The Sketcher and Part Design Workbench]]
* [[Arch_Module|The Arch Workbench]]
* [[Arch_Module|The Arch Workbench]]
* [[Drawing_Module|The Drawing Workbench]]
* [[TechDraw_Module|The TechDraw Workbench]]
* [[Fem_Workbench|The FEM Workbench]]
* [[Fem_Workbench|The FEM Workbench]]
* [https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD-addons The FreeCAD-addons repository]
* [https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD-addons The FreeCAD-addons repository]


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{{Docnav|Manual:Import and export to other filetypes|Manual:Traditional modeling, the CSG way|[[Manual:Introduction|Manual start]]}}
{{Docnav
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|[[Manual:Traditional modeling, the CSG way|Traditional modeling, the CSG way]]
|[[Manual:Introduction|Manual start]]
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Revision as of 18:04, 18 February 2020

One of the biggest difficulties for new users of FreeCAD, is to know in which workbench to find a specific tool. The table below will give you an overview of the most important workbenches and their tools. Refer to each workbench page in the FreeCAD documentation for a more complete list.

Four workbenches are also designed to work in pairs, and one of them is fully included into the other: Arch contains all the Draft tools, and PartDesign all the Sketcher tools. However, for clarity, they are separated below.

Part

The Part Workbench provides basic tools for working with solid parts: primitives, such as cubes and spheres, and simple geometric operations and boolean operations. Being the main anchor point with OpenCasCade, the Part workbench provides the foundation of FreeCAD's geometry system, and almost all other workbenches produce Part-based geometry.

Tool Description Tool Description
Box Draws a box Cone Draws a cone
Cylinder Draws a cylinder Sphere Draws a sphere
Torus Draws a torus (ring) File:Part CreatePrimitives.svg Create primitives Creates various other parametric geometric primitives
Shape builder Create more complex shapes from primitives Union Fuses (unions) two objects
Common Extracts the common (intersection) part of two objects Cut Cuts (subtracts) one object from another
JoinConnect Connects interiors of walled objects JoinEmbed Embeds a walled object into another walled object
JoinCutout Creates a cutout in a wall of an object for another walled object Extrude Extrudes planar faces of an object
Fillet Fillets (rounds) edges of an object Revolve Creates a solid by revolving another object (not solid) around an axis
Section Creates a section by intersecting an object with a section plane SectionCross Creates multiple cross sections along an object
Chamfer Chamfers edges of an object Mirror Mirrors the selected object on a given mirror plane
Ruled Surface Create a ruled surface between selected curves Sweep Sweeps one or more profiles along a path
Part_Loft Lofts from one profile to another Offset Creates a scaled copy of the original object
Thickness Assign a thickness to the faces of a shape

Draft

The Draft Workbench provides tools to do basic 2D CAD drafting tasks: lines, circles, etc... and a series of generic handy tools such as move, rotate or scale. It also provides several drawing aids, such as grid and snapping. It is principally meant to draw the guidelines for Arch objects, but also serves as FreeCAD's "swiss knife".

Tool Description Tool Description
Line Draws a line segment between 2 points Wire Draws a line made of multiple line segments (polyline)
Circle Draws a circle from center and radius Arc Draws an arc segment from center, radius, start angle and end angle
Ellipse Draws an ellipse from two corner points Polygon Draws a regular polygon from a center and a radius
Rectangle Draws a rectangle from 2 opposite points Text Draws a multi-line text annotation
Dimension Draws a dimension annotation BSpline Draws a B-Spline from a series of points
Point Inserts a single point Shapestring The ShapeString tool inserts a compound shape representing a text string at a given point in the current document
Facebinder Creates a new object from selected faces on existing objects Bezier Curve Draws a Bezier curve from a series of points
Move Moves or copies objects from one location to another Rotate Rotates objects by a certain angle around a point
Offset Offsets an object to a certain distance Trimex Trims, extends or extrudes an object
Upgrade Turns or joins objects into a higher-level object Downgrade Turns or separates objects into lower-level objects
Scale Scales objects in relation to a point Shape 2D View Creates a 2D object which is a flattened view of another object
Draft to Sketch Converts a Draft object to a Sketch and vice-versa Array Creates a polar or rectangular array from an object
Path Array Creates an array from an object by placing copies along a path Clone Creates linked copies of objects
Mirror Mirrors objects across a line

Sketcher

The Sketcher Workbench contains tools to build and edit complex 2D objects, called sketches. The geometry inside these sketches can be precisely positioned and relationed by the use of constraints. They are primarily meant to be the building blocks of PartDesign geometry, but are useful everywhere in FreeCAD.

Tool Description Tool Description
Point Draws a point Line Draws a line segment from 2 points
Arc Draws an arc segment from center, radius, start angle and end angle Arc 3 points Draws an arc segment from two endpoints and another point on the circumference
Circle Draws a circle from center and radius Circle 3 points Draws a circle from three points on the circumference
Ellipse Draws an ellipse by center point, major radius point and minor radius point Ellipse 3 points Draws an ellipse by major diameter (2 points) and minor radius point
Arc of ellipse Draws an arc of ellipse by center point, major radius point, starting point and ending point Polyline Draws a line made of multiple line segments. Several drawing modes available
Rectangle Draws a rectangle from 2 opposite points Triangle Draws a regular triangle inscribed in a construction geometry circle
Square Draws a regular square inscribed in a construction geometry circle Pentagon Draws a regular pentagon inscribed in a construction geometry circle
Hexagon Draws a regular hexagon inscribed in a construction geometry circle Heptagon Draws a regular heptagon inscribed in a construction geometry circle
Octagon Draws a regular octagon inscribed in a construction geometry circle Slot Draws an oval by selecting the center of one semicircle and an endpoint of the other semicircle
Fillet Makes a fillet between two lines joined at one point Trimming Trims a line, circle or arc with respect to a clicked point
External geometry Creates an edge linked to external geometry Construction mode Toggles an element to/from construction mode. A construction object will not be used in a 3D geometry operation and is only visible while editing the Sketch that contains it
Coincident Affixes a point onto (coincident with) one or more other points. Point on object Affixes a point onto another object such as a line, arc, or axis.
Vertical Constrains the selected lines or polyline elements to a true vertical orientation. More than one object can be selected before applying this constraint. Horizontal Constrains the selected lines or polyline elements to a true horizontal orientation. More than one object can be selected before applying this constraint.
Parallel Constrains two or more lines parallel to one another. Perpendicular Constrains two lines perpendicular to one another, or constrains a line perpendicular to an arc endpoint.
Tangent Creates a tangent constraint between two selected entities, or a co-linear constraint between two line segments. Equal length Constrains two selected entities equal to one another. If used on circles or arcs their radii will be set equal.
Symmetric Constrains two points symmetrically about a line, or constrains the first two selected points symmetrically about a third selected point. Lock Constrains the selected item by setting vertical and horizontal distances relative to the origin, thereby locking the location of that item
Horizontal distance Fixes the horizontal distance between two points or line endpoints. If only one item is selected, the distance is set to the origin. Vertical distance Fixes the vertical distance between 2 points or line endpoints. If only one item is selected, the distance is set to the origin.
Distance Defines the distance of a selected line by constraining its length, or defines the distance between two points by constraining the distance between them. Radius Defines the radius of a selected arc or circle by constraining the radius.
Internal angle Defines the internal angle between two selected lines. Snell's law Constrains two lines to obey a refraction law to simulate the light going through an interface
Internal alignment Aligns selected elements to selected shape (e.g. a line to become major axis of an ellipse) Map sketch Maps a sketch to the previously selected face of a solid
Merge Merge two or more sketches Mirror Mirrors selected elements of a sketch

Part Design

The Part Design Workbench contains advanced tools to build solid parts. It also contains all the tools from the sketcher. Since it can only produce solid shapes (the rule number one of Part Design), it is the main workbench to use when designing pieces (parts) to be manufactured or 3D-printed, as you will always obtain a printable object.

Tool Description Tool Description
Pad Extrudes a solid object from a selected sketch Pocket Creates a pocket from a selected sketch. The sketch must be mapped to an existing solid object's face
Revolution Creates a solid by revolving a sketch around an axis Groove Creates a groove by revolving a sketch around an axis
Fillet Fillets (rounds) edges of an object Chamfer Chamfers edges of an object
Draft Applies angular draft to faces of an object Mirrored Mirrors features on a plane or face
Linear pattern Creates a linear pattern of features Polar pattern Creates a polar pattern of features
Scaled Scales features to a different size Multitransform Allows creating a pattern with any combination of the other transformations
Shaft wizard Generates a shaft from a table of values and allows to analyze forces and moments Involute gear wizard Allows you to create several types of gears

Arch

The Arch Workbench contains tools to work with BIM projects (civil engineering and architecture). It also contains all the tools from the Draft workbench. The main use of the Arch Workbench is to create BIM objects or give BIM attributes to objects built with other workbenches, in order to export them to IFC.

Tool Description Tool Description
Wall Creates a wall from scratch or using a selected object as a base Structure Creates a structural element from scratch or using a selected object as a base
Rebar Creates a reinforcement bar in a selected structural element Floor Creates a floor including selected objects
Building Creates a building including selected objects Site Creates a site including selected objects
Window Creates a window using a selected object as a base Section plane Adds a section plane object to the document
Axis Adds an axes system to the document Roof Creates a sloped roof from a selected face
Space Creates a space object in the document Stairs Creates a stairs object in the document
Panel Creates a panel object from a selected 2D object Frame Creates a frame object from a selected layout
Equipment Creates an equipment or furniture object Material Attributes a material to selected objects
Schedule Creates different types of schedules Cut plane Cut an object according to a plan
Add Adds objects to a component Remove Subtracts or removes objects from a component
Survey Enters or leaves surveying mode

Drawing

Development of the Drawing Workbench stopped in FreeCAD 0.16, and the new TechDraw Workbench aiming to replace it was introduced in v0.17. The Drawing Workbench may be removed in future releases. Use the TechDraw Workbench instead.

The Drawing Workbench handles the creation and manipulation of 2D drawing sheets, used for displaying views of your 3D work in 2D. These sheets can then be exported to 2D applications in SVG or DXF formats, to a PDF file or printed.

Tool Description Tool Description
New sheet Creates a new drawing sheet View Inserts a view of the selected object in the active drawing sheet
Annotation Adds an annotation to the current drawing sheet Clip Adds a clip group to the current drawing sheet
Open browser Opens a preview of the current sheet in the browser Ortho views Automatically creates orthographic views of an object on the current drawing sheet
Symbol Adds the contents of a SVG file as a symbol on the current drawing sheet Draft view Inserts a special Draft view of the selected object in the current drawing sheet
Save Saves the current sheet as a SVG file

Other built-in workbenches

Although the above summarizes the most important tools of FreeCAD, many more workbenches are available, among them:

  • The Mesh Workbench allows to work with polygon meshes. Although meshes are not the preferred type of geometry to work with in FreeCAD, because of their lack of precision and support for curves, meshes still have a lot of uses, and are fully supported in FreeCAD. The Mesh Workbench also offers a number of Part-to-Mesh and Mesh-to-Part tools.
  • The Raytracing Workbench offers tools to interface with external renderers such as povray or luxrender. Right from inside FreeCAD, this workbench allows you to produce high-quality renderings from your models.
  • The Spreadsheet Workbench permits the creation and manipulation of spreadsheet data, that can be extracted from FreeCAD models. Spreadsheet cells can also be referenced in many areas of FreeCAD, allowing to use them as master data structures.
  • The FEM Workbench deals with Finite Elements Analysis, and permits the performing of pre- and post-processing FEM calculations and to display the results graphically.

External workbenches

A number of other very useful workbenches produced by FreeCAD community members also exist. Although they are not included in a standard FreeCAD installation,they are easy to install as plug-ins. They are all referenced in the FreeCAD-addons repository. Among the most developed are:

  • The Drawing Dimensioning Workbench offers many new tools to work directly on Drawing Sheets and allow you to add dimensions, annotations and other technical symbols with great control over their aspect. The Drawing Dimensioning Workbench is no longer maintained.
  • The Fasteners Workbench offers a wide range of ready-to-insert fasteners objects like screws, bolts, rods, washers and nuts. Many options and settings are available.
  • The A2plus workbench offers a series of tools to mount and work with assemblies.

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