Migrating to FreeCAD from SolidWorks

This documentation is a work in progress. Please don't mark it as translatable since it will change in the next hours and days.

Overview

The intention of this page is to serve as a guide for users that are accustomed to the Solidworks CAD/CAM workflow and want to use try or perhaps migrate to FreeCAD.

History

Understanding a little of the history of FreeCAD potentially help users comprehend and orient better to it.

• FreeCAD was initially designed to behave parametrically using the Constructive solid geometry method (see also Part Workbench).
• Later it incorporated the feature editing method within the PartDesign Workbench.
• Solidworks incorporates the latter approach, feature editing.

Related

• Forum Threads

User documentation

• Getting started
• Installation: Download, Windows, Linux, Mac, Additional components, Docker, AppImage, Ubuntu Snap
• Basics: About FreeCAD, Interface, Mouse navigation, Selection methods, Object name, Preferences, Workbenches, Document structure, Properties, Help FreeCAD, Donate

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• Help: Tutorials, Video tutorials
• Workbenches: Std Base, Arch, Assembly, CAM, Draft, FEM, Inspection, Mesh, OpenSCAD, Part, PartDesign, Points, Reverse Engineering, Robot, Sketcher, Spreadsheet, Start, Surface, TechDraw, Test Framework, Web

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• Addons: Addon Manager, External workbenches, Scripting and macros

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• Hubs: User hub, Power users hub, Developer hub