FreeCAD is a general-purpose
parametric 3D
computer-aided design
Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve c ...
(CAD) modeler and a
building information modeling
Building information modeling (BIM) is a process supported by various tools, technologies and contracts involving the generation and management of digital representations of physical and functional characteristics of places. Building informatio ...
(BIM) software application with
finite element method (FEM) support.
It is intended for
mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and ...
product design but also expands to a wider range of uses around engineering, such as architecture or electrical engineering. FreeCAD is
free and open-source
Free and open-source software (FOSS) is a term used to refer to groups of software consisting of both free software and open-source software where anyone is freely licensed to use, copy, study, and change the software in any way, and the source ...
, under the
LGPL-2.0-or-later license, and available for
Linux
Linux ( or ) is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution, which ...
,
macOS
macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and lapt ...
, and
Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
operating systems. Users can extend the functionality of the software using the
Python
Python may refer to:
Snakes
* Pythonidae, a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia
** ''Python'' (genus), a genus of Pythonidae found in Africa and Asia
* Python (mythology), a mythical serpent
Computing
* Python (pro ...
programming language.
Features
General
FreeCAD features tools similar to
CATIA,
Creo,
SolidWorks
SolidWorks is a solid modeling computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided engineering (CAE) application published by Dassault Systèmes.
According to the publisher, over two million engineers and designers at more than 165,000 companies we ...
,
Solid Edge,
NX,
Inventor
An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an ...
,
Revit
Autodesk Revit is a building information modelling software tool for architects, landscape architects, structural engineers, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineers, designers and contractors. The original software was developed by ...
, and therefore also falls into the category of
building information modeling
Building information modeling (BIM) is a process supported by various tools, technologies and contracts involving the generation and management of digital representations of physical and functional characteristics of places. Building informatio ...
(BIM), mechanical computer-aided design (MCAD),
PLM, CAx and
CAE. It is intended to be a feature-based
parametric modeler with a modular software architecture, which makes it easy to provide additional functionality without modifying the core system.
As with many modern 3D CAD modelers, FreeCAD has a 2D component to facilitate 3D-to-2D drawing conversion. Under its current state, direct 2D drawing (like
AutoCAD LT) is not the focus for this software, and neither are animation or 3D model manipulation (like
Blender,
Maya, or
Cinema 4D
Cinema 4D is a 3D software suite developed by the German company Maxon.
Overview
As of R21, only one version of Cinema 4D is available. It replaces all previous variants, including BodyPaint 3D, and includes all features of the past 'Studio' ...
). However, the modular nature of FreeCAD allows the user to adapt its workflow for such environments via the use of plugins.
FreeCAD uses open-source libraries from the field of
computing science
Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...
; among them are
Open CASCADE Technology
Open Cascade Technology (OCCT), formerly called ''CAS.CADE'', is an open-source software development platform for 3D CAD, CAM, CAE, etc. that is developed and supported by Open Cascade SAS.
OCCT is a full-scale B-Rep (Boundary representation ...
(a
CAD kernel),
Coin3D
Coin3D is a free and open-source implementation (library) of the Open Inventor API. Coin3D was originally developed and maintained as commercial software by the Norwegian company Kongsberg Oil & Gas Technologies (formerly Kongsberg SIM). Coin3D, ...
(an incarnation of
Open Inventor), the
Qt GUI framework, and
Python
Python may refer to:
Snakes
* Pythonidae, a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia
** ''Python'' (genus), a genus of Pythonidae found in Africa and Asia
* Python (mythology), a mythical serpent
Computing
* Python (pro ...
, a popular scripting language. FreeCAD itself can also be used as a library by other programs.
[
]
There are moves to expand FreeCAD in the
architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
,
electrical, and
construction
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and com ...
(AEC)
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
sectors and to add
building information modeling
Building information modeling (BIM) is a process supported by various tools, technologies and contracts involving the generation and management of digital representations of physical and functional characteristics of places. Building informatio ...
(BIM) functionality with the Arch Module.
As of late 2020,
3D Models searcher of CADENAS calle
''3DfindIT.com''is integrated into FreeCAD.
Supported file formats
FreeCAD's own main file format is FreeCAD Standard file format (.FCStd).
It is a standard zip file that holds files in a certain structure.
Document.
xml
Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a markup language and file format for storing, transmitting, and reconstructing arbitrary data. It defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable. T ...
file has all geometric and parametric objects definitions.
GuiDocument.xml then has visual representation details of objects.
Other files include brep-files for objects and thumbnail of drawing.
Besides FreeCAD's own file format, files can be exported and imported in
DXF
AutoCAD DXF (Drawing Interchange Format, or Drawing Exchange Format) is a CAD data file format developed by Autodesk for enabling data interoperability between AutoCAD and other programs.
DXF was introduced in December 1982 as part of AutoCAD ...
,
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics),
STEP
Step(s) or STEP may refer to:
Common meanings
* Stairs#Step, Steps, making a staircase
* Walking
* Dance move
* Military step, or march
** Marching
Arts Films and television
* Steps (TV series), ''Steps'' (TV series), Hong Kong
* Step (film), ' ...
,
IGES
The Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) is a vendor-neutral file format that allows the digital exchange of information among computer-aided design (CAD) systems. It's an ASCII-based textual format.
The official title of IGES is ''Dig ...
,
STL (STereoLithography),
OBJ (Wavefront),
DAE (Collada),
SCAD (OpenSCAD),
IV (Inventor) and
IFC.
DWG support
FreeCAD's support for the important
DWG file format has been problematic due to
software license
A software license is a legal instrument (usually by way of contract law, with or without printed material) governing the use or redistribution of software. Under United States copyright law, all software is copyright protected, in both source ...
compatibility problems with the
GNU LibreDWG
GNU LibreDWG is a software library programmed in C to manage DWG computer files, native proprietary format of computer-aided design software AutoCAD. It aims to be a free software replacement for the OpenDWG libraries. The project is managed ...
library. The GNU LibreDWG library started as a real
free
Free may refer to:
Concept
* Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything
* Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism
* Emancipate, to procur ...
alternative to the
source-available OpenDWG
Open Design Alliance is a nonprofit organization creating software development kits (SDKs) for engineering applications. ODA offers interoperability tools for CAD, BIM, and Mechanical industries including .dwg, .dxf, .dgn, Autodesk Revit, Autodes ...
library (later Teigha Converter and now ODA File Converter) and is licensed under the
GPLv3
The GNU General Public License (GNU GPL or simply GPL) is a series of widely used free software licenses that guarantee end users the four freedoms to run, study, share, and modify the software. The license was the first copyleft for general us ...
. As FreeCAD (and also
LibreCAD) has dependencies on Open Cascade, which prior to version 6.7.0 was only compatible with GPLv2, it couldn't use the GNU LibreDWG library as GPLv2 and GPLv3 are essentially
incompatible.
Open CASCADE technology was contacted by
Debian
Debian (), also known as Debian GNU/Linux, is a Linux distribution composed of free and open-source software, developed by the community-supported Debian Project, which was established by Ian Murdock on August 16, 1993. The first version of D ...
team in 2009, and 2012 got a reply that Open CASCADE technology was considering dual-licensing OCCT (the library), however they postponed that move. A request also went to the
FSF to
relicense GNU LibreDWG as GPLv2 or LGPLv3, which was rejected.
As of 2014 the 0.14 release of FreeCAD, including the new LGPL release of Open Cascade, the BSD-licensed version of Coin3D, and the removal of PyQT, FreeCAD is now completely GPL-free. However, LibreDWG has not been adopted. FreeCAD is able to import and export a limited subset
of the DWG format via the ODA File Converter (the former OpenDWG library).
Promotions during events
FreeCAD was notably presented at
FISL 16 in 2015, in
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre (, , Brazilian ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of 1,488,252 inhabitants (2020) makes it the List of largest cities in Brazil, twelfth most populous city in the country ...
, as well as at the
Libre Graphics Meeting in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
in 2016. These two exhibitions can bring together both
developers and users. In 2020, it was during
FOSDEM
Free and Open source Software Developers' European Meeting (FOSDEM) is a non-commercial, volunteer-organized European event centered on free and open-source software development. It is aimed at developers and anyone interested in the free and ...
in
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
that two of these developers, Yorik Van Havre and Brad Collette made the presentation.
Release history
* GitHub Files section ()
See also
*
Comparison of computer-aided design software
*
Boundary representation
*
Constructive solid geometry
Constructive solid geometry (CSG; formerly called computational binary solid geometry) is a technique used in solid modeling. Constructive solid geometry allows a modeler to create a complex surface or object by using Boolean operators to combi ...
*
Open CASCADE Technology
Open Cascade Technology (OCCT), formerly called ''CAS.CADE'', is an open-source software development platform for 3D CAD, CAM, CAE, etc. that is developed and supported by Open Cascade SAS.
OCCT is a full-scale B-Rep (Boundary representation ...
*
Parametric modeling
Procedural modeling is an umbrella term for a number of techniques in computer graphics to create 3D models and textures from sets of rules. L-Systems, fractals, and generative modeling are procedural modeling techniques since they apply algorit ...
Notes
References
Further reading
* Falck, Daniel; Collette, Brad (2012): ''FreeCAD
ow-to Solid Modeling with the Power of Python'',
Packt Publishing, Birmingham, .
* Hinchliffe, Jo; van Havre, Yorik (2022): ''FreeCAD for Makers. From The Makers of HackSpace Magazine'',
Raspberri Pi PressPDF(
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0).
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:FreeCAD
2002 software
Computer-aided design software for Linux
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Computer-aided design software for Windows
Engineering software that uses Qt
Free computer-aided design software
Free software programmed in C++
Free software programmed in Python
MacOS computer-aided design software
BIM software
Software using the LGPL license
Software that uses VTK