About FreeCAD/cs: Difference between revisions

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[[Image:Freecad default.jpg|1024px|center]]
[[Image:Freecad default.jpg|1024px|center]]


'''FreeCAD''' is a general purpose parametric 3D [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAD '''CAD'''] modeler. The development is completely [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source Open Source] (LGPL License). FreeCAD is aimed directly at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_engineering mechanical engineering] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_design product design] but also fits in a wider range of uses around engineering, such as architecture or other engineering specialties.
{{About/cs}}


FreeCAD features tools similar to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catia Catia], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidworks SolidWorks] or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid_Edge Solid Edge], and therefore also falls into the category of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAD '''MCAD'''], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_Lifecycle_Management '''PLM'''], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAx '''CAx'''] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-aided_engineering '''CAE''']. It is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parametric_feature_based_modeler feature based parametric modeler] with a modular software architecture which makes it easy to provide additional functionality without modifying the core system.
FreeCAD features tools similar to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catia Catia], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidworks SolidWorks] or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid_Edge Solid Edge], and therefore also falls into the category of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAD '''MCAD'''], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_Lifecycle_Management '''PLM'''], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAx '''CAx'''] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-aided_engineering '''CAE''']. It is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parametric_feature_based_modeler feature based parametric modeler] with a modular software architecture which makes it easy to provide additional functionality without modifying the core system.
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FreeCAD is also fully [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-platform multi-platform], and currently runs flawlessly on Windows and Linux/Unix and Mac OSX systems, with the exact same look and functionality on all platforms.
FreeCAD is also fully [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-platform multi-platform], and currently runs flawlessly on Windows and Linux/Unix and Mac OSX systems, with the exact same look and functionality on all platforms.


For more about FreeCAD's capabilities, take a look at the [[Feature list]], the [[Getting_started#What's new| latest release notes]] or the [[Getting started]] articles, or head directly to the [[User hub]]!
For more information about FreeCAD's capabilities, take a look at the [[Feature list]], the [[Getting_started#What's new| latest release notes]] or the [[Getting started]] articles.


===About the FreeCAD project===
===About the FreeCAD project===

Revision as of 20:43, 11 September 2014

FreeCAD is a general purpose parametric 3D CAD modeler. The development is completely Open Source (LGPL License). FreeCAD is aimed directly at mechanical engineering and product design but also fits in a wider range of uses around engineering, such as architecture or other engineering specialties.

FreeCAD features tools similar to Catia, SolidWorks or Solid Edge, and therefore also falls into the category of MCAD, PLM, CAx and CAE. It is 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 it has many 2D components in order to sketch 2D shapes or extract design details from the 3D model to create 2D production drawings, but direct 2D drawing (like AutoCAD LT) is not the focus, neither are animation or organic shapes (like Maya, 3ds Max, Blender or Cinema 4D), although, thanks to its wide adaptability, FreeCAD might become useful in a much broader area than its current focus.

FreeCAD makes heavy use of all the great open-source libraries that exist out there in the field of Scientific Computing. Among them are OpenCascade, a powerful CAD kernel, Coin3D, an incarnation of Open Inventor, Qt, the world-famous UI framework, and Python, one of the best scripting languages available. FreeCAD itself can also be used as a library by other programs.

FreeCAD is also fully multi-platform, and currently runs flawlessly on Windows and Linux/Unix and Mac OSX systems, with the exact same look and functionality on all platforms.

For more information about FreeCAD's capabilities, take a look at the Feature list, the latest release notes or the Getting started articles.

About the FreeCAD project

FreeCAD is maintained and developed by a community of enthusiastic developers and users (see the credits page). They work on FreeCAD voluntarily, in their free time. They cannot guarantee that FreeCAD contains or will contain everything you might wish, but they will usually do their best! The community gathers on the FreeCAD forum, where most of the ideas and decisions are discussed. Feel free to join us there!