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===Workbenches===
===Workbenches===


[[Workbenches|Workbenches]] are collections of tools that are used for a relatively specific task.
[[Workbenches|Workbenches]] are collections of tools that are used for a relatively specific task. These are the base workbenches bundled with every installation of FreeCAD:

These are the base workbenches bundled with every installation of FreeCAD:


* [[File:Freecad.svg|32px]] [[Std_Base|Std Base]]. This is not really a workbench, but rather a category of 'standard' commands and tools that can be used in all workbenches.
* [[File:Freecad.svg|32px]] [[Std_Base|Std Base]]. This is not really a workbench, but rather a category of 'standard' commands and tools that can be used in all workbenches.
* [[Image:Workbench_Arch.svg|32px]] The [[Arch Module|Arch Workbench]] for working with architectural elements.

* [[Image:Workbench_Arch.svg|24px]] Use the [[Arch Module|Arch Workbench]] to work with architectural elements.
* [[Image:Workbench_Draft.svg|32px]] The [[Draft Module|Draft Workbench]] contains 2D tools and basic 2D and 3D CAD operations.
* [[Image:Workbench_Complete.svg|24px]] The [[Complete_Workbench|Complete Workbench]] holds all commands and features from all the modules and workbenches which met certain quality criteria.
* [[Image:Workbench_FEM.svg|32px]] The [[FEM Module|FEM Workbench]] provides Finite Element Analysis (FEA) workflow.
* [[Image:Workbench_Draft.svg|24px]] The [[Draft Module|Draft Workbench]] contains 2D tools and basic 2D and 3D CAD operations.
* [[Image:Workbench_Image.svg|32px]] The [[Image Module|Image Workbench]] for working with bitmap images.
* [[Image:Workbench_Drawing.svg|24px]] Use the [[Drawing Module|Drawing Workbench]] to display your 3D work on a 2D sheet.
* [[Image:Workbench_Inspection.svg|32px]] The [[Inspection Workbench|Inspection Workbench]] is made to give you specific tools for examination of shapes. It is still in development.
* [[Image:Workbench_FEM.svg|24px]] The [[FEM Module|FEM Workbench]] provides a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finite_element_method Finite Element Analysis] (FEA) workflow.
* [[Image:Workbench_Mesh.svg|32px]] The [[Mesh Workbench|Mesh Workbench]] for working with triangulated meshes.
* [[Image:Workbench_OpenSCAD.svg|32px]] The [[OpenSCAD Module|OpenSCAD Workbench]] for interoperability with OpenSCAD and repairing [[constructive solid geometry|constructive solid geometry]] (CSG) model history.

* [[Image:Workbench_Image.svg|24px]] Use the [[Image Module|Image Workbench]] to work with bitmap images.
* [[Image:Workbench_Part.svg|32px]] The [[Part Module|Part Workbench]] for working with CAD parts.
* [[Image:Workbench_Inspection.svg|24px]] The [[Inspection Workbench|Inspection Workbench]] provides specific tools for examination of shapes. It is still in development.
* [[Image:Workbench_PartDesign.svg|32px]] The [[PartDesign Workbench|Part Design Workbench]] for building Part shapes from sketches.
* [[Image:Workbench_Mesh.svg|24px]] Use the [[Mesh Module|Mesh Workbench]] to work with triangulated meshes.
* [[Image:Workbench_Path.svg|32px]] The [[Path_Workbench|Path Workbench]] is used to produce G-Code instructions. It is still in a stage of development.
* [[Image:Workbench_OpenSCAD.svg|24px]] The [[OpenSCAD Module|OpenSCAD Workbench]] for interoperability with OpenSCAD and repairing [[constructive solid geometry|constructive solid geometry]] (CSG) model history.
* [[Image:Workbench_Points.svg|32px]] The [[Points_Module|Points Workbench]] for working with point clouds.
* [[Image:Workbench_Part.svg|24px]] Use the [[Part Module|Part Workbench]] to design solids with [[constructive solid geometry|constructive solid geometry]] (CSG) workflow.
* [[Image:Workbench_Raytracing.svg|32px]] The [[Raytracing Module|Raytracing Workbench]] for working with ray-tracing (rendering)
* [[Image:Workbench_Reverse_Engineering.svg|32px]] The [[Reverse Engineering Workbench|Reverse Engineering Workbench]] is intended to provide specific tools to convert shapes/solids/meshes into parametric FreeCAD-compatible features. (under development)

* [[Image:Workbench_Robot.svg|32px]] The [[Robot_Workbench|Robot Workbench]] for studying robot movements.
* [[Image:Workbench_PartDesign.svg|24px]] Use the [[PartDesign Workbench|PartDesign Workbench]] to build solids from sketches and parametric operations in what is called [[feature editing|feature editing]] workflow.
* [[Image:Workbench_Sketcher.svg|32px]] The [[Sketcher Workbench|Sketcher Workbench]] for working with geometry-constrained sketches.
* [[Image:Workbench_Path.svg|24px]] Use the [[Path_Workbench|Path Workbench]] to produce G-Code instructions. It is still in a stage of development. Only basic functions in 0.16
* [[Image:Workbench_Plot.svg|24px]] Use the [[Plot Module|Plot Workbench]] to edit and save output plots created from other workbenches and tools.
* [[Image:Workbench_Spreadsheet.svg|32px]] The [[Spreadsheet Workbench|Spreadsheet Workbench]] for creating and manipulating spreadsheet data.
* [[Image:Workbench_Points.svg|24px]] Use the [[Points_Module|Points Workbench]] to work with point clouds.
* [[Image:Workbench_Start.svg|32px]] The [[Start_Workbench|Start Center Workbench]] allows you to quickly jump to one of the most common workbenches.
* [[Image:Workbench_Surface.svg|32px]] The [[Surface_Module|Surface workbench]] provides tools to create and modify surfaces. It is similar as the Part Shape builder Face from edges.
* [[Image:Workbench_Raytracing.svg|24px]] Use the [[Raytracing Module|Raytracing Workbench]] to work with rendering and ray-tracing.
* [[Image:Workbench_TechDraw.svg|32px]] The [[TechDraw Module|TechDraw Workbench]] is the more advanced and feature-rich successor of [[Drawing Module|Drawing]]

* [[Image:Workbench_Test.svg|32px]] The [[Testing|Test Framework Workbench]] is for debugging FreeCAD.
* [[Image:Workbench_Reverse_Engineering.svg|24px]] The [[Reverse Engineering Workbench|Reverse Engineering Workbench]] is intended to give you specific tools to convert shapes/solids/meshes into parametric FreeCAD-compatible features. It is still in development.
* [[Image:Workbench_Robot.svg|24px]] Use the [[Robot_Workbench|Robot Workbench]] to study robot movements.
* [[Image:Workbench_Web.svg|32px]] The [[Web Workbench|Web Workbench]] provides you with a browser window instead of the [[3D view|3D view]] within FreeCAD.
* [[Image:Workbench_Ship.svg|24px]] The [[Ship Workbench|Ship Workbench]] FreeCAD-Ship works over Ship entities, that must be created on top of provided geometry.
* [[Image:Workbench_Sketcher.svg|24px]] Use the [[Sketcher Module|Sketcher Workbench]] to work with geometry-constrained sketches.
* [[Image:Workbench_Spreadsheet.svg|24px]] Use the [[Spreadsheet Module|Spreadsheet Workbench]] to create and manipulating spreadsheet data.

* [[Image:Workbench_Start.svg|24px]] The [[Start_Workbench|Start Center Workbench]] allows you to quickly jump to the most common workbenches.
* [[Image:Workbench_Surface.svg|24px]] The [[Surface_Module|Surface Module]] the Surface workbench provides tools to create and modify surfaces.
* [[Image:Workbench_TechDraw.svg|24px]] The [[TechDraw Module|TechDraw Workbench]] is the more advanced and feature-rich successor of [[Drawing Module|Drawing]].
* [[Image:Workbench_Test.svg|24px]] The [[Testing|Test Framework Workbench]] is for debugging FreeCAD.
* [[Image:Workbench_Web.svg|24px]] The [[Web Workbench|Web Workbench]] provides you with a browser window instead of the 3D-View within FreeCAD.


===Macros===
===Macros===

Revision as of 14:44, 2 December 2020



This is the main help area for newcomers to FreeCAD.

These pages are in continuous development, so there may be missing or outdated information. If you cannot find the information that you need, don't hesitate to ask in the FreeCAD forum.

If you'd like to contribute to FreeCAD, please donate, and see the Help FreeCAD page for other ways to contribute. If you'd like to edit this wiki, request a wiki account with editor permissions in the forum, and read the WikiPages for the general guidelines that you should follow.

If you would like to know how FreeCAD started years ago visit the History page.

Using FreeCAD

Introduction

See also:

Basic application

Workbenches

Workbenches are collections of tools that are used for a relatively specific task. These are the base workbenches bundled with every installation of FreeCAD:

Macros

Macros are relatively small snippets of Python code that perform a simple or a complex task that is not available in the base FreeCAD system.

Power users have written various macros to enhance FreeCAD with more capabilities.

Since FreeCAD 0.17, many macros can be installed using the Addon Manager. For a list of the macros refer to the macros recipes page. For manual installation see How to install macros.

External workbenches

When many macros or functions are developed together, and are organized in toolbars and menus, they can become a new workbench.

External workbenches are collections of functions that are not part of the base FreeCAD system, usually developed by experienced users, and targeting a particular need.

Since FreeCAD 0.17, many workbenches can be installed using the Addon Manager. For manual installation see How to install additional workbenches.

Reference

Online Help

This is the official FreeCAD online help. Please note that the whole online help system is currently being reworked. It will be used to generate a .CHM file, that will be distributed with the binary packages of FreeCAD. At the moment the online help summarizes some of the most complete sections of this wiki.

More

  • The Power users hub is the place to go if you would like to see more advanced use of FreeCAD
  • The FreeCAD Community Portal lists projects made by community members around FreeCAD.
  • Don't understand a term or phrase as used in FreeCAD? Try the Glossary page.