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Sunday 14 May 2017

FreeCAD 3D modelling

Today I came across a 3D modelling tool I had not tried before. FreeCAD.


It's for parametric modelling. That's where you can change the parameters of the shapes using formulae in addition to graphically manipulating primitive shapes. This is different to the tools I have used in the past, like Blender, where you create all shapes from polygon faces, usually triangles or quads.

Each type of tool has it's advantages but for engineering modelling, which I'm doing more of at the moment for 3D printing, the parametric tools look to be very well suited.


So far all I have used FreeCAD for was to convert STP or STEP files in to STL files which I could then import in the Blender.

FreeCAD worked very well for the short time I used it. At some point I might have a go at making models in FreeCAD.

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NodeMCU 3D models
I used FreeCAD to convert some STEP files that I downloaded from GrabCAD.

NodeMCU v0.9

I want these to help size models of cases to fit NodeMCU's in to.
Although I only have NodeMCUs in the version 1.0 style, I took the opportunity to convert a version 0.9 model as well.

NodeMCU v1.0

Downloads:
NodeMCU version 1.0 thanks to Francisco Castells available from GrabCAD in STEP format
NodeMCU version 0.9 thanks to henrik available from GrabCAD in STEP format
NodeMCU version 1.0 in STL format converted from the above by myself
NodeMCU version 0.9 in STL format converted from the above by myself
NodeMCUs both versions 1.0 and 0.9 in Blend format imported and adjusted by myself
Licence for the above (non-commercial use only)

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FreeCAD is OpenSource.

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