- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows Vista, Windows 95, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98
- Date added: May 07, 2004
- Total Downloads: 179,951
- Downloads last week: 166
- See full specifications
- Average user rating: stars out of 16 votes
See all user reviews
Publisher's description
From Askoh :FreeCAD is a basic 3D CAD with advanced motion simulation capabilities. It is suitable for anyone interested in learning 3D CAD and motion simulation for free before using more sophisticated packages. Educators, students, and new engineers will find it ideal for the teaching and learning of geometry, kinematics, dynamics, vibrations, mechanisms, linkages, cams, machine design, and physics.
FreeCAD allows users to create and manipulate assemblies, which are collections of parts. The parts are simple 3D solids, which can be connected by joints, constraints, contacts, motors, actuators, springs, dampers, forces, torques, or gravity.Both open and closed 3D loops are permitted. FreeCAD performs full multibody dynamics analysis on the assembly to predict the motion according to Newton's Laws. Animation using the simulated data produces realistic dynamic behavior of the system.
Version 8 adds spline function of user data for motion and force inputs.
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User reviews
- Average user rating: 2.4 stars out of 16 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 16 user reviewsSee all 16 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
Version: FreeCAD 8
Pros: It doesn't crash my computer. It actually runs, and seems to do what it's said to do, which is to run animations of mechanical assemblies.
Cons: Odd interface, menu bar seems to be a mix of menus and command shortcuts. Help and tutorials are even weirder, with a minimalist approach in all of the documentation that requires that you already know how to use this particular program to understand it. Non-intuitive drawing interface. I keep getting the feeling that I'm in the presence of a long-winded science teacher who does not care so much about results or getting work done, but would rather spend all day teaching abstract concepts using flow-charts. Non-intuitive. Using this program is like dragging fingernails across a chalk-board. It looks like this is really geared towards importing a 2D *.dxf sketch of each component you need to animate, as the first FreeCAD tutorial emphasized the extrusion of 2D objects to get 3D shapes. I didn't wade through it enough to see if there was a way to import 3D shapes, which if there is should be advertised up front. Basically, you will need to use some other drawing program that can export dxf files. Considering the drawing limitations of FreeCAD, I would recommend drawing your entire model using other software. I'm thinking I should just purchase Autodesk's Inventor and just get everything done right to start with.
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0 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: FreeCAD 8
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Version: FreeCAD 8
Pros: Very realistic dynamic and kinematic simulation with a fast animator tool. Great for helping engineers communicate complex motion to management. Absolutely Free!
Cons: Only has one feature: Extrusion. Lacks more useful features like revolves, cuts, sweeps, and lofts.
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Version: FreeCAD 8
Pros: nothing.
Cons: horribly designed and programmed software. filled with tons of bugs and adware. screen flickers alot, not to mention there isnt even a toolbar nor tools. id rate it a 0 if it was possible
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Version: FreeCAD 8
"couldn't use because needed debugging"
Summary: can't comment on features, interface, stability, etc because totalling unusable
- See all 16 user reviews Write review
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