software - FreeCAD

Creating an Empty file opens the Part Design workbench
To select a different body as active, right click the different body, select Active Body or double click the different body.
to change visibility of an object, right click the object and select Toggle Visibility or use the space bar
create object
Create Body (button with blue stairs to left) (menu Part Design -> Create Body)
Click on the sketch button (button with red square and circle) (menu sketch->create sketch) workbench automatically changes to "sketcher"
Select plane on which to place the sketch, either on the tasks window or on the drawing itself. The view changes to show that plane.
use sketch tools to create sketch
sketch tools can be found on the toolbar, or (menu sketch->Sketcher geometries->(bunch of stuff))
in general it is better to assign geometric constraints before numeric constraints.
to find unconstrained elements, (menu sketch->sketcher visual->select under constrained elements)
when done, click "close" button in tasks window (workbench automatically changes back to "part design")
click "pad" button (button with yellow box over red rectangle) (menu Part Design->Create additive feature->Pad) to give sketch thickness
click "pocket" button (button with blue box with red interior) (menu Part Design->subtractive feature->Pocket) to turn sketch into a hole
- type "through all" turns sketch into a hole all the way through the parent object
- type "dimension" turns sketch into a hole with the specified depth
use the create external geometry (button with blue cube with tee with red ends above) (menu Sketch->Sketcher Tools->create external geometry) to bring in references from outside the sketch

to add a sketch to a face of an existing (something) select the face and click the "new sketch" icon

Validate a sketch

select sketch in model tree
select (menu) sketch->validate sketch...
click Highlight Troublesome Vertices button. This will highlight in yellow vertices that are not coincident.
open sketch in editor.
surround a troublesome vertice.
use coincident constraint tool

filename:	software - FreeCAD
filename:	software%20%2D%20FreeCAD
last edit:	April 05 2026 16:37:09 (69 minutes ago)
ct	= 1775425617.000000 = April 05 2026 17:46:57
ft	= 1775421429.000000 = April 05 2026 16:37:09
dt	= 4188.000000