Defeaturing Workbench

    From FreeCAD Documentation
    Defeaturing workbench icon

    Introduction

    Defeaturing workbench icon.svg Defeaturing Workbench is an add-on workbench intended for editing STEP models, removing of the selected features from the model. It is an external workbench and therefore not part of the standard FreeCAD install.

    Features

    • Features a set of tools to edit a Shape or a STEP model, removing hole(s), face(s), simplifying the model, changing the tolerance, applying Fuzzy Boolean operations etc...
    • There are also tools to create more solid shape(s), from edge(s), face(s) or shell(s).
    • It is also possible to use direct modeling of the model, when the history of operations is unavailable. (This is the case for 3D STEP models).
    • Useful in situations to quickly remove proprietary details of the model before sharing it. See Defeaturing

    Note: More advance Defeaturing tools can be used if OCC7.3 is available.

    Installation

    Automatic (recommended)

    Using the FreeCAD AddonManager.svg Addon Manager available in v0.17+ via Tools → Addon Manager. Search for the Defeaturing workbench icon.svg Defeaturing workbench icon. The Addon Manager also notifies the user when a new version of this Addon is available.

    Manually

    See How to install additional workbenches

    Supports

    • FreeCAD v0.15 4671
    • FreeCAD v0.16 >= 6712
    • FreeCAD v0.17 >= 13522
    • FreeCAD v0.18+

    References

    Tools

    Defeaturing tools dialog

    Defeaturing Tools.svg Defeaturing Tools are located in a separate mask.







    Video Tutorials

    Defeaturing

    Removing Features using OCC7.3 new tools

    Defeaturing-WB: removing-features (holes)
    Defeaturing-WB-@Work
    YouTube: Defeaturing tools - Simplifying the model
    YouTube: Defeaturing tools - Multi-select faces for defeaturing
    Defeaturing-WB - removing-fillet-chamfer
    Defeaturing-WB - overview-features (in german language)
    Defeaturing-WB - parametric-defeaturing

    Repairing

    • Sew a Shape
    • Removing or Simplify Faces
    • Remove Holes or Pockets
    • Read or Change Tolerance
    • make Fuzzy Boolean operations

    External workbenches

    FreeCAD workbenches are easy to program in Python, there are therefore many people developing additional workbenches outside of the FreeCAD main developers.

    The external workbenches page has some information and tutorials on some of them, and the FreeCAD Addons project aims at gathering them and making them easily installable from within FreeCAD.

    New workbenches are in development, stay tuned!