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TechDraw Workbench - FreeCAD Documentation Jump to content

TechDraw Workbench

From FreeCAD Documentation
(Redirected from TechDraw Module)

This is the approved revision of this page, as well as being the most recent.
TechDraw workbench icon

Introduction[edit | edit source]

The TechDraw Workbench is used to produce basic technical drawings from 3D models created with another workbench such as Part, PartDesign, or BIM, or imported from other applications. Each drawing is a Page, which can contain various Views of drawable objects such as Part::Features, PartDesign::Bodies, App::Part groups, and Document Object groups. The resulting drawings can be used for things like documentation, manufacturing instructions, contracts, permits, etc.

Dimensions, sections, hatched areas, annotations, and SVG symbols can be added to the page, which can be further exported to different formats like DXF, SVG, and PDF.

If your primary goal is the production of complex 2D drawings and DXF files, and you don't need 3D modelling, FreeCAD may not be the right choice for you. You may wish to consider a dedicated software program for technical drafting instead, such as LibreCAD or QCad.

Snapping[edit | edit source]

introduced in 1.0: The TechDraw Workbench has a snapping feature. It can be used to automatically align views, section views and dimensions when positioning them by dragging with the mouse. With Snap View Alignment enabled (default) in the preferences, views will snap to alignment with other views when close enough (View Snapping Factor setting). Dimensions are also snapped to other parallel dimensions and the dimension text can be snapped to the middle of the dimension line. Snapping can be temporarily disabled by holding down the Alt key.

Tools[edit | edit source]

Pages[edit | edit source]

Views[edit | edit source]

TechDraw views[edit | edit source]

  • Section View: inserts a cross-section view of an existing view.
  • Detail View: inserts a detail view of a portion of an existing view.
  • Share View: shares a view between multiple pages.

Views from other workbenches[edit | edit source]

Stacking[edit | edit source]

These are tools for changing the stacking order which controls the apparent depth of views on a page.

  • Adjust Stacking Order:

Dimensions[edit | edit source]

  • Dimensions:

Hatching[edit | edit source]

  • Image Hatch: applies a hatch pattern from a file to a face.
  • Geometric Hatch: applies a hatch pattern to a face using an Autodesk PAT specification.

Annotations[edit | edit source]

  • Cosmetic Vertices:
  • Quadrant Vertices: adds Cosmetic Vertices at quarter points of selected (circular) edges.
  • Centerlines:
  • Weld Symbol: adds welding specifications to an existing leaderline.

Extensions[edit | edit source]

Attributes and modifications[edit | edit source]

  • Change Length of Cosmetic Lines or Centerlines:
  • Extend Line: extends a cosmetic line or centerline at both ends.
  • Shorten Line: shortens a cosmetic line or centerline at both ends.
  • Align Dimensions:
  • Evenly Space Dimensions:
  • Area Annotation: calculates the area of selected faces and inserts an area annotation.
  • Customize Format Label: customizes the formatting of a balloon text or dimension text. GD&T symbols and other special character can be added.

Centerlines and threading[edit | edit source]

  • Centerlines:
  • Cosmetic Threads:
  • Vertices:
  • Cosmetic Circles or Arcs:
  • Cosmetic Arc: adds a cosmetic counter clockwise arc based on three vertices.
  • Add Cosmetic Parallel or Perpendicular Lines:

Dimensions[edit | edit source]

Several of the Extensions dimension tools are listed under Dimensions above.

  • Insert Prefix:
  • Remove Prefix: removes all symbols at the beginning of the dimension text.
  • Change Decimal Places:

Miscellaneous[edit | edit source]

Obsolete tools[edit | edit source]

  • Move View: moves a view and its dependents to a different page. Not available in 1.0 and above.
  • Turn View Frames On/Off: turns the display of View frames, labels and vertices on or off. Not available in 1.1 and above.

Additional features[edit | edit source]

Preferences[edit | edit source]

  • Preferences: preferences for the default values of the drawing page such as projection angle, colors, text sizes, and line styles.

Scripting[edit | edit source]

The TechDraw tools can be used in macros and from the Python console. For more information see:

Limitations[edit | edit source]

  • Do not cut, copy and paste TechDraw objects in the Tree view as this generally does not work out well.
  • Do not drag TechDraw objects in the Tree view with the mouse.

Tutorials[edit | edit source]

A "few" added lines of code result in a tool like the Macro TemplateHelper.

Video tutorials by sliptonic

Development[edit | edit source]

Do you want to know about the future of the TechDraw Workbench? Visit the TechDraw Roadmap Page to learn more.