From FreeCAD Documentation
- Make sure an assembly is active.
- There are several ways to invoke the tool:
- Press the Create Exploded View button.
- Select the Assembly → Create Exploded View option from the menu.
- Use the keyboard shortcut: V.
- If no Exploded_Views object pre-exists: An Exploded_Views container is added to the active assembly.
- An Exploded_View object is added to the Exploded_Views container.
- The Create Exploded View dialog opens in the task panel.
- Optionally check Parts as single solid checkbox to...
- Optionally choose one way to add a Move:
- Explode radially:
- Press Explode radially
- All parts are selected and a dragger (see Notes) appears.
- Optionally realign the dragger by selecting one option from the Align dragger to... drop-down list.
- Align to...
- Select an edge or a face of any part to align the dragger.
- Align to part center.
- The dragger is aligned according to the grounded part's center.
- Align to part origin.
- The dragger is aligned according to the grounded part's origin.
- Move the dragger by one or more of the following options (only the offset from the start point counts, each part's direction is calculated separately):
- Press and hold the left mouse button on an axis arrow and drag to translate the object along that axis.
- Press and hold the left mouse button on a plane and drag to translate the object along that plane.
- Press and hold the left mouse button on a sphere and drag to rotate the object around that axis.
- A Move (see Notes) is added once the left mouse button is released.
- Explode along separate movements:
- Select one or more parts.
- A dragger appears.
- Optionally realign the dragger (see above).
- Move the dragger as described above (the directions according to the dragger handles are taken into account).
- A Move is added once the left mouse button is released.
- Optionally select/deselect parts and/or repeat dragging to add more Moves.
- Do one of the following:
- Press the OK button to confirm and finish the tool.
- Press the Cancel button to revert all changes and finish the tool.
- All parts are moved back into their assembly position and the connecting lines are hidden.