TechDraw Workbench

TechDraw workbench icon

Introduction edit

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

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

Page edit

TechDraw Views edit

  •   Detail View: inserts a detail view of a portion of an existing view.

Views From Other Workbenches edit

Dimensions edit

Some dimension tools are listed under Attributes/Modifications, Format/Organize Dimensions and Annotations below.

Hatching edit

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

Symbols edit

  •   Weld Symbol: adds welding specifications to an existing leaderline.

Stacking edit

Aligning edit

Attributes/Modifications edit

  •   Extend Line: extends a cosmetic line or centerline at both ends.
  •   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/Threading edit

  •   Cosmetic Arc: adds a cosmetic counter clockwise arc based on three vertices.

Format/Organize Dimensions edit

  •   Remove Prefix: removes all symbols at the beginning of the dimension text.

Annotations edit

Add Lines edit

Add Vertices edit

Miscellaneous edit

Obsolete Tools edit

  •   Move View: moves a view and its dependents to a different page. Not available in 1.0 and above.

Additional features edit

Preferences edit

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

Scripting edit

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

Limitations edit

  • 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

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

Video tutorials by sliptonic

Development edit

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