From FreeCAD Documentation
Introduction
The goal of this article is to list the most important currently missing features in FreeCAD and provide workarounds for them. It can be helpful for new users who can't find a particular functionality in FreeCAD.
Missing features in the Sketcher
No. |
Missing feature |
Workarounds
|
1 |
Auto snapping to objects (midpoints, center points, quadrants, extensions, intersections) |
- manually applying constraints and using construction lines
- drawing in Draft Workbench where snapping to objects is available, then converting with Draft to Sketch tool
|
2 |
Chamfer tool |
- making chamfers on part level (after extrusion)
- adding fillet, turning it to construction geometry and then connecting the points with line to create a chamfer
|
3 |
Circular pattern |
- creating circular patterns on part level (after extrusion)
|
4 |
Offset tool |
- SketcherOffset macro
- 2D Offset tool in Part workbench (subshapebinder necessary to pad)
- Draft Offset tool (subshapebinder necessary to pad)
|
5 |
Rotate tool |
|
6 |
Scale tool |
- Scale in Draft module, then Draft to Sketch
|
7 |
Adaptive dimension constraint |
- using separate dimension tools – 3 for lines, 1 for angles and 1 for arcs/circles
|
8 |
Inputting coordinates and dimensions on go (when drawing an object) |
|
9 |
Tangency to B-spline edge |
|
10 |
Checking geometric and mass properties of the sketch (area, center of mass, second moments of area and so on) |
|
11 |
Possibility to use the results of the External Geometry tool directly for operations on the sketch |
- outlining the geometry created by this tool
|
12 |
Projecting multiple edges at once with the External Geometry tool when face is selected |
- projecting edges individually
|
13 |
3D sketches |
- Draft Workbench but 3D drafts can’t be converted to sketches (however, they can be used for spatial frame analyses done internally or externally and for sweep paths)
|
14 |
Projection of cut edges when making a sketch on a plane cutting through the model |
|
15 |
View Section tool showing filled cuts (not hollow ones) - directly related to the clipping plane tool issue |
|
Missing features in the Part and Part Design workbenches
No. |
Missing feature |
Workarounds
|
1 |
Checking geometric and mass properties of the model |
- FCInfo macro
- Part Check Geometry tool – area, volume, mass, length, COM, moments of inertia, radius of gyration
|
2 |
Clipping plane that doesn't make the model look like it's hollow |
- changing lighting in part’s view settings to one side (very rough equivalent, problem with multicolored parts)
- Persistent section cut tool - deselect all planes before pressing Close, doesn’t work for intersecting parts in assemblies
|
3 |
Creation of an axis on the intersection of 2 planes and a plane midway between two faces/points, possibly more variants for datum creation |
- more manual datum creation
|
4 |
Automated midsurface extraction (for thin-walled parts) |
- Facebinder in Draft workbench and then Scale in the same module to make it actual midsurface
|
5 |
Projecting (mapping/wrapping) sketches on non-planar (e.g. cylindrical) faces |
- Sketch on Surface tool in Curves addon Workbench
|
6 |
Support for multiple solids within a body |
- creating a separate body for each solid
|
7 |
Selecting which part of the sketch to extrude |
|
8 |
Fillets and chamfers that can consume adjacent faces/edges |
- making fillets with slightly smaller radius (e.g. 6.4999 instead of 6.5 mm)
|
9 |
Parametric curves |
- Macro 3D Parametric Curve
|
10 |
Cosmetic threads |
|
11 |
Partitions (splitting surfaces and volumes with sketches and datum planes while keeping the number of parts unchanged) |
- Boolean fragments tool – only splitting surfaces with sketches
|
12 |
Guide rails for sweep and loft |
- Curved Shapes add-on workbench - Curved Array
|
13 |
Twist for sweep |
- PartDesign AdditiveHelix (pitch=height*360/twist angle)
- Curved Shapes add-on workbench - Curved Array
|
14 |
Bending existing parts |
|
15 |
Pattern along a curve |
- PathArray in Draft module
|
16 |
Cut scope - cut affecting only selected part of the model |
- different order of operations and using boolean cut on extruded bodies
|
17 |
Merging adjacent faces |
|
18 |
Hole tool using points from sketches |
- drawing circles for the Hole tool
|
19 |
Datum points from coordinates |
- basing datum points on existing geometry
|
Missing features in the TechDraw workbench
No. |
Missing feature |
Workarounds
|
1 |
Advanced section views (half, broken out, offset and aligned sections) |
- using the Slice apart tool to physically cut the model and creating its view
|
2 |
Surface quality annotations |
- importing symbols created in external software (e.g. Inkscape) and saved to svg format
|
3 |
Auto diameter dimension on side views |
- manual addition of the diameter symbol
|
4 |
Sketching in drawings |
- cosmetic line tools, limited
|
5 |
Shaded views in drawings |
|
Missing features in the FEM workbench
General missing features