Workbenches: Difference between revisions

From FreeCAD Documentation
(Removed the Plot and Ship WB from the list. They are external in V0.19)
(Changed 3 'Module' links to 'Workbench' links to avoid redirects.)
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* [[Image:Workbench_Image.svg|32px]] The [[Image Module|Image Workbench]] for working with bitmap images.
* [[Image:Workbench_Image.svg|32px]] The [[Image Module|Image Workbench]] for working with bitmap images.
* [[Image:Workbench_Inspection.svg|32px]] The [[Inspection Workbench|Inspection Workbench]] is made to give you specific tools for examination of shapes. It is still in development.
* [[Image:Workbench_Inspection.svg|32px]] The [[Inspection Workbench|Inspection Workbench]] is made to give you specific tools for examination of shapes. It is still in development.
* [[Image:Workbench_Mesh.svg|32px]] The [[Mesh Module|Mesh Workbench]] for working with triangulated meshes.
* [[Image:Workbench_Mesh.svg|32px]] The [[Mesh Workbench|Mesh Workbench]] for working with triangulated meshes.
* [[Image:Workbench_OpenSCAD.svg|32px]] The [[OpenSCAD Module|OpenSCAD Workbench]] for interoperability with OpenSCAD and repairing [[constructive solid geometry|constructive solid geometry]] (CSG) model history.
* [[Image:Workbench_OpenSCAD.svg|32px]] The [[OpenSCAD Module|OpenSCAD Workbench]] for interoperability with OpenSCAD and repairing [[constructive solid geometry|constructive solid geometry]] (CSG) model history.
* [[Image:Workbench_Part.svg|32px]] The [[Part Module|Part Workbench]] for working with CAD parts.
* [[Image:Workbench_Part.svg|32px]] The [[Part Module|Part Workbench]] for working with CAD parts.
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* [[Image:Workbench_Reverse_Engineering.svg|32px]] The [[Reverse Engineering Workbench|Reverse Engineering Workbench]] is intended to provide specific tools to convert shapes/solids/meshes into parametric FreeCAD-compatible features. (under development)
* [[Image:Workbench_Reverse_Engineering.svg|32px]] The [[Reverse Engineering Workbench|Reverse Engineering Workbench]] is intended to provide specific tools to convert shapes/solids/meshes into parametric FreeCAD-compatible features. (under development)
* [[Image:Workbench_Robot.svg|32px]] The [[Robot_Workbench|Robot Workbench]] for studying robot movements.
* [[Image:Workbench_Robot.svg|32px]] The [[Robot_Workbench|Robot Workbench]] for studying robot movements.
* [[Image:Workbench_Sketcher.svg|32px]] The [[Sketcher Module|Sketcher Workbench]] for working with geometry-constrained sketches.
* [[Image:Workbench_Sketcher.svg|32px]] The [[Sketcher Workbench|Sketcher Workbench]] for working with geometry-constrained sketches.
* [[Image:Workbench_Spreadsheet.svg|32px]] The [[Spreadsheet Module|Spreadsheet Workbench]] for creating and manipulating spreadsheet data.
* [[Image:Workbench_Spreadsheet.svg|32px]] The [[Spreadsheet Workbench|Spreadsheet Workbench]] for creating and manipulating spreadsheet data.


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Revision as of 13:15, 7 August 2020

FreeCAD, like many modern design applications such as Revit or CATIA, is based on the concept of Workbench. A workbench can be considered as a set of tools specially grouped for a certain task. In a traditional furniture workshop, you would have a work table for the person who works with wood, another one for the one who works with metal pieces, and maybe a third one for the guy who mounts all the pieces together.

In FreeCAD, the same concept applies. Tools are grouped into workbenches according to the tasks they are related to.

When you switch from one workbench to another, the tools available on the interface change. Toolbars, command bars and possibly other parts of the interface switch to the new workbench, but the contents of your scene doesn't change. You could, for example, start drawing 2D shapes with the Draft Workbench, then work further on them with the Part Workbench.

Note that sometimes a Workbench is referred to as a Module. However, Workbenches and Modules are different entities. A Module is any extension of FreeCAD, while a Workbench is a special GUI configuration that groups some toolbars and menus. Usually every Module contains its own Workbench, hence the cross-use of the name.

Built-in workbenches

The following workbenches are available on every FreeCAD installation:

  • Std Base. This is not really a workbench, but rather a category of 'standard' commands and tools that can be used in all workbenches.

Deprecated

The following workbenches are still included in the base installation for compatibility purposes, but they should no longer be used.

External workbenches

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

The external workbenches page lists all that are known to this community. Most are easily installable from within FreeCAD, using the Addon Manager, found under menu Tools → Addon manager.

New workbenches are always in development, stay tuned!