I'm just playing around with FreeCAD to see if it would be useful for parametric bicycle frame design. I really want something that is reusable from one frame to the next without having to do a lot of work to fix all the tube lengths and angles if I want to change one thing. I put together a first model of the front triangle using the python scripting interface. I want to parametrize stuff like the various tube angles and dimensions from the crank to various tubes. Is there an obvious way to pin the endpoint(s) of a tube to another at a particular offset from the end? I'd like to be able to set the steering angle and have the rest of the model adjust tube lengths and angles appropriately. I'd appreciate any words of advice or guidance in the right direction.
Indeed it is not (easily) possible at the moment. Another approach could be to draw all your frame as a sketch, then a tool that produces tubes out of each edge of the sketch could be nice to have, but I'm not sure if the intersections would solve very well with such an automatic system...
Thanks for the replies. I'll certainly check out the assembly workbench when it becomes available. If I get anything interesting working, I'll post back some results.
Has this capability developed/improved since 2012?
I'm hoping to use FreeCAD for parametric bicycle frame design as well. The Sketcher does an excellent job of creating a basic 2D line drawing (which I normally do in GeoGebra). Is there a way to do something similar in three dimensions, and using tubes rather than lines?
the new expression support will make this definitely easier, however, there is still no 3d sketcher or an easy way to convert sketches to tubes with automatic cocnnection etc.
Thanks for the recommendations! Expressions just might be the ticket... I'll experiment with them soon, but would still appreciate any other advice.
I've tried both RattleCAD and BikeCAD (free version), but they're both too entrenched in the classic diamond-frame design to be useful for folding and recumbent bikes.
I'll see if I can run Creo Elements under WINE... but I'd prefer something that runs natively on Linux.
That spoke macro looks neat, but I'm really just interested in frame design.
Thanks again, and please chime in if you have more ideas!
I want to parametrize stuff like the various tube angles and dimensions from the crank to various tubes. Is there an obvious way to pin the endpoint(s) of a tube to another at a particular offset from the end? I'd like to be able to set the steering angle and have the rest of the model adjust tube lengths and angles appropriately. I'd appreciate any words of advice or guidance in the right direction.
