How to use M function in polyline

[chrisb]

@chrisb, can you add this to the wiki https://www.freecadweb.org/wiki/Sketcher_Polyline

With pleasure.

I just cycle through, but I know what I am looking for, I've never memorized the order.

Same here...

[sgrogan]

With pleasure.

Another nugget of gold

[chrisb]

@chrisb, can you add this to the wiki https://www.freecadweb.org/wiki/Sketcher_Polyline

Done. Do you think it needs images to show what the words say?

There is one thing, that I'm not sure of, it might be a detail which I am unable to understand as a non native english speaker. It is always said in the wiki and in the forum as well, that you have to hit the M key. In fact it's the lower key, so should it rather be "the m key" or
would the capital version be noted as "Shift+M key"?

[sgrogan]

Done. Do you think it needs images to show what the words say?

Words look good to me.

There is one thing, that I'm not sure of, it might be a detail which I am unable to understand as a non native english speaker. It is always said in the wiki and in the forum as well, that you have to hit the M key. In fact it's the lower key, so should it rather be "the m key" or
would the capital version be noted as "Shift+M key"?

The key is "M" the character is "m", IMO.

And thanks for adding this.

[chrisb]

The key is "M" the character is "m", IMO.

Looking at the keyboard you are perfectly right, and I'm glad I changed the wiki docs from the "letter M" to the "key M"

And thanks for adding this.

Community projects work only with community effort.

[bejant]

Just tried to set the vertical distance between the x axis and the spokes at 25.4 mm, as the tutorial says. minute 6:50

But it came out with the vertical spokes much too elongated as you can see in the file.

Yes - that is one valid solution to solve the Sketch, but it is not the one we want. It happens because there should be a Horizontal Constraint applied to that line segment. But, if you try to apply a Horizontal Constraint there, in the Sketcher Messages area you'll see that this is a Redundant Constraint and you are asked to delete it. Instead, delete the Equality Constraint #43. Because of all the other Constraints in the Sketch, this segment is forced to be equal in length to its twin segment on the other side.

Now you can apply the last Distance Constraint by selecting the right endpoints of the horizontal line segments (just as you had tried to do before) to set the vertical distance of the inside of the pulley cheeks.

Notice that instead of doing any of the things I mentioned above, you can instead open Sketch in that last model you posted, select the vertical line segment, and apply the Vertical Distance Constraint to solve the last Degree Of Freedom and thereby Fully Constrain the Sketch.

Another option is to instead select the left endpoints of the horizontal line segments and apply the Vertical Distance Constraint.

[FC-Architecter]

I have revisited the tutorial and I still fully agree with a previous post of mine stating that these tutorials are among the best and most detailed FreeCAD tutorials I know. It is almost unbelievable that you have so many problems with them.
Did you work through the other tutorials before?

Yes, I went through them.

[FC-Architecter]

....
Yes - that is one valid solution to solve the Sketch, but it is not the one we want. It happens because there should be a Horizontal Constraint applied to that line segment. But, if you try to apply a Horizontal Constraint there, in the Sketcher Messages area you'll see that this is a Redundant Constraint and you are asked to delete it. Instead, delete the Equality Constraint #43. ....

Now you can apply the last Distance Constraint by selecting the right endpoints of the horizontal line segments (just as you had tried to do before) to set the vertical distance of the inside of the pulley cheeks.

Notice that instead of doing any of the things I mentioned above, you can instead open Sketch in that last model you posted, select the vertical line segment, and apply the Vertical Distance Constraint to solve the last Degree Of Freedom and thereby Fully Constrain the Sketch.

Another option is to instead select the left endpoints of the horizontal line segments and apply the Vertical Distance Constraint.

I deleted Equality Constraint 43.
Then set the horizontal distance between flange cheeks at 41. 275. That solved the problem of the distance between flange cheeks, BUT

the same line segment -- the inner flange cheek segment -- went diagonal in the other direction.

I still have one degree of freedom. My solution here would be:

1) make a vertical distance constraint on the inner line of the flange cheeks, as you mention above.

2) put a horizontal constraint on the line segment. <--- I just did this on my guinea-pig copy file and it works! The sketch is fully constrained. This is not one of the solutions you mentioned. I hope I will not run into trouble later with this.

FLANGE_CHEEK_LINE.png (26.57 KiB) Viewed 951 times

SUCCESS_MAYBE.png (43.46 KiB) Viewed 944 times

[GeneFC]

Alright, here is a bit of a radical thought.

It is sometimes difficult to follow someone else's instructions, even if it is a suburb tutorial by bejant. You may be repeatedly making some simple mistake or misunderstanding some action in the tutorial.

You have undoubtedly learned a lot by now about the workings of the FreeCAD sketcher.

Why not start some project of your own and see if it works for you?

Come back to the forum with any questions. As you have seen, there are lots of folks here willing to help. I believe that most helpers, however, have just about run out of gas regarding the current issues you are having with the tutorial.

Gene

[FC-Architecter]

....

Is there some important reason that an executable file is created every time I save an FC file?

Or is that just a permissions issue at my end?