draft workbench has "active command" box in the way

[oldestfox]

Hello all.
I'm just now trying to learn FreeCAD. I don't know if the things that don't work are the state of progress of the project or something that I am doing wrong. My current problem is that the "draft" window is small and I cannot get rid of what looks like an "active command" toolbar. I haven't yet been able to successfully track the mouse clicks to see if there is a pattern (draft to part to part design etc.) that is causing it. The tutorials are obviously written by someone who already knows what is supposed to happen and are not much help. The "help" function isn't much help either. I realize that this is a WIP but I would have thought that it would have been further along than this with the basics by now.
See attached ZIP file for screenshots.

freecadSS.zip

(260.63 KiB) Downloaded 46 times

I just can't seem to get a good working area for drafting.
Also it would be very helpful if the deactivated commands, modules etc. could be grayed out. Or a list of them published for us beginners.
Thanks.
***********************************
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is.

[NormandC]

I will not download a zip and extract it to see screenshots. This is ridiculous. If you want help, please make it so we don't have to deal with unnecessary steps.

See my signature for the proper way to attach images.

And please have a look at my topic "Read first befor asking for help!" which is pinned at the very top of this forum. I wrote it because I was tired of asking newcomers the same 2 questions over and over again.

[oldestfox]

I got the *.msi file from SourceForge.net

OS: Windows XP
Platform: 32-bit
Version: 0.13.1828
Python version: 2.6.2
Qt version: 4.5.2
Coin version: 3.1.0
SoQt version: 1.4.1
OCC version: 6.3.0




Will this work now?

Try this. You may want to reference your signature in your instructions about uploading items. The sticky is what I followed when i first posted this. No mention of your signature.

[NormandC]

Thanks for attaching the picture so it is visible in the post.

This is the first time I see this happening. Fortunately, it is easy to fix. What you're seeing is the Draft interface in toolbar mode. It should be placed horizontally right under the toolbars. In your case it is placed in the side panel. All you need to do is to place your mouse cursor at the left of "active command", left-click and hold the mouse button, and drag it a little at the right, over the 3D model view, then up. When a dotted rectangle area appears that spans the whole width of the program window, release your button, the toolbar will be dropped there.

You may want to reference your signature in your instructions about uploading items. The sticky is what I followed when i first posted this.

I will read the sticky again. I'm pretty sure it didn't encourage to zip images.

[NormandC]

Incidentally you can salvage vertical space by switching the Draft interface to taskview mode.

Go to Edit --> Preferences, then on Draft in the left pane. The Draft module must be loaded for it to appear in the Preferences.

Under the General Settings tab, switch the Draft interface mode to "Taskview".


Hit Apply, close the Preferences and exit then relaunch FreeCAD.

Instead of an horizontal command bar, you will now have contextual tools in the Tasks pane and this mode will not lock the side panel width.



P.S. The Draft icon is different from yours because I use a development version where it was updated.

[oldestfox]

Thanks. Your first fix worked just fine. I drug and dropped up in the taskbar area and all is good. I'll try your second suggestion in a few minutes as soon as I exercise the draft mode a little bit.

[oldestfox]

OK. Your second suggestion works also. I now have a full side to side work area. I normally don't want to use a left pane when I am doing CAD work. It just takes up too much room sometimes. I use Alibre Design. I don't like their business practices and that is the reason I'm looking into FreeCAD.

[NormandC]

From what I have witnessed Alibre was a nice product but once they got bought by 3D Systems they made some disputable changes. For example the Personal Edition can only export to STL now, it used to export to STEP. I have never used Alibre.

You will see that much is missing in FreeCAD compared to Alibre. It is very much in continuing development, and the dev team is small. But year over year they manage to add many new features, so FreeCAD is getting there.

Since you used Alibre you may interested in looking into the Part Design and Sketcher workbenches. You will see that the modeling work flow should be pretty similar.

[oldestfox]

I'll look into Part Design and Sketcher workbenches. And thanks for that lead.
I originally got AD when they had a 10 or 100 thousand (I forget now) registration push. A free download of the bottom tier package that was an online only proposition. I registered. Got my download. And then for $50.00 US I could "upgrade" to standalone and not be on the web continuously. I upgraded. Then they had a worldwide drafting contest. I took third place with that one. And then along came 3D Systems. And from then on, the more you upgraded, the more you lost. Those lost items had migrated up to the higher tier. Like the export formats. Like I said, business practices. I must say though that it was a very program to learn to use. (their help sux like a lot of others) I don't know if ongoing enhancements (????) are going on in TX or in UK. OK. Soap box is put away now.

I am going to keep up with FreeCAD. I understand that it is written in C++. Correct??

[NormandC]

I understand that it is written in C++. Correct??

Yes, but some workbenches are programmed entirely in Python: Arch, Draft, and the Ship design module.

Since Python is interpreted it is easy to add functionality to FreeCAD without recompiling. That is, for someone who can actually program! Which is not my case.