How to rotate an rectangle in 3D by one of its edges or a center line

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ranila
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Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2021 5:11 pm

How to rotate an rectangle in 3D by one of its edges or a center line

Post by ranila »

Hello,

I did my first intensive week with FreeCad and am a bit shocked about its power but also about its lack of intuitivity. Hm, looks like a certain way has to be to go to understand all its principals.

The last day I fiddled with the task to set a perpendicular line from a point to a face - and am still looking for an elegant way to do ...

Next thing was this simple task do rotate a rectangle or face by i.e. its centerline?
If someone is willing to have a look as it is done in SketchUp:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR2BL2C8fvo
see at 3:20 for some seconds

It's so damn easy to do in SketchUp (a direct modeller, I know).

Is it because I'm too new to FreeCad, or is it just not possible to do in FreeCad as elegant as in SketchUp?

Thanx for giving me a direction
jmaustpc
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Re: How to rotate an rectangle in 3D by one of its edges or a center line

Post by jmaustpc »

Stop worrying about how anything is done in any other application also stop focusing on how to force FreeCAD to let you use a specific method that you most likely don't even need to do. For example forget your two examples and focus on the best way to model your widget in FreeCAD. For example why are you even bothering to have and manipulate a cube? Likely you don't need to, to create your widget. You would more commonly create your widget from a sketch in PartDesign workbench.

The same goes with your other example which is easy enough to do in several ways depending on what you are trying to achieve. One obvious method is via the attachment subsystem.

I am on my phone and in a hurry so I will leave it at that.
drmacro
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Re: How to rotate an rectangle in 3D by one of its edges or a center line

Post by drmacro »

While it gains you no experience on how to use FreeCAD. I certainly wouldn't waste time with such practices to create basic polyhedrons...

Install the Pyramids and Polyhedrons workbench and have at it.
Peek 2021-12-01 14-27.gif
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Generally, drawing lines up to faces isn't the FreeCAD paradigm. So, isn't actually much use.

The typical workflow is to create a sketch, draw a shape (typically a cross section of the object you want to create), then extrude (in Part workbench) or Pad (in Part Design workbench). (Note: it is recommended for new comers to use one or the other, but, not mix them, at least as you begin.)

Then you make additional sketches and essentially carve away or add solid to create the final object.

So, the concept of rotating faces just isn't a normal workflow.

It is possible to create a face at a time and turn them into solids, but, it is not the normal workflow.

But, if you insist :mrgreen: on rotating faces: make a face and use Transform:
Peek 2021-12-01 14-39.gif
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domad
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Re: How to rotate an rectangle in 3D by one of its edges or a center line

Post by domad »

Hello, greetings to the Community.
... I add some of the basics of transformation functions.
I advise you not to make comparisons with the previous cad, to read the documentation https://wiki.freecadweb.org/About_FreeCAD/en and above all to carry out (all) the basic tutorials https://wiki.freecadweb.org/Tutorials/en, then to continue to use the forums to ask questions and thus to increase the knowledge of FC.
A greeting
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thomas-neemann
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Re: How to rotate an rectangle in 3D by one of its edges or a center line

Post by thomas-neemann »

ranila wrote: Wed Dec 01, 2021 5:32 pm
here is a quick method in freecad


https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic. ... 27#p550927




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Last edited by thomas-neemann on Wed Dec 01, 2021 8:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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chrisb
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Re: How to rotate an rectangle in 3D by one of its edges or a center line

Post by chrisb »

ranila wrote: Wed Dec 01, 2021 5:32 pm If someone is willing to have a look as it is done in SketchUp:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR2BL2C8fvo
see at 3:20 for some seconds
Have a look at this: https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic. ... 27#p550927 . Free your mind and use the tools and workflow provided by the program you use.

Edit: thomas just posted himself.
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domad
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Re: How to rotate an rectangle in 3D by one of its edges or a center line

Post by domad »

ranila
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Re: How to rotate an rectangle in 3D by one of its edges or a center line

Post by ranila »

Hi guys,
you are tremendous. Thanx a lot for all good support showing me options and directions.
I'm a bit overwhelmed to give all your hints an instant try, in particular as it is my birthday today and telephone is ringing every now and then, but I will check them all in the next days - and then come back ;)
ranila
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Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2021 5:11 pm

Re: How to rotate an rectangle in 3D by one of its edges or a center line

Post by ranila »

Hi Domad,
thanx for your example-gifs! I tried to use "Transform" on a rectangle as depicted by your gif. But this command does not work at all at Draft workbench. At Part workbenche it works with faces or extruded rectangles or primary solids - but also not at rectangles.

Is this a bug, or do I miss something?

I use FC 19.2 on Windows 10, installed and also as portable version.
ranila
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2021 5:11 pm

Re: How to rotate an rectangle in 3D by one of its edges or a center line

Post by ranila »

... does not work means, the command is fired, but nothing happened, shows up, no reaction in any way.
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