Sheet Metal Workbench

Have some feature requests, feedback, cool stuff to share, or want to know where FreeCAD is going? This is the place.
Forum rules
Be nice to others! Read the FreeCAD code of conduct!
efyx
Posts: 280
Joined: Fri Sep 26, 2014 7:36 pm

Re: Sheet Metal Workbench

Post by efyx »

Hi, I checked this module and is simple and fast - O/A nice. I have some enhancements, if you have only some time you could add this:
1) in combo menu, option with dropdown menu does the bend is starting from the edge of sheet metal or is offset from this edge or the bend is ended on original boundaries. Hopefull this is understandable ;)
2) unfold is working but there should be option to bend again. It is necessary when you want to put cutout on the bending. Is it possible to bend it again.
3) this would be really enhacement. To create sheetmetal form solid. For example you are putting box. You are going to sheetmetal and choosing option "create sheet metal form solid". Then you should choose solid box and this should works more or less like shell, to choose wall thickness, optional to remove selectioned surface, choose the ripped edges, choose the bend edges. After that this should solve it, and should be possibility of unfolding and folding again.

What do you think? Is this possible?
User avatar
shaise
Posts: 492
Joined: Thu Jun 11, 2015 8:11 am

Re: Sheet Metal Workbench

Post by shaise »

efyx,

Regarding 1, I understand well. It's on my to do list, but it will take sometime.
Regarding 2 and 3, I agree it will be very nice to have those, bat these features are extremely mathematically complex, so unless someone else takes the challenge, I don't think it will be possible.

shai
Phil E
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Feb 06, 2018 12:07 pm

Re: Sheet Metal Workbench

Post by Phil E »

shaise wrote: Thu Jun 11, 2015 8:21 am Hello Everyone!

As a very active user of FreeCAD (Many thanks to all of the developpers) I often use it to design small sheet metal parts. As it is now quite cumbersome to make such parts I decided to add a simple Shet Metal workbench. It is not such a big deal but it make my sheet metal design go much much faster. I have posted the Module and some help how to use it in my projects website: http://theseger.com/projects/2015/06/sh ... r-freecad/
Hope this helps others!
Thanks down loaded but it won't work. We have the sheet metal in the drop down box but when we open the tools are in grey?
Im not familiar with this cad design although i have used solid works & is very similar.
Its knowing which buttons to press to achieve what i want?
Any suggestions would be appreciated. thanks
User avatar
shaise
Posts: 492
Joined: Thu Jun 11, 2015 8:11 am

Re: Sheet Metal Workbench

Post by shaise »

Phil,

FreeCad sheet metal is far from solidworks. But it maks things a bit easier.
Here is a small tutorial:
http://theseger.com/projects/2015/06/sh ... r-freecad/

shai
Post Reply