0.18 Drafting and dimensioning - Getting the basics right?

[hobbes1069]

While I use Siemens NX for work, I've been a Fedora packager and FOSS enthusiast for 12 years. I also happen to the the Fedora FreeCAD package maintainer. I've played around in modeling over the years I've maintained the package but recently had a need to just do "simple" drafting.

I measured my kitchen for new countertops and then drafted everything up. Initially I used plain lines but that got old quickly so I switched over to sketches so I could constrain things easier. Obviously part of liking a tool is learning how to use it and how it's different from what you're used to, but overall sketing worked fine.

Now I need to dimension it so I can get a quote... Here's where things got difficult.

Google sent me astray a few times but I finally managed to create a drawing and import my view but I had to create a compound object so I could get the different drawings lines and sketches into a single view. Obviously I would probably do things differently if I started over but it wasn't worth it for this project.

Then it took me a while to figure out how to add dimensions. First I installed the Dimensioning add-on which I now know is defunct, and then found TechDraw. I am able to add dimensions now but it seems I have no control over the units! .

I know, I get it, it's an open source project, someone has to actually implement things but how can a CAD program that's been around so long not have functional dimensioning?!?

Out of of frustration I tried a couple of other programs, LibreCAD and KiCad, but quickly gave up, they're just too antiquated of an interface for my taste...

So do I just print out my drawing and dig my measurements out of the trash and hand dimension it? Or is there something I'm missing?

Thanks,
Richard

[chrisb]

Moved to TechDraw forum.

Glad you found TechDraw. Drawing/DrawingDimensioning is deprecated and it says so in the wiki, but sadly not when you just invoke the workbench.

[vocx]

...
Or is there something I'm missing?

Arrg, it's infuriating to read your post. How can you be a packager and long time user of FreeCAD and have no idea that TechDraw exists? This is insanity! But honestly it's not that uncommon. I've seen in this forum long time users who seemingly are hyperfocused on a single component of FreeCAD, for example, PartDesign, and virtually ignore everything else. Same thing with people who focus only on Arch, or Path, or FEM, and so on.

Learn your software. TechDraw in v0.19 has received the biggest amount of improvements since v0.18 was released more than a year ago.

[chrisb]

As this is a recurring topic: Is it possible to show a dialog on switching to Drawing workbench saying it is deprecated? I think that users who still need to edit old files could well live with it.

[aapo]

As this is a recurring topic: Is it possible to show a dialog on switching to Drawing workbench saying it is deprecated? I think that users who still need to edit old files could well live with it.

I have always wondered, why is it that Drawing WB hasn't been completely removed? Nobody uses it any more, except maybe some new users accidentally. I guess it wouldn't be that hard to rip it out of FreeCAD, it has no other value but confusing users.

[chrisb]

Some users may want to view or even edit old files

[hobbes1069]

Well, I'm working on building current master to see if it fixes my problems but as usual, it's never clean on the first try

https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=49861

Thanks,
Richard

[wandererfan]

and then found TechDraw. I am able to add dimensions now but it seems I have no control over the units! .

What aspect do wish to control?

To selection a unit schema: Edit>Preferences>General>Units

UnitSchemaSelection.png (39.69 KiB) Viewed 1717 times

To display or hide units: Edit>Preferences>TechDraw>Dimensions

DimensionShowUnits.png (33.91 KiB) Viewed 1717 times

StandardUnits.png (6.87 KiB) Viewed 1717 times

BuildingUSUnits.png (6.47 KiB) Viewed 1717 times

[hobbes1069]

Right now I have it on "US Customary" but the problem is I want all the dimension in inches, but I'm getting feet, and on longer dimensions yards.

I want inches both because that's what the countertop installer will want and so I can calculate the square footage because apparently FreeCAD can't do that.

Thanks,
Richard

[wandererfan]

Right now I have it on "US Customary" but the problem is I want all the dimension in inches, but I'm getting feet, and on longer dimensions yards.

US Customary is terrible. I don't know why we keep it.

Imperial Decimal is inches only.