Frustrated new user

[JakePG]

Hi all, new user so forgive my ignorance on how to do things.

Ok here's what I'm trying to do. I created a base sketch and have padded it. Created a second sketch that now needs to be rotated and attached to the base sketch at a 30 degree angle. I can't figure out how to do this after much reading and frustration. So I figured I'd ask how. Attached is a copy of the freecad file I'm working on. I was looking at datum planes to do this but just can't figure it out. The final look should look like a ruaght iron square post twisted to 30 degrees utilizing sketch001 as the profile in the last couple of mm of the main sketch. The circles should be pointing down to the left at the 30 degree angle.
Thanks in advance.

Jake


OS: Windows 10
Word size of OS: 64-bit
Word size of FreeCAD: 64-bit
Version: 0.18.4 (GitTag)
Build type: Release
Branch: releases/FreeCAD-0-18
Hash: 980bf9060e28555fecd9e3462f68ca74007b70f8
Python version: 3.6.6
Qt version: 5.6.2
Coin version: 4.0.0a
OCC version: 7.3.0
Locale: English/UnitedStates (en_US)

[jmaustpc]

First post, welcome to FreeCAD.


Firstly there have been a huge number of bug fixes and new features in FreeCAD 0.19, the dev snap shots are a lot better than 0.18 so a lot/most of is of us have now moved on.

Regarding your specific question, all you have to do is set your sketch's attachment and then set appropriate offset values, offset allows for positional and orientational offsets.

I am on my phone sitting in town waiting for new tires to be fitted to my car hence my lack of details in my response. If you are curious about the "in town " comment, I live in the Aussie outback. The wiki has this information, search the wiki for "attachment" I think will get you some.

Off the top of my head, I can't remember what upgrades in 0.19 might help here but there are some must have upgrades in Partdesign in general, including a loft related update.

[TheMarkster]

Attach the datum plane to the same plane the first sketch is attached to, which I think is the xy_plane. Modify the datum plane attachment offset property to get it at the right angle. Attach the second sketch to the datum plane and modify it's x and y attachment offsets to position it as desired.

Attaching can be done by clicking the Map Mode property of the object to be attached. You can temporarily make the Origin object (and the xy_plane) visible by clicking on it and pressing the spacebar.

I would position it for you, but I don't know where it's supposed to go.

[JakePG]

Thanks for the quick reply. jmaustpc , a loft will not work, ugly things happen as it is not a square. I used the raught iron spiral as an example of what one end needs to look like. Thanks for the .19 info. Have downloaded and tried it out.

[JakePG]

TheMarkster, I've tried doing that but I'm more of a visual guy for learning. The two ends would butt together on the same plane and yes it is the xy plane. In the 3d view from the top, the extension to the left is how the tilt of sketch001 needs to be titled as the datum plane shows Meaning if you were looking down the circles you would be looking down to the left side where the extension is shown. The longer side is where the height of the part would be revealed in the spiral of a wrought iron twisted square. Also, this may help, the total length of both sketches should be around 117 mm.
I've also tried using the attach to create an external link in sketcher as per the tutorial 17 example. But to no avail, I just can't figure this out.
And thanks for the quick reply.

Jake

[JakePG]

I tried to map sketch001 to the datumplane and receive the following, circular dependencies are not allowed. I don't know maybe I created the datumplane the wrong way. Is this possible?

[TheMarkster]

Map the datum plane to the xy plane first. This will remove the circular dependency as it is currently attached to the sketch. The sketch should be attached to the datum plane and not the other way around.

[freedman]

The best way to create a datum plane on a standard plane is to expand Origin, select the axis (like XY) and then click datum plane. This makes it very automatic.
Create a datum plane, mouse select the datum plane face in the 3D and click sketch.

[freecad-heini-1]

Hi all, new user so forgive my ignorance on how to do things.

Hello, Jake,
sorry for my English. I use a translation program from German.
When with Freecad version 0.17 axes, planes and points were introduced and I did not understand how they worked, I reacted angry. But when I was explained how these "placements" and the map mode worked, since that time I am enthusiastic. Freecad has something unique on board here. I come from the PTC Creo world. There you can create a plane parallel at a distance to another plane. If you want to rotate the plane, you first need a rotation axis, then you have to create a new plane at an angle to the one you just created. With Freecad you can do all this at once. You can let planes fly in 3D-space, in all distances to the main coordinate cross, also single planes and in all angles. Please explore these ingenious functions and I am sure you will be satisfied afterwards. Freecad does it differently than the others, but much better, that's how I see it.

Many greetings
Wilfried

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

[drmacro]

Do you have an image of what the end product should look like?

I'm having a bit of trouble visualizing...

I did a search on wrought iron square post and I can't match anything the search found with what I see in your file.

Definitely 3D challenged on this one.