Folks,
I forgot to mention that I did go through the attachment tutorial. In the file "Stage2m.FCS2d" which I think is the file I attached above, there are two chainLink icon warnings for 'unattached' in that file. One of these is for "Sketch_Block3_Bottom_ThruHoles". I tried attaching this to the XY plane, and the chainlink disappeared, but this action flipped the counterbored holes upside down. I could not figure how to proceed from there. So then I tried attaching it to the top of the same block ("Sketch_Block3_Top_Slot") instead, but this did not make the 'unattached' chainlink go away.
I just cannot figure out how to proceed with this file.
I am very close to finishing this task, that is what is a bit frustrating (there was literally one final pocket remaining). I don't really want to learn a new program from scratch (SketchUp). I think it is better for my general education to persist with FreeCAD. The current piece may or may not be a "one off" job, it is hard to predict. However, it is for a one-off project, I am sure, since I am a non-engineer who may be over-reaching a bit.
I looked at Ed's very kind redraw of one of the three blocks, in file "StageEW.FSC2d". Just to confirm: This is supposed to be just one of the three blocks, not all three, I assume (I will check that I am not looking @ the wrong file after writing this post). I don't see the single datum plane mentioned in Ed's post. If I should use this as a basis for redrawing the whole piece, I will gladly give it a try, I guess there is no way to import or transfer sketches, so I will just generate new ones, which is fine, I can try this.
The 6.35 mm dimensions could probably be tied together if this helps, but I don't know how to do it yet.
Even I can now see ways I could have done this better: On block3 I guess I could have put both the slot and the screwholes in the bottom face instead of one in the top and the other in the bottom. Albeit both are generated geometry, it might have gotten me over the final hurdle perhaps.
Thanks for all the ideas in this post. I will follow up if I find I am misunderstanding something in the post.
Thank-you very, very much for your time and suggestions, Paul
edwilliams16 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 02, 2022 7:17 pm
You can cut down on the number of offsets required by a careful choice of the initial origin, so that the subsequent features align with the principal planes. I did this with your model. I didn't get around to renaming all the features, but you can walk through the model with the space-bar.
I used one Datum Plane, representing the bottom plane as it was the support for two subsequent sketches -
Sketch005 and
Sketch007. Other sketches were on principal planes or on offsets calculated by expressions, to make them parametric. External geometry in sketches only referred to previous sketches - the earliest available one in the tree, mostly
Sketch.
You have two 6.35 mm dimensions, I made them independent. They could have been tied together, if that is the intent. This would have simplified some expressions.
This model, if you want to easily use it with different parameter sets, would be be well-served by coupling it to a spreadsheet. Then you wouln't have to poke through the model to figure out where any given dimension gets defined. I like using the DynamicData add-on in this situation.
This is all a little more work than just slapping sketches on generated geometry - but that leads to models that easily break under modification. For a one-off design, you might as well use Sketchup.
Screen Shot 2022-07-02 at 9.07.27 AM.png