FreeCAD, the SolidWorks Killer

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theimposingdwarf
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FreeCAD, the SolidWorks Killer

Post by theimposingdwarf »

Hello,

I am a Mechanical Engineer and avid CAD user. I've worked in a variety of industries including heavy industry and consumer product design. I've used SolidWorks, CREO, Inventor, SolidEdge, and Fusion360 in production environments. I dislike them all, below are some of the reasons:
  • Exorbitant Cost. Seriously. I can't even believe that a tool engineers have been using for 40 years can still cost upwards of $5k PER LICENSE for mid-tier capabilities. That doesn't even include the very expensive file management tools needed to support the package in a production environment. It is outrageous to me that in the software engineering fields, the most cutting edge technology, amazing software, can be had for almost nothing. Sure there are expensive software development tools in existence, but their need is less pronounced with the advent of open source tools and code. In many cases, they are really a "nice to have" rather than a brute requirement. Even as you get into very specialized fields such as machine learning and robotics, the capabilities that free open source software provides is astounding.
  • Locked Down File Format. I'm tired of the file format game. Each CAD vendor has their own special proprietary file format. Sometimes they are compatible/importable on a model level, but especially once you get to the drawing level there is no intercompatability or opening of other CAD systems drawings. If you want to open a file from another vendor, you either purchase their software (which is somehow always different from yours) or you import via STEP, which trashes most of the 'smartness' of the other CAD system anyway.
  • Computer requirements. It does make sense that your computing needs grow proportionally to the size of your model, but there is no reason you need to have an NVIDIA QUADRO XXX that costs 10x more and is 10x slower than a "consumer card". Something is wrong here. Further, these requirements are often somewhat arbitrary and don't always emphasize the correct specifications for what you actually need to accomplish.
  • PDM hassle. It really bothers me that software engineers have amazing, fully functioning, free tools via git, meanwhile, we are stuck with outdated, difficult, expensive tools to do any sort of data management. I'm not even looking for advanced functionality like merging features, but how hard is it to implement a simple check-in/check out system without spending $10k on a full fledged database system?
  • Restrictions in how you model. You have to do exactly what the tool wants you to do, whether or not it is actually an efficient way to produce geometry. I have found CREO is the worst offender in this regard.
  • Operating system restrictions. I want to be able to work on more than just Windows. MacOS, Linux, ios, android. We live in a multiOS world, why is every CAD system (except Fusion360) not compatible with more than Windows? Why is every CAD system built on a layer of code that shows it's age and inflexibility at every opportunity (still looking at you CREO)
The list goes on.

I've been thinking I want to make some open source CAD modules related to robotics to build on some of the existing amazing software out there, but I know that I don't have the desire to support a whole fleet of CAD systems and I don't want to limit their use to such a small slice of the world, especially one with such high walls as current commercial CAD systems do. I also appreciate the deep access that FreeCAD gives developers to the kernel. Many other CAD systems trap you behind a walled garden API that limits dearly what you can do and dramatically slows down operations with the overhead of the CAD system.

My initial experience with FreeCAD on MacOS was a little crashy, but I'm not attributing that to any fault of the underlying technology systems. Do you think that with the proper development support, FreeCAD and the OpenCASCADE kernel have enough oomph to compete with SolidWorks as the current industry leader of CAD systems? The Linux to Microsoft's Windows? I look at other OSS projects like Blender, which is now at a point to be a full Maya replacement and gain confidence that we as creatives want tools that allow anyone to use them but still maintain exposure to all of the deep tools for expert users/developers. If a tool like Blender, which primarily targets the Creative side of the spectrum can become so dominant, I wonder why FreeCAD couldn't do the same in an arguably more technical domain.

I linked up to the FreeCAD source code, but was struggling to get everything I needed to build on MacOS. It appears the directions are outdated since Mavericks. Has anyone built on MacOS recently?

Is there a FreeCAD development road map?
vocx
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Re: FreeCAD, the SolidWorks Killer

Post by vocx »

theimposingdwarf wrote: Mon Jun 22, 2020 8:17 pm ... I wonder why FreeCAD couldn't do the same in an arguably more technical domain.
It can, but it requires support from the community. A lot of users are just bystanders; they want FreeCAD to be better, but don't actually help. If you want to make FreeCAD better, contribute; there are many tasks that are pending, from writing better documentation, updating the guides that exist, as well as learning Python and C++ to improve the system.
...It appears the directions are outdated since Mavericks. Has anyone built on MacOS recently?
The current MacOS build that you can find in Download is generated from the Conda sources. So it is obviously possible to compile FreeCAD in MacOS, you just need to use Conda.

By the way, I'm always torn about those who use Apple systems. Apple is usually going their own way, going against standards; for example, they want to remove OpenGL support, which could kill FreeCAD in this environment. Why would anyone support open source solutions and use Apple products at the same time? That seems counter-intuitive to me. The best way to support free software is to avoid Apple.

There is no development roadmap. FreeCAD moves in a much more chaotic way than Blender. Blender has had some sort of organization for a long time, while development in FreeCAD happens in a more personal basis; people contribute what they think makes sense.
Always add the important information to your posts if you need help. Also see Tutorials and Video tutorials.
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theimposingdwarf
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Re: FreeCAD, the SolidWorks Killer

Post by theimposingdwarf »

I agree. This is something that the community would need to further rally around to gain momentum. That fits the bill for all OSS projects though.

I hear you on the Apple argument. I've been frustrated for a while at their refusal to support Nvidia GPUs and today they announced a move to all ARM... That having been said, from a hardware development standpoint, they make some of the best designed computers in the world (PCs, Tablets, and Phones) and their clout can't be ignored. Especially in a mobile driven world. I know FreeCAD is based around Coin3D, but I worry about the sustainable future of OpenGL across all formats. Because FreeCAD uses the Coin3D graphics API rather than the raw openGL to render, I wonder what the transition to something like OGRE would look like... (OGRE uses OpenGL, metal, directX, and is in the process of implementing Vulkan)

Blender is encountering the same problem with OpenGL moving toward obsolescence on all platforms.

If I'm understanding then, the main program controller is run by the python VM and the c++ code (which I assume includes the Kernel) are libraries? How does the python code interact with the QT interface code?
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Zolko
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Re: FreeCAD, the SolidWorks Killer

Post by Zolko »

theimposingdwarf wrote: Mon Jun 22, 2020 8:17 pm Do you think that with the proper development support, FreeCAD and the OpenCASCADE kernel have enough oomph to compete with SolidWorks as the current industry leader of CAD systems?
functionality-wise, FreeCAD can take on Solid-Works. Not on eye-candy, and also some things are quite rough on the edges. On some other functionality FreeCAD is way superior to Solid-Works. Integration with a PDM would be a necessity. Not sure about git though, which is a real PITA, but I've been using SVN with very good results. May-be worth checking for Mercurial, I have read many nice things about it.

performance-wise, I can quite easily put my computer (Dell XPS with 16Gb RAM, integrated GPU, Kubuntu 18.04) to its knees with large models. I don't know how that compares to Solid-Works (I can only run it in a VM, which is obviously not comparable)

Is there a FreeCAD development road map?
If you find-it, please show it to me, I'd be interested too
try the Assembly4 workbench for FreCAD — tutorials here and here
domad
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Re: FreeCAD, the SolidWorks Killer

Post by domad »

Ciao!....sono d'accordo con te! Leggendo il tuo post mi sono reso conto che sei in grado di progammare in phyton.Ti invito a leggere il mio post dal titolo "operosità" per provare a implementare il sw.
Sono convinto (per esperienza) che per modellare non servono sofisticati strumenti, ma piuttosto ne sevono pochi e molto efficienti, poi serve tanta: 1) inventiva
2) fantasia
3) studio/formazione
4) esperienza
Buon lavoro!
domad
vocx
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Re: FreeCAD, the SolidWorks Killer

Post by vocx »

theimposingdwarf wrote: Mon Jun 22, 2020 10:00 pm ...
How does the python code interact with the QT interface code?
It's pretty standard. FreeCAD uses PySide, a Qt to Python wrapper.
Always add the important information to your posts if you need help. Also see Tutorials and Video tutorials.
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yorik
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Re: FreeCAD, the SolidWorks Killer

Post by yorik »

MacOS is indeed less well served than other platforms, and this is basically because there is only one developer who has a mac... But the intent is and always will be to have FreeCAD work on all the platforms we can. Reporting bugs and, more importantly, be ready to help digging into the dirt until we find the cause of the bugs is something that can help much.

FreeCAD is about the same way with most commercial platforms: It still lags behind generally-speaking and specially regarding the general user experience, friendliness, etc, but in some areas it already surpasses nearly all of them. I think we all have a priority to make it powerful and stable, and once that is done, user experience is something that can easily be worked on later. And it also depends a LOT not on programming itself, but on documenting, translating, testing, bug-hunting, etc...

About PDM/git/etc... support, I'm more and more using these outside of FreeCAD, actually, as a project almost always contains non-FreeCAD documents too... So it makes less and less sense to manage that directly inside FreeCAD. With git you can really achieve great management. There would only need a bit more polish, like visualizing/diffing the files better, etc...
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Petert
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Re: FreeCAD, the SolidWorks Killer

Post by Petert »

I gave up on FreeCAD, there is no progression in the important parts.
Using SolidWorks for makers now, works better and way faster then FC.
I wish it wasn't so, but FC is still unusable after all these years, even RealThunders branch suffers from poor design decissions in the past.

Hopefully I will not get screwed by Desault as AutoDesk did with Fusion 360.
I am a refugee from Fusion 360. Switched over to FreeCAD and am spreading the word. After years of very little progress I switched again to another solution. I wish you all the best!
drmacro
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Re: FreeCAD, the SolidWorks Killer

Post by drmacro »

Petert wrote: Thu Aug 04, 2022 3:36 pm I gave up on FreeCAD, there is no progression in the important parts.
Using SolidWorks for makers now, works better and way faster then FC.
I wish it wasn't so, but FC is still unusable after all these years, even RealThunders branch suffers from poor design decissions in the past.

Hopefully I will not get screwed by Desault as AutoDesk did with Fusion 360.
Yet hundreds of others would not consider it "unusable". It has been stated that FreeCAD has no intent to replace or compete with commercial offerings. It is an ever evolving organic entity and will never meet the needs of 100% of those attempt to use it.

Will you get screwed by Desault? Most likely, they are in business to make money, as is AutoDesk.

But, you need not feel any obligation to say goodbye. Nor explain why you choose to leave. Farewell. Adieu.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: Spock: "...His pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking."
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obelisk79
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Re: FreeCAD, the SolidWorks Killer

Post by obelisk79 »

Petert wrote: Thu Aug 04, 2022 3:36 pm I gave up on FreeCAD, there is no progression in the important parts.
Yet you are still here, I suppose remaining hopeful that what you personally deem as the 'important parts' get addressed.

I, and I think many others would argue that the important parts are already in-place and largely quite functional. I really feel like comments like yours are more toxic than productive. Whereas the OP has come here to initiate a constructive post full of optimism and from the viewpoint of someone apparently with a lot of professional industry experience. Your opinions appear more commonly among informally trained hobbyists. I have shared your frustrations in the past, and in some areas probably still do, however I've also learned that I was functionally terrible at CAD in other programs. Now I'm at least not terrible and troubled much less by some of FreeCAD's shortcomings. Those improvements in my own modeling/design abilities are extremely transferable when I open up my old CAD software as well.

I think the old idiom (dating back to the 13th century btw) "Only a poor craftsman blames his tools" may apply. It certainly did in my case.

@theimposingdwarf I believe a couple of years ago JokoEngineering did a couple of interesting comparison videos of FreeCAD vs Solidworks to see if there was relative feature parity. You may find it of interest.
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