Parametric modeling allows you to easily modify your design by going back into your model history and changing its parameters. 1FreeCAD is an open-source parametric 3D modeler made primarily to design real-life objects of any size.Besides, it is similar to SolidWorks, a commercial software that I studied and tested in a previous work course. In that case, I drew a sketch, rotated it by 360° and then applied the holes to define the adapter. In other words, it let you change a measure or the making step by step process to build your 3D object. Surely I could have bought an adapter in any hardware store! But I had a white plastic filament and I wanted to realise a customised adapter for my bathroom.Īnd not Blender because the first one is an open-source parametric 3D modeller. I designed it with FreeCAD using parametric modelling. I want to share a simple adapter that I made some time ago for an air extractor too small to be fixed in the ceiling. These file formats are supported on the Sculpteo online platform.In my opinion, 3D printing is a valuable resource for problem-solving that sometimes happens in daily life. It will then be better to export them to a vector format (IGES or STEP-type as mentioned above). They will either generate very large files (over 500MB ), or simply not be exportable by freeCAD below a certain level of precision.įiles with many curved parts / rounded, or large areas based on vector drawings with a large number of points (text, graphics, etc.), will often generate very heavy files in STL. Some files, due to their complexity or nature, won’t be optimal for the export in STL. Note that you must select in the freeCAD tree the objects you want to export. Freecad allows the import and export in this format, with quite a range of settings.

This is indeed the most widely used format, common and used for 3D printing.Īlthough freeCAD does not directly manage the mesh modeling, it is capable to produce mesh for export, making it particularly effective for 3D printing.

It is also possible, when you export the file, to convert your modeling in a file defined by a mesh, such as STL. Thus, simply select one of these formats in the drop down menu at the time of saving the file. FreeCAD works on a NURBS system, which allows to record easily your modeling in STEP or IGES format.

Freecad to 3d printer