FreeCAD

1267 readers

1 users here now

Your own 3D parametric modeler.

www.freecad.org

FreeCAD is an open-source parametric 3D modeler made primarily to design real-life objects of any size. Parametric modeling allows you to easily modify your design by going back into your model history and changing its parameters.

founded 4 years ago

MODERATORS

zksmk@slrpnk.net

What's the best way to sketch a shape like this outline? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 1 week ago by turbowafflz@lemmy.world to c/freecad@lemmy.ml

6 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I've tried using a B-Spline, using eliptical arcs, and making a polygonal approximation and then filleting it but none of them worked well and both were very hard to figure out how to measure for.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] turbowafflz@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'm only trying to make the top down projection right now because that's the only part that needs to be dimensionally accurate to the original

[–] turdas@suppo.fi 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

For just the top-down view I don't think you should have any trouble with just the regular sketcher with splines and/or arcs. Sounds like you're mostly having trouble measuring the part rather than actually sketching it?

If top-down is the only plane you care about then you could try tracing the outline of the part on a sheet of paper and scanning that in using a normal document scanner, or even just scanning the part directly if it fits in the scanner. You can then bring that scan into FreeCAD and use it as a reference and it'll already be at the correct scale.

For making the sketch, make sure you make use of the fact that the part is symmetric and you only have to sketch half of it.