FreeCAD V1.0.0 Assembly Workbench Intro

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Here, I lay out the basic tools needed to get started in the new FreeCAD Assembly Workbench and get over some of the initial frustration. This is the 1st video in a series I've done on the new V1.0 Assembly Workbench.

The big theme for me is the difference between a "Constraint" and a "Joint." In Solidworks for example, you make an assembly by adding constraints, which is essentially eliminating one degree of freedom at a time. But if you think of a physical joint on a piece of machinery, all of the possible degrees of freedom are already constrained by the design of that joint. Same thing in FreeCAD. We have to define the joint first, which defines all degrees of freedom simultaneously, with default values for the constraints. Then we have to go in and adjust those default values

My full Library of FreeCAD videos:

Assembly Workbench - FreeCAD V1.0.0

CAM Workbench - FreeCAD V1.0.0

Part Design Workbench- V0.19 and V0.21
The videos in this series focus primarily on the Part Design workbench. They were released before FreeCAD V1.0. There are some nice upgrades in V1.0, but the concepts covered here remain valid.
14) Sketcher and Part Design updates in V1.0 - Stay Tuned!

[scantrain]

Dear Mitchell,
I seen a few Videos about Assembly Workbench, but no one explained that good as here been done. I'm a beginner; so this Video is a huge jump foreward.
Thank you very much - with greetings from Germany!
Thumb up and subscibed...

[dexadine]

Great video. I like how you show the issues new users may face rather than just a blur of activity as an expert shows other experts how to do some task.

[Andrefa]

Lovely video!!! Thank you. Getting started is often one of the most difficult parts.

[FransVink-rm]

Simple and to the point. very helpful. thank you, Sir!

[dylanfroment]

Really useful video, thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[hifijimson]

Finally video which actually explains features, not just show press here and here and worst just repeating that 10 times to build multipart.. Its good you play around and show how settings affects. That really helps to understand what happens. Thanks for the video. I had to skip multiple videos to have more detailed explanation. is there a way to connect to that corner without those manual X/Z movements at the end? I saw some videos selecting the corner, I didnt manage to do it myself. so not sure if that works.

[nagesharas]

At 7:56, you started by launching a joint and then selected the surfaces to add them to the list in the dialog in the Tasks panel.

I tried out an experiment: Does FC allow us to select the faces from the two bodies first, and then create the joint?
I found that FC does not allow the reversal of steps: We have to launch the joint first, and only then it allows us to select the features.

[N.A._McBee]

This wasn't helpful, it IS helpful 😁 ! To me it seems as if splitting up a project into several files is one of the basic ideas behind FreeCAD. I got into serious trouble when I tried to combine several bodies into one solid part, maybe because all subparts were present in one FreeCAD document as several distinctive bodies. Even if my assumptions are incorrect (which they most probably are), at least the way you started into the project seems to be quite clear and memorable. Thx!

[herrgerd]

Sorry, that is absolutely not the way to do this. There is only one component fixed (your first block). The joint type you're looking for is distance. By default it is 0. So your small box would need three distance joints and you're done. No over-constraining either!

[numbergenoa]

I'm used to solidworks but no longer have software so trying freecad, I have made good progress with creating basic parts but now on to simple assemblies and really struggling most of the videos don't align with what I see on the screen I think this is an area where FC is less sorted .

[chuckintexas]

You show how to navigate to parts you made separately, to insert those parts to make up an Assembly.
This is know as "Bottom-UP Assembly Creation".
A FAR _MORE frequently used approach to System Design is the TOP - _DOWN_ method, where a base part is inserted and grounded, a next part may be added, then when a NEW component must be designed IN-CONTEXT, the ability to model that part WTHIN the context of its adjoining/mating components becomes critical. THIS is the Top-DOWN approach, where you MAY have MUCH if not _most_ of the Assembly modeled, and as you continue to construct your design, you model critical parts as you go, modeling them IN CONTEXT.
So-
HOW do we model a part IN context, and THEN save it OUT for use in the Design AND for it to be able to be used in OTHER similar applications ?
I was modeling a bracket I need, and have an adjoining spacer, and I can't get it out of the Assembly for further use AND there _seems_ no practical way to DUPLICATE that part for additional use in the ORIGINATING Assembly.
I HATE to be a distraction _here_, but the "forum" is almost COMPLETELY _UNUSABLE_.
Sincerely- THANKS for ANY _help_ ANYONE can offer !
- C .