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FreeCAD

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
FreeCAD
Original authorsJürgen Riegel, Werner Mayer, Yorik van Havre[1][a]
Initial release29 October 2002;
23 years ago (2002-10-29)
Stable release
1.0[2] / November 18, 2024; 12 months ago (2024-11-18)
Preview release
1.2[3]
Repository
Written inC++, Python
Operating systemLinux
macOS
Unix
Windows
FreeBSD
Type3D modeling, CAD, CAM, BIM, FEM
LicenseLGPL-2.0-or-later
Websitefreecad.org
Interior of 3D house
Arduino board imported from Eagle PCB software

FreeCAD is a general-purpose parametric 3D computer-aided design (CAD) modeler and a building information modeling (BIM) software application with finite element method (FEM) support.[4] It is intended for mechanical engineering product design but also expands to a wider range of uses around engineering, such as architecture or electrical engineering. FreeCAD is free and open-source, under the LGPL-2.0-or-later license, and available for Linux, macOS, and Windows operating systems. Users can extend the functionality of the software using the Python programming language.

Features

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General

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FreeCAD features tools similar to CATIA, Creo, SolidWorks, Solid Edge, NX, Inventor, Revit, and therefore also falls into the category of building information modeling (BIM), mechanical computer-aided design (MCAD), PLM, CAx and CAE. It is intended to be a feature-based parametric modeler with a modular software architecture, which makes it easy to provide additional functionality without modifying the core system.

As with many modern 3D CAD modelers, FreeCAD has a 2D component to facilitate 3D-to-2D drawing conversion. Under its current state, direct 2D drawing (like AutoCAD LT) is not the focus for this software, and neither are animation or 3D model manipulation (like Blender, Maya, or Cinema 4D). However, the modular nature of FreeCAD allows the user to adapt its workflow for such environments via the use of plugins.

FreeCAD uses open-source libraries from the field of computing science; among them are Open CASCADE Technology[5][6] (a CAD kernel), Coin3D (an incarnation of Open Inventor), the Qt GUI framework, and Python, a popular scripting language. FreeCAD itself can also be used as a library by other programs.[7]

There are moves to expand FreeCAD into other sectors such as Electrical engineering and architecture, engineering, & construction (AEC), and to add building information modeling (BIM) functionality with the Arch Module.[8]

Workbenches

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FreeCAD has a modular structure built from a set of workbenches, where basic workbenches are bundled, and additional workbenches could be created and installed by users.

Sketcher Workbench

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Sketcher Workbench is a default workbench with a set of 2D drafting tools for drawing in specified 2D plane.

Part Design Workbench

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Part Design Workbench is a default workbench for constructing solid geometry (body) by 3D operations from 2D sketches and 3D geometry modification operations (boolean, pattern, hole making, lathing, etc.).

In FreeCAD, its possible to use both solid modeling paradigms: top-to-down or down-to-top — so, its possible to create cylinder from circle sketch by extruding it, or by lathing cube solid with a rectangular sketch turned around any cube axis.

Part Workbench

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Part Workbench is a default workbench for adding solid parts primitives and multibody solids, with a set of tools for solid boolean operations.

Drafting Workbench

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Drafting Workbench is a default workbench with a set of tools for raw and advanced editing of 2D and 3D geometry. Its used in cases of complex geometry impossible to create or edit with Sketcher, Part Design or Part workbenches.

Assembly Workbench

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Assembly Workbench is a default workbench for assembling parts into multipart assembly connecting each part with various geometric constraints. Also, there are alternative 3rd party workbenches for assembly creating each with different logic and set of constraints.

Technical Drawing Workbench

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Technical Drawing Workbench is a default workbench for generating 2D drawings from 3D view of parts or assembly, with a set of tools for post-processing generated drawing (scaling, views orientation and projection, line and fill editing, adding measurements, GD&T labels, etc.). This workbench is used for producing final shop drawings and specifications documents for printing or export to PDF.

Optics Workbench

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Optics Workbench is a 3rd party workbench for design and analizing optical systems in FreeCAD.[9]

See also: Inkscape § Ray Optics, Aber (software), and Zemax

Supported file formats

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FreeCAD's own main file format is FreeCAD Standard file format (.FCStd).[10] It is a standard zip file that holds files in a certain structure.[10] The Document.xml file has all geometric and parametric objects definitions.[10] GuiDocument.xml then has visual representation details of objects.[10] Other files include brep-files for objects and thumbnail of drawing.[10]

Besides FreeCAD's own file format, files can be exported and imported in DXF, SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics), STEP, IGES, STL (STereoLithography), OBJ (Wavefront), DAE (Collada), SCAD (OpenSCAD), IV (Inventor) and IFC.[11]

DWG support

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FreeCAD's support for the proprietary DWG file format has been problematic due to software license compatibility problems with the GNU LibreDWG library. The GNU LibreDWG library started as a real free alternative to the source-available OpenDWG library (later Teigha Converter and now ODA File Converter) and is licensed under the GPLv3. As FreeCAD (and also LibreCAD) has dependencies on Open Cascade, which prior to version 6.7.0 was only compatible with GPLv2,[12] it couldn't use the GNU LibreDWG library as GPLv2 and GPLv3 are essentially incompatible.[13][14] Open CASCADE technology was contacted by Debian team in 2009, and 2012 got a reply that Open CASCADE technology was considering dual-licensing OCCT (the library), however they postponed that move. A request also went to the FSF to relicense GNU LibreDWG as GPLv2 or LGPLv3, which was rejected.[15]

As of 2014 the 0.14 release of FreeCAD, including the new LGPL release of Open Cascade, the BSD-licensed version of Coin3D, and the removal of PyQT, FreeCAD is now completely GPL-free.[16] However, LibreDWG has not been adopted. FreeCAD is able to import and export a limited subset[17] of the DWG format via the ODA File Converter (the former OpenDWG library).[citation needed]

Promotions during events

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Yorik van Havre presenting FreeCAD at FISL 16 in 2015

FreeCAD was notably presented at FISL 16 in 2015, in Porto Alegre,[18] as well as at the Libre Graphics Meeting in London in 2016.[19] These two exhibitions can bring together both developers and users. In 2020, it was during FOSDEM in Brussels that two of these developers, Yorik Van Havre and Brad Collette made the presentation.[20] On 29 March 2025, Aleksander Sadowski, Altair and the German space agency (DLR) have collectively organised an event, where they showed, how a mars rover is build and simulated using open-source engineering software, including FreeCAD, PrePoMax, OpenRadioss and ParaView.[21][22] Aleksander Sadowski has presented FreeCAD in his talk Fully Open-source Workflow for FEM Crash Simulations in Automotive and Aerospace to executives and engineers in R&D from Dassault Systemes, Volkswagen AG, Altair, BMW AG and RWTH Aachen University on 19 April 2025 [23][24] and on 15 October 2025 at the Konstruktionsleiter-Forum 2025 in his talk Product development process in mechanical engineering using open-source software, organised by Vogel Communications Group, as the last talk of the event to executives from Bechtle PLM and PTC Onshape.[25][26] Aleksander presented FreeCAD to engineers in a Webinar, organised with the VDI (Association of German engineers) multiple times.[27]

FreeCAD 1.0

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The FreeCAD 1.0 version includes several new features, such as the new assembly workbench; fixes for many bugs, including the topological naming problem; unification and correction of many workbenches; very diverse changes and improvements in the user interface and user experience (UI/UX);[28] and a new logo, chosen from five finalists of the public contest created to renew the brand.[29] It was released on November 18, 2024.[30][31]

New logo of FreeCAD, designed by Sebastián Tabares (syta.co)

With the release of FreeCAD 1.0 on the horizon, it was decided to make a logo and branding change. At the request of the project managers, the intent of the update was to iterate on the current branding, rather than completely replace it.[32] There is an official guideline for the use of the logo in its short, long and mono version; the recommended and prohibited uses, all available in [1].[33]

FreeCAD logo in its long variation, with the wordmark in Evolventa lettering.[34]

Release history

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Version Release date Information
Unsupported: 0.0.1 October 29, 2002 Initial release
Unsupported: 0.1 January 27, 2003
Unsupported: 0.2 August 9, 2005
Unsupported: 0.3 October 31, 2005
Unsupported: 0.4 January 15, 2006
Unsupported: 0.5 October 5, 2006
Unsupported: 0.6 February 27, 2007
Unsupported: 0.7 April 24, 2009
Unsupported: 0.8 July 10, 2009
Unsupported: 0.9 January 16, 2010
Unsupported: 0.10 July 24, 2010
Unsupported: 0.11 May 3, 2011 Sketcher, Part, 2D and Robot modules[35]
Unsupported: 0.12 November 20, 2011 Architecture Module[36]
Unsupported: 0.13 January 29, 2013 Ship Design module, Openscad module, 3D mice support[37]
Unsupported: 0.14 July 1, 2014 License changed to LGPLv2+, spreadsheet module, render to LuxRender[17]
Unsupported: 0.15 April 8, 2015 Oculus Rift support, updated ifc importer in Architecture module[38]
Unsupported: 0.16 April 18, 2016 FEM workbench, Path module[39]
Unsupported: 0.17 April 6, 2018 Addon manager, Surface module, TechDraw module[40]
Unsupported: 0.18 March 12, 2019 New Start view, extended Arch module, many improved modules[41] In 0.18.5 Addon-Manager broken, so 0.18.4 is stable release.
Unsupported: 0.19 March 20, 2021 Modules to Python 3 and Qt5 mostly ported,[42] actual 0.19.4
Unsupported: 0.20 June 14, 2022 Completely rewritten Addon Manager, more than 30 new tools in TechDraw, persistent section cuts, many improvements of existing tools[43]
Unsupported: 0.21 August 2, 2023 Planned as the final release before patches for the topological naming problem introduce performance regressions. Various user interface and workbench improvements.[44][45]
Latest version: 1.0 November 18, 2024 Addressed the topological naming problem. New integrated Assembly workbench, integrated BIM workbench, new material system, and many new features in Sketcher, FEM, PartDesign, and other modules, as well as overall UI improvements.[46][47]
Future version: 1.1 Not yet determined Release candidate [48]
Future version: 1.2 Not yet determined Development version with weekly builds.[49]
Legend:
Unsupported
Latest version
Preview version
Future version

Usage in the industry

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FreeCADs' popularity is on the rise, reflected in the number of downloads through Github (approx. 20 million, December 2025)[50] and the number of times getting searched for in search engines seen on Google Trends (200% increase from 2020 to 2025).[51] FreeCAD utilization not only increases in the maker space, including Linus Torvalds, who integrated printed circuit board enclosures, made with FreeCAD by Aleksander Sadowski, into his guitar pedal side project[52]. This guitar pedal project was showcased at KiCon Europe 2025 on 12 September 2025 by Aleksander Sadowski[53] and in a video on the Youtube-channel Linus Tech Tips, where Linus Torvalds was a guest. (see 12:00)[54] There are two large companies, that have at least partially integrated FreeCAD into their manufacturing process, are Hettich, known for being a furniture fittings company for IKEA, and Melexis, a semiconductor company.[55] FreeCAD is also used in the open-source hardware projects, like STEMFIE, an open-source construction toy system for 3D printing[56][57], and LumenPnP, a pick and place machine for manufacturing printed circuit boards.[58][59] Because of this multiple startups have been founded, who based their services on FreeCAD, including ALSADO, offering FreeCAD support, founded by Aleksander Sadowski in April 2020[60][61][62], Ondsel developing a collaboration platform around FreeCAD, founded by Brad Colette in January 2023[63][64] and Astocad, developing and offering a FreeCAD fork focussed on improving the UX, founded by Pierre‑Louis Boyer in February 2025.[65][66]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Jürgen Riegel no longer participates in the active development of FreeCAD since the end of 2015.

References

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  3. ^ "FreeCAD 1.2 Release Notes". wiki.freecad.org.
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  39. ^ "Release notes 0.16". Archived from the original on 7 May 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
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  41. ^ "Release notes 0.18". Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  42. ^ "Release notes 0.19". Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  43. ^ "Release notes 0.20". Retrieved 17 June 2022.
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  49. ^ "Release notes 1.2". Retrieved 2025-12-01.
  50. ^ "GitHub Release Stats". tooomm.github.io. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
  51. ^ https://trends.google.de/trends/explore?date=today%205-y&q=freecad
  52. ^ Torvalds, Linus (2025-12-03), torvalds/GuitarPedal, retrieved 2025-12-03
  53. ^ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2025/schedule/#2025-09-12
  54. ^ Linus Tech Tips (2025-11-30). Building the PERFECT Linux PC with Linus Torvalds. Retrieved 2025-12-03 – via YouTube.
  55. ^ "FreeCAD Schulungen, Beratung und Tutorials | ALSADO". alsado.de. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
  56. ^ "STEMFIE – Play freely and build endless fun at home with STEMFIE, the free 3D-printable educational toy - News". www.stemfie.org. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
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  58. ^ opulo-inc/lumenpnp, Opulo, 2025-12-03, retrieved 2025-12-03
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  66. ^ "Making sure you're not a bot!". forum.freecad.org. Retrieved 2025-12-03.

Further reading

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