Engineer. Retro console modder. Pen and watch enthusiast.

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Joined 2 years ago
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Cake day: July 1st, 2023

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  • Yeah, constructor/construction lines rock. That’s something relatively new in NX, too. I think with release 1921 or something. Hugely beneficial.

    The lack of intersecting geometry is a big hindrance to the way I model things. Pads and pockets are something I haven’t dealt with since probably NX 7.5, back around 2012. I’m not sure if I can change at this point.

    For 2D things, I really like to make primary sketch for all my features. Maybe a second sketch for holes and slots. And my 3D models mostly start with customer data, and I extract surfaces from there. I define parting lines with shadow curves, and split my slides out with sheets normal to the target surface. I then extrude surfaces out along a vector to outside the envelope of the tool, trim them, and use a bounded plane to close it up. Sew into a solid body, and it’s a slide. No sketches at all sometimes. But tons of intersecting geometries until the end. Then, adding vacuum, water, air, mounting holes. Seal grooves. Those usually take sketches.

    I’m obviously not trying to do my job in FreeCAD, my company uses NX. But I dont think I can easily change my workflow just to do my personal stuff with it, since it is so radically different.

    I like your models. It’s nice you have a cohesive design for all your handheld display stands, so they’ll all look good together.

    How long did the bunny take in FreeCAD?




  • Ah, ok. I’ve been using NX since it was still Unigraphics, so I am admittedly biased. I haven’t tried any of the newer things like Fusion or Sketchup. Might I ask what industry you use FreeCAD for at a professional level? Just curiosity. I’m automotive interiors tooling, so I’m pretty dependent on strong surfacing tools. Lots of A-surface stuff.

    Also, how would you model this up in FreeCAD? This took me about 15 minutes in NX, with one sketch and some offset curves. I was making a 3D printed tag for my daughter.

    I tried for over two hours in FreeCAD, but only got this far. I could not extrude individual bodies from one sketch, I had to make separate sketches for each shape. Offset curves didn’t appear to be a thing, and I couldn’t find any form of synchronous modeling tools. So, making those raised outlines was a whole other challenge. I ended up having to extrude a sheet taller than the main body, then thicken it. I couldn’t figure out how to select face edges for use in other commands, either. I ended up giving up.








  • All of those are true. But I still love it. Why? I like airships. And I like that I take my whole home with me as I explore, and don’t have to travel back to a fixed point to store my treasures. Is it derivative? Yes. Is it repetitive? Yes. Does it tick all the boxes for me to relax for a couple hours at night? Absolutely.


  • Yeah, you’re right it is pretty linear. Astroneer is fantastic regarding freedom, I totally agree. And I love that it doesn’t have the food and water requirements, just air. That really lets you focus more on the exploration. Haven’t played the other two you mentioned. I’d definitely say Forever Skies is a casual game. If I weren’t playing that at night, I’d probably be playing Boggle Plus or Dr. Mario on the GameBoy. If I had the time (not at 11pm) to really get into a game where I cared about story or interesting mechanics, I would be playing something better. I could finally finish F.E.A.R., after 20 years. Or start MechWarrior 5.