Note: From now on, the Draft module has been adapted to work with new features availible in FreeCAD since build 1615. So, if you have an older build of FreeCAD, you must use the older 0.0 version of draft, still availible here. With recent FreeCAD, it is also possible to install your new modules in 2 different places: either the system-wide Mod directory that lies inside the FreeCAD dir, either in ~/.FreeCAD/Mod (~ is your user dir).
From now on you need pyqt4 (python extension for accessing Qt interfaces) and pivy (python extension for accessing coin scenes) working on your system. If you are on linux, PyQt4 is generally availible from standard repositories, while for pivy you'll probably need to build it yourself. You'll find instructions on the FreeCAD forums (see the thread below) or on this page on the FreeCAD wiki. Other note: in official windows builds, those 2 modules are already included in FreeCAD, so, nothing to install, yay!
This plan shows what I would like to make, just for me to have a path to follow. I am not sure all that is here is possible to implement, neither if I will be able to do it. It is just something I would like to try. I am until now using only python with the standard modules (included in the official dist) and PyQt which is not but seems highly indispensable...
The overall strategy is to make something as simple and non-obstrusive as possible, to keep te interface clean. Ideally, the module should have just a small toolbar, that you can just hide once you know all its keyboard shortcuts. If you find all this interesting and have the will and capacity (python programming mainly) to help me, you are welcome... Drop me a line on this site (main page or guestblog) or on the FreeCAD forums.
There is also a dedicated forum thread on sourceforge where I put news and thoughts about this.
When I am writing this plan, the DXF import function is working. I am now playing a bit with PyQt...
17.04.2007
SVG importer working!
09.07.2007
PyQt4 working again in FreeCAD.
16.07.2007
Trying to achieve mouse click detection from a PyQt4 widget. I think the most we can do in pyqt the best FreeCad is kept "clean"...
30.11.2007
From now on, pyqt4 is required to use this module.
I have now a basic line/polyline drawing function working.
15.12.2007
Line drawing function working (only tested on Linux until now).
SVG import not working anymore :(
20.12.2007
Line function upgraded
31.12.2007
As a new-year goodie, the circle drawing function works now!
17.01.2008
Arc function working, and text input workflow enhanced
27.01.2008
Escape key now cancels the current command
Snap extended to midpoints and circle quadrants
28.02.2008
Move function is working
04.03.2008
added a copy behaviour to the move function, and a function to apply current style to selected objects
17.03.2008
rotate function added
30.04.2008
bugs corrected, code cleaned, added import mode to dxf import
19.06.2008
after a long stop, development continues! I added an offset function now, that I modestly believe is better than Autocad!
21.06.2008
DXF export is working, but still very basic
28.08.2008
Adapted to the new Part module. New Part module rocks!!!
04.09.2008
Added upgrade & downgrade tools
23.09.2008
Added rectangle and text tools
16.10.2008
Lots of cleanup, dxf export now working inside FreeCAD export framework. There is also intersection snap now
Partially implemented. Some object types are imported, some not. I will work further on this part when FreeCAD will gain more object types. Right now, all object types contained in the DXF file that are compatible with FreeCAD objects import without problems. Screenshots here.
DXF object types read by this script + implementation in FreeCAD:
- line: read and converted to FreeCAD Line
- lwpolyline: read and converted to FreeCAD Wire w/ arcs straigthened
- polyline: read and converted to FreeCAD Wire w/ arcs straigthened
- text: read and converted to FreeCAD Annotation
- mtext: read and converted to FreeCAD Annotation
- circle: read and converted to FreeCAD Circle
- arc: read and converted to FreeCAD Circle
- layer: read and layers containing objects are conveted to FreeCAD Group
- block_record: read but no implementation in FreeCAD
- block: read but no implementation in FreeCAD
- insert: read but no implementation in FreeCAD
- ellipse: read but no implementation in FreeCAD
- 3dface: read but not implemented yet
- hatches: not read
- solids: not read
- 3d solids: not read
- dimensions: not read
At the moment, everything is imported in black. I intend to put something in the preferences screen to be able to choose if you want color , b&w, or color mapped to b&w thickness.
SVG objects that import at the moment:
- PATH objects with M, C, L or A commands
- RECT objects
USAGE:
- The user is asked for points, until the max. number of points is reached. For each point, the user can:
- pick a point somewhere on screen with the mouse
- pick a point on an existing object, 2d or 3d
- double-click on the last point to finish, or press F
- enter a number to switch to numeric input (currently conflicts with FreeCAD built-in shortcuts, but works)
- on numeric input, pressing Enter passes from x to y, from y to z, and from z it adds the point (if valid)
- press C to finish, closing the line (if more than 2 points)
- press Z to undo last point (provisory, conflicts using CTRL+Z...)
- press CTRL to snap to endpoints of existing lines
- press SHIFT to constrain vertically or horizontally
- press SHIFT & CTRL to snap-constrain
- Sometimes viewport must be "activated" before coords/numeric tracking function begins to work (for ex by middle-clicking in the viewport)
- The "working plan" cannot be set yet.
USAGE:
About the same as the line function:
Circle:
- Pick a center point somewhere on the screen or on any object, then radius
- Numeric key will put you in numeric input mode
- CTRL snaps to endpoints of lines and centers of circles
- Arcs are constructed with 4 points: the center point, another point to specify the radius, then the start and end positions
- Pick points somewhere on screen with the mouse or pick a point on an existing object, 2d or 3d
- press CTRL to snap or, when picking the end angle, press SHIFT to go counter-clockwise
Simply create a closed polyline and upgrade it with the upgrade tool
Moves all draft entities. Uses a provisory code, when more complex transformation matrix will be working in FreeCAD I'll adapt this code.
Basically, select entities you want to move, and pick the start and end points.
- CTRL snaps you to availible snap points
- SHIFT constrains movement
- ALT makes a copy
Same behaviour as the move function
This tool upgrades selected objects in different ways, following this list (in order):
- if there are more than one faces, the faces are merged (union)
- if there is only one face, nothing is done
- if there are closed wires, they are transformed in a face
- otherwise join all edges into a wire (closed if applicable)
This tool downgrades selected objects in different ways, following this list (in order):
- if there are more than one faces, the subsequent faces are subtracted from the first one
- if there is only one face, it gets converted to a wire
- otherwise wires are exploded into single edges
Just test it, it is fairly simple. You can choose which segment the offset is taken from with SHIFT, snap to points with CTRL, and create a copy with ALT.
Note: Still some bugs around with arcs
- FreeCAD Lines get converted to lines
- FreeCAD Polygons (polylines) get converted to single lines (provisory)
- FreeCAD Circles get converted to circles
- FreeCAD Arcs (open circles) get converted to arcs
- colors are mapped from objects RGB colors to autocad color index (ACI). Black will always be "by layer"
- layers are mapped from group names When groups are nested, the deepest group gives the layer name.
import exportDXF
exportDXF.export()
from the python interpreter.exportDXF.export()