FrameForge Workbench

FrameForge is dedicated to creating Frames and Beams, and apply operations (miter cuts, trim cuts) to theses profiles.

Create the skeleton

Beams are mapped onto Edges or Parametric Lines (from a Sketch for instance). For a start, we are going to create a simple frame.

1. In a new file, switch to the FrameForge workbench.
2. Create a sketch, and select orientation (XY for instance).
   
   
   
3. Draw a simple square in the sketch… it will be our skeleton
   
4. Close the Sketch edit mode.

Create the frame

1. Lauch the Profile tool.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Select a profile from the lists (Material / Family / Size)
   You can change the size just below the family, the tool has a lot of predefined profile, you can also change the parameters…
   
3. In the 3D View, select edges to apply the profile creation.
   
4. And press OK in the Create Profile Task. You now have four profiles and your first frame.
   
   
   

Going 3D: Making a cube

We can build more complex shapes, and there are several ways of doing it.

More sketches (part 1)

We can add more sketches to our project:

1. Create a new Sketch.
2. Select the same orientation as before (XY).
3. Draw a square the same size and placement as before.
4. Change the position of the sketch to put it 400mm above the first one.
   
   
   
5. You can now use the Create Profile command again to create another square frame.
   

Parametric Line

You can create Parametric Lines by joining two vertexes (points). Theses lines can be used for profiles as well.

1. You can hide profile objects with the [Space Bar] (it allows to see the sketches).
   
2. Selects two vertexes:
   
3. Create a Parametric Line:
   
   
   
4. Repeat for the other 3 edges of the Cube.
5. Use the Create Profile command again to create the four vertical beams.
   1. Open Create Profile, select the profile you want.
   2. Select the 4 Parametric Lines.
   3. Click OK.
   
   

More sketches (part2)

There is another ways to add sketches, that allows to do more complicated stuff.

Sometimes you want to add a sketch at a specific location, and link it to another sketch. So that when you modify the first sketch, then the second will follow. This is not possible with the Position / Base Placement, that is an absolute position, you have to "Map" the second sketch to the first sketch.

1. Create a new Sketch, and set its orientation to YZ.
   Just for reference I have added a circle to the sketch so you can see where it is.
   
2. Click on the map mode property:
   
   
   
3. You can change the map mode, selecting faces, vertexes and edges. Here, our circle is in a new plan, the one at the top left of the screen. There are a lot of options here.
   
4. You can then edit the sketch, and create more line and frames.

Bevels and corners.

As you can see, the junctions are not good yet. The profiles are centered on the skeleton, and stop at the end of the edges.

We are going to make corners, and bevels. There are two methods for that.

Via Bevels property

This is the preferred option for simple frames.

1. Let's hide everything except the first frame we made.
   
2. Select one of the profiles, and in the property section, go for Bevel Start/End Cut 1/2
   
3. There are 4 entries (Start / End Cut1 Cut2). These allow you to create bevels in the two axis, at the start or end of the profile. Negative angles work, and must be used to compensate directions.
4. You can batch-modify properties, by selecting multiple profiles.
   

Via End Miter command

1. Let's show the other base frame.
   
2. First we must add offsets to the existing profiles. Offsets add to the dimension of the edges. You can change the profiles one at a time, or change them all at once.
   
3. Deselect all objects, then select two touching Profiles. You must select faces in the 3D view, not objects in the Tree view.
   
4. Click on the Create Miter End command to create two trimmed profiles.
   
   
   

Via End Trim Command

Let's finish the 3 others corners of the second frame.

1. When all profiles are made visible again, you can see the vertical profiles are not cut as they should be.
   
   
   
2. Let's open the corner manager again, selecting "end trim".
   
   
   
3. Select the vertical profile first, add it to the trimmed object with the plus (+) button.
   
   
   
4. Select the face of the profile you want to cut with. Here, I add to move the view and select the bottom face.
   
   
   
5. You can change the cut type: straight or following the other profile.
   
   
   
6. And you also can add faces related to the other side of the trimmed profile.

Organizing Objects

That's the bad part.

I find the tree view messy. Really messy.

Part Container

I often use Part container for grouping profiles, sketches, etc.

You should drag only one profile to the container. I don't know why, but FreeCAD is not happy about a group drag.

Sometime parts and profile get out of the Part Container.

Fusion

You can fuse profiles together. It allows to group objects.

Using profiles in PartDesign

1. To use these profiles in PartDesign you need to create a fusion and then a Body.
   
2. Drag and drop the fusion on the body.
   
3. You now have a standard PartDesign Body and you can use PartDesign to do whatever you want. You can for example create holes.