freecad will eliminate in a few years the empire of 3d parametric cads for a fee?

[Piero rodofil]

I was pleasantly surprised by freecad the free parametric cad 3d for mechanics (and not only). In its latest version 0.18 in the classic modeling functions it is now comparable to the various solidworks inventor solidedge and to what I see in the future version 0.19 are working on improving the table setting (techdraw). It's constantly developing on a global network, and I think it might be a few years to put the blasons in a charge. What do you think?

 

[marcok625]

Hello, just yesterday I downloaded the portable version of freecad and I was impressed positively.
I do not think that in a few years something will change from the current situation.
I see it more as a program for small companies born recently (start-up) where young people start designing with freecad and then if things go well and will grow up, they will keep the cad. Maybe in a few ten years also the other bigger companies, seeing that the software houses will impose only licenses in subscriptions, as some house has already started to do, then they will look for something else. (current my personal thought)

 

[ale47p]

has still several gaps, but they are also implementing other stuff (reverse mode for example)
the beautiful thing is that it is opensource, so the result depends only on the desire and the possibility to bang
imho cmq will not replace the paid ones, there are people who just hear the word "free" you start laughing

 

[meccanicamg]

I am following freecad from version 0.16 and every year this program grows.
at present with version 0.19 developer we have almost all stable tools, a good fem suitable for simple situations of structures and details. good modeling, perhaps with some macros you can be more productive, the putting on the table is evolving because for now it is the most lacking module, a module together scarno that can be replaced by the a2plus external workbench that works properly.
for now it is not yet giving way to to torches to pay cads however in the coming years could be a good alternative for those who start working without investing money in the cad.
there is something important that has different from other cads: freecad is implementable in any programming environment, one that does for example cnc viewers can implement the solid freecad viewer without spending a penny.

 

[GiCor]

for personal purpose or as a prototyping mule is more than dignified, as a professional tool with which to execute a client is still uncertain. the professionalizing effort of the latest versions is evident, but without a solid partner behind that you engineer it as a rule of art, I fear that it will never become standard as the various aster code and saturn code of ef.

 

[ian3d]

I support this discussion as I also started using freecad.
in the first line I find it very practical and intuitive regarding the modeling of the parts; a little less in the table and constructions together, although in principle it is the most often to become familiar with the controls and settings.

in the environment together (use the module a2plus v0.4.47) I find it has margins of improvement; In particular, it happens to me that the constraints often fail if I change anything on the faces taken as a reference (by adding a hole for example). In my opinion and as far as I have learned, there is no possibility of binding the components using the plans or the reference boards. I have obvious to this limit by inserting the parts together and defining their position through absolute coordinates.

 

[Prof.]

the realm of the parametric cad3d paid was then knocked down by freecad?

 

[Vittorio]

all free.. :unsures:
it seems utopia that there is someone who works for free to give free software

 

[meccanicamg]

the realm of the parametric cad3d paid was then knocked down by freecad?

to put our heads on and learn to use it seriously from its good results. by now we are almost close to the standard of paid cad.

 

[Prof.]

I admit that I never tried it so I can't judge and how I see it, to express an opinion, we should work professionally at least a year, but I'm skeptical because the paid cads have rather evolved features that I doubt may have a free system... but I might be wrong of course. . .

 

[Vittorio]

I admit that I never tried it so I can't judge and how I see it, to express an opinion, we should work professionally at least a year, but I'm skeptical because the paid cads have rather evolved features that I doubt may have a free system... but I might be wrong of course. . .

I think it's the usual philosophy of fusion360 or draftsight, and most likely that of nanocad.
initially it is free.. then you use it and start setting up your works with that software and then you have a historian behind you that you have to ensure for any changes etc.
After that, without notice and maybe after a year, they offer you an annual contract.
If you have to do hobbistic-level stupidity, it's fine for free, but if you have to work free, I can't see it.

 

[cacciatorino]

I think it's the usual philosophy of fusion360 or draftsight, and most likely that of nanocad.
initially it is free.. then you use it and start setting up your works with that software and then you have a historian behind you that you have to ensure for any changes etc.
After that, without notice and maybe after a year, they offer you an annual contract.
If you have to do hobbistic-level stupidity, it's fine for free, but if you have to work free, I can't see it.

freecad is opensource, others were just freeware. There's an abyssal difference in the license.

 

[Vittorio]

freecad is opensource, others were just freeware. There's an abyssal difference in the license.

Okay. I didn't know
So you'll always be free?

 

[+forte]

Freecad could well match and supplan the parameters for a fee if it was supported by large users taking for example what happened to blender, another open source program, which by now has nothing to envy to its competitors for a fee (3dsmax maya c4d etc.).
blender received high donations, we talk about millions of euros, by big sw house that badly see the almost monopoly autodesk among the polygonal modeling programs, animation, rendering and viewing 3d, among the enterprises that invested in blender we find epic games and adobe .
If large and small enterprises, perhaps the Italian ones would be enough, making a substantial donation in favor of freecad could in a few years find themselves a program at the height of the commercials and finally get rid of all expensive American programs

 

[Vittorio]

It's good for optimism and I'm the first, but from what the man is..
if you find magnanims with donations it would be utopian to think of a universal software that is good for all.

 

[+forte]

you have misunderstood I am not optimistic, hearing the continuous complaints of holders of small and medium enterprises, who in fact complain of the continuous increases of the prices of commercial sw that they use daily, I am to be teased on why their cunning in saving addresses in taking sw tarot instead of implementing a medium-term plan to replace well in financing, even a few hundred euros welded, the development of an opensource program that in

 

[cacciatorino]

It's good for optimism and I'm the first, but from what the man is..
if you find magnanims with donations it would be utopian to think of a universal software that is good for all.

in this case the gain would be:

1) if I am a user I make a donation that still costs me less than buying licenses of a propietario software.

2) if I am a developer I can sell services (assistance, courses, etc.) rather than licenses, or develop additional modules for a fee.

if you think about linux, libreoffice, egroupware is open source software but on which many people earn the salary.

 

[Vittorio]

in this case the gain would be:

1) if I am a user I make a donation that still costs me less than buying licenses of a propietario software.

2) if I am a developer I can sell services (assistance, courses, etc.) rather than licenses, or develop additional modules for a fee.

if you think about linux, libreoffice, egroupware is open source software but on which many people earn the salary.

Does freecad work with linux?
Okay. at the end or with donations or with purchase of special packages the money must pay them.
about the other open surce software mentioned above.. If you use them to work and you get an original excel file ..you already have problems and you always lose something.

 

[Vittorio]

about donations? ... one pays 1000€ and has the same privileges as one that pays 100€?

 

[meccanicamg]

about donations? ... one pays 1000€ and has the same privileges as one that pays 100€?

Of course, donation is called non tangent.