This is probably due to the smaller user base of Solvespace. Solvespace has support although it's not as abundant as with FreeCAD. This can be tutorials, forums, irc or mailing list. Whether you're a beginner, intermediate of experienced user it's vital to be able to get help. It's a rather complex project mith multiple parts but assembly is real easy in Solvespace.Ĭommunity support is very important in open source software. I therefore conclude that Solvespace is a good companion for 3d-printers as long as the shortcomings of the program are taken into account. I encountered no problems with this workflow and all prints came out as expected. stl files and used Cura to create the nessecay G-code before printing them. I 3d-printed numerous models that I had designed with Solvespace. Creating a true thread is therefore impossible however if it is able to mimic a thread by drawing a sawtooth sketch and revolve it. It also impossible to extrude along a path a functionality that is for instance used to create a thread. Often chamfer and fillet are used for aesthetics and if necessary I can do without that however if you do need them regularly Solvespace isn't for you. Solvespace doesn't have this and that's a shortcoming.

Other 3D CAD programs offer functionality like chamfer and fillet. Apparently FreeCAD has a similar feature but getting it to work is far from trivial for me. This is a very powerful features when working with complex models because it's creates a consistent environment where it's sufficient to make a change once instead of keeping track of multiple files. When working in an assembly of multiple files a change made in one of the files propagates to the assembly. This method works fast and I haven't encountered any problem with it. A point of each part is selected and the parts are connected at the selected points. Two parts must be oriented and constrained to the same direction. This is impossible in FreeCAD or OpenSCAD where a model can only be changed by entering other discrete values for the parameters (not to be confused with the animation options in OpenSCAD and FreeCAD).Īssembly in Solvespace is very easy often taking only a few mouse clicks. This can be very helpful while studying a model or looking for its best shape. Solvespace allows the model to be dynamically manipulated as long as it's not fully constraint, both in 2D and 3D. With all these workbenches however FreeCAD offers much more functionality than Solvespace I found that each FreeCAD workbench has it's own learning curve making it harder to learn than Solvespace. FreeCAD on the other hand has a dynamic user interface with multiple workbenches each having a different tool bar and functionality.

This means for instance that constraints can be applied the same way in 2D and 3D making it easy to work with Solvespace. The GUI and the keyboard shortcuts don't change throughout the program. The Solvespace user interface is static throughout the program whether working in a 2D sketch, an extrude or an assembly. I also noticed a small delay in Solvespace while dragging parts around in a complex assembly. I have encountered an occasional crash with Solvespace however FreeCAD appears to be more prone to crashes on my iMac. It loads fast and runs very smooth on my aging iMac (5 years old). The Solvespace GUI looks archaic but is easy to work with. The last month I worked intensely with Solvespace v2.1 and I want to share the experience that I had with the program. The interface looks archaic which put me off a little at first but I found it surprisingly easy to work with. Solvespace is a parametric modeler just like FreeCAD. Given the problem that I have with FreeCAD I was immediately interested. When reading the Hackaday website I came across Solvespace. The next version of FreeCAD (0.17) will have a separate assembly workbench but I wasn't willing to wait for it's final release. Assembly in the current version (0.16) just isn't well implemented unnecessarily extending my time spent with FreeCAD. This is where I became frustrated with FreeCAD. However contrary to previous work this project required a lot of CAD assembly. I had some excellent experiences with it so it was the obvious choice for me. For my current project, a laser engraver, I initially choose FreeCAD as my 3D CAD program.

Openscad extrude along path