Freecad 0.21.2

[Ronno6]

I became disgusted with my Freecad 1.0.0 so I uninstalled it in hopes of getting 1.0 RC2
Nope. Not on the Freecad website.
So, I downloaded 1.0.0 again.
The tutorial dude uses a tool called "Section View."
I either cannot find that tool or do not have it.

I can sketch and pad the cylinder, but when I attempt to sketch the rectangle for the keyway, I am unable to see any lines that are inside the circle of the cyl.
So, I am drawing blind...........

How do I make it so that I can see those lines??
That is when the tutorial uses Section View.............

[Ronno6]

How yoiu do a sketch in front of a body so that the lines will be visible?

[WobblyHand]

How yoiu do a sketch in front of a body so that the lines will be visible?

There's an icon on your ribbon for that.  Alternatively, use from your top ribbon menu, Sketch > View Section.  The top ribbon is the ribbon at the top of the application that contains stuff like File Edit View Tools, etc.  Under Sketch, you will see View Section.  It also should display an icon.  Look closely at it.  You should see the same icon while you are in sketch mode.

Then your sketch and the axes can be seen. 

This is the part of FreeCAD that took me the longest to learn.  The tutorials go by this stuff real quick, and if you didn't catch it, well you are in trouble!  That's why I've stated several times to rewind the video at the moment you don't know what to do, and replay it at a slower speed, so you can see the icon being selected.  Then freeze the video and find it on your screen.  It sounds dumb, but it works for a numskull like me!  I'd bet it will work for you too.

Here's a tip.  At the top of the app are all sorts of icons.  You can hover your mouse over them.  After a short while, a little tooltip is shown, which gives the name of the icon and sometimes a brief description.  I suggest you hover over many of the buttons and see what they are.  You don't have to click them, but at least you will know their names.  Another thing is you can rearrange the buttons somewhat.  In the beginning (0.21.1 and earlier) I rearranged them to match the tutorials.  That way I didn't have to panic that I couldn't find them.  I totally understand your initial learning woes.  I suffered almost all of them myself when learning this.

The View Section button is just under my macro recording button (the red round button in the attached picture) on the right.  HTH.

[Ronno6]

I knew what the icon looked like.but I could swear that I had nothing like it.
Now that I have reloaded the program, I find that icon way on the left when the sketch workbench is active.
OK
I'll give it another go.........

Since my object only has one structure, do I even need to use "Body?"

[Ronno6]

I knew what the icon looked like.but I could swear that I had nothing like it.
Now that I have reloaded the program, I find that icon way on the left when the sketch workbench is active.
OK
I'll give it another go.........

Since my object only has one structure, do I even need to use "Body?"

NOW I CANNOT EVEN DRAW A CIRCLE IN THE CENTER OF THE XY AXIS..........................
ANOTHER NEW FRUSTRATION......................

the Centering tool does..................nothing...............

[Gramps-Too]

It seems that I had been thinking about this incorrectly.
I had thought that the cylinder was 1 body, then the slots were
additional bodies that could be applied to the cylinder as pockets.

As there is only 1 component to my object, it will be the only body in my part drawing.
The grooves and slots will be additional sketches that are drawn and constrained in place, then each
pocketed when sketched.

Is this correct??

Will these slots and grooves require naming? Can I name something that is not a body?

The Body is the base object upon which you build. When I first started FreeCad I tried using Part with a Body & it totally confused my workflow. So now I’d I make a boxi create a document called box. The create a Body which I will rename to Body-Box in that Body I will create the basic box using Sketcher then extrude it. I will then use other Sketches to modify the original box object into how I want it to look. When I’m done with the Box I create another Body for the Lid, rename it to Body-Lid & then proceed to draw the lid the way I wanted it.

[WobblyHand]

You need to create a body.  For the simple thing you are making, you can do it all in one Body.
Make a body
Make a sketch within the body.  Complete the sketch.
Do an operation on the sketch, such as a Pad or Revolution.
Make another sketch UNDER THE SAME BODY.
Do a different operation on the sketch, like Pad, Groove, Revolution, additive or subtractive helix, etc.

Only time you are required to make a second body is if the object you want is separated from the first body you made.  If a boundary is contiguous, it can be in the original Body.  If not, it has to be a separate Body.

For a key way in a cylinder, both the Pad making the cylinder, and the key way Pocket can be under the same body.

One thing that is not allowed is a pocket creating two separated pieces, as if you sawed the cylinder in half.  Other techniques are required.  Can't make two or more Bodies out of one, as far as I know.

[WobblyHand]

I knew what the icon looked like.but I could swear that I had nothing like it.
Now that I have reloaded the program, I find that icon way on the left when the sketch workbench is active.
OK
I'll give it another go.........

Since my object only has one structure, do I even need to use "Body?"

Yes.  Follow the hierarchy of design in the tool!  Have to have a Body if you have a 3D object. 

Bodies have sketches and other objects under them.  If you don't follow the rules of the software, it won't work!  If you want different rules, write your own CAD tool.  If you want to create stuff in FreeCAD you have to follow the FreeCAD design rules...  It's the same with any software, if you don't follow the rules, then weird stuff happens.

[Ronno6]

I sketched a rectangle as sketch002
I figured that I could re-size it afterward when viewed in View Selection...........
Nope
Can't re-size ot
Can't re-shape it
Can't dimension it
Can't move it
And lastly.............
Can't DELETE IT.................

I am at the end of my rope................

[WobblyHand]

Ron, you have to select the sketch (double click the sketch) in the model tree in order to edit it.  You have the body highlighted not the sketch. 

You also have a second invisible sketch that is extra.  You can make it visible by single clicking it and then hitting space bar.  Space bar will toggle visibility.  If the second sketch is in error delete it.  Don't leave it there if it doesn't belong, it will screw you up!  If you intend to use it later, that's fine.

[Ronno6]

The first sketch is the cylinder
The second sketch is the keyway rectangle at 12 o'clock
I have right clicked it
I have left clicked it..

I cannot alter nor delete it........

I will try the double click.....

[sb327]

Hope I’m not messing up the dialog here but it appears you are still working in Sketcher and need to be in Part design (iirc) to perform an operation with a sketch.

Dave

[WobblyHand]

Hope I’m not messing up the dialog here but it appears you are still working in Sketcher and need to be in Part design (iirc) to perform an operation with a sketch.

Dave

If you are in Part Design and double click the sketch, it automatically opens Sketcher, which is what the picture shows.  That's ok.  The PlugBody is ok.  It appears the Pad is correct.  Under the Pad, but hidden is Sketch, which should be a circle.  Sketch can be revealed by clicking on the > to the left of Pad.

It seems that Ron is not closing the last sketch when he's done.  He needs to do that in the task window to finish the sketch. 

So in the Task panel click the close button.  Sketch002 has been created but has nothing in it.
Delete the two wrong sketches Sketch001 and Sketch002.

Single click PlugBody.  The Task panel should have Create sketch.  Click it.
A new sketch should come up.  Select the xy plane, click ok.  Draw the rectangle.  Dimension it.  When the Task panel says it is constrained, click ok.  YOU HAVE TO CLICK OK in the Task Panel!!!!!!  Don't click ok, if you haven't put the sketch in the right place, it just makes work for you.  Do click ok when done.
The sketch should be at the same indentation level as the Pad.
The Task panel should show the possible tasks, one of which is Pocket.  Click Pocket.  Depending on how things were done, you may have to reverse the pocket for it to be visible.  Blah, blah, set the dimensions, whatever.  Click ok when done.  If you don't the pocket won't be created.

[Ronno6]

Apparently the diameter of my plug is too large.....
How can I see that dimension?
How can I manipulate it?

[Back_Roads]

 ^ This is why I gave my 3D printer away LOL 

[Ronno6]

^ This is why I gave my 3D printer away LOL 

I haven't been this frustrated since my first marriage.......

[WobblyHand]

Apparently the diameter of my plug is too large.....
How can I see that dimension?
How can I manipulate it?

By opening up the sketch that is hierarchically beneath the Pad that made the cylinder.  You can always do this (reopen a sketch), as long as the Body is active.

It's kind of obvious (to me) that you are struggling with the basic rules, which I think were explained in video #1.  Rewatch it.  Do the examples.  Repeat as necessary until you get it.  Watch video #2 and 3.  Do the examples, multiple times until you get it.  Don't watch additional videos until you can do the previous one, because the new lessons assume you know everything from the previous ones.  It's kind of like math...

I need to take a break from this thread.  It's frustrating for me to see you flounder, and not make progress.  Perhaps you need a different mentor or tutor.  One that will get you over the hump of getting the basic concepts.  I'm clearly not able to do that.  So I need to take a rest.  Wishing you the best in your CAD journey.

It took me time to understand CAD.  It wasn't overnight.  Actually it was 21 days, at 6 hours a day, to get through about 12 of the videos.  Perhaps you are a slow learner like I was.  But I put in quality time to learn it, after 35 years of avoiding learning it.  Decided I would keep plugging away at it until I was moderately proficient.  So, at least for me, it was seriously hard work.  So don't give up.  It's possible.

If videos are hard for you to learn from, I suggest you check to see if there are any books on FreeCAD 1.0.  Maybe they are better suited to your learning style.

Alternatively, there are other easier CADs to try, perhaps TinkerCAD will suit you better.  TinkerCAD is more limited, but people do make stuff with it.

Good luck.  At least for a while, I'm taking a break from this thread. 

[Ronno6]

Thanks, Mr. Bruce,
I have watched and tried to emulate the videos over and over.
Especially #2 and 3........
Vid 1 throws a lot at you that is not really explained, IMO

What I need is to have someone's index and middle fingers stick up my nostrils
to the second knuckle and led by the nose in person, so that I can give live feedback
as to what is going on.

I may have to take a break as well, as my transportation has taken a dramatic turn and I need to
get my project truck on the road........
I have been devoting time to this endeavor due to inclimate weather..........

Thanks for your efforts..........

[Ronno6]

I THINK I'm on the right track........
I would dimension a keyway pocket on the top of the cylinder, but when I clicked on Pocket and gave a dimension,
the pocket profile would just..............vanish........

So, I tried the "Reverse" setting and................THERE IT WAS !!

Getting closer..........

But i can sketch a circle and pad into a cylinder with the best of them..........

[Ronno6]

It dawned on me at 0300 that the sketch for the keyway slot, being sketched in the XY plane was at
the bottom of the cylinder. So, when I specified a dimension for what I believe is the depth of the pocket,
the pocket was being spec'd to be below the XY plane, and there was no solid there.....
So, reversing it dimensioned it above the XY plane where the cylinder resides........

Now, the super tricky part.
I need to pocket a slot in the XZ plane.......thru the diameter of the cylinder..
I guess I will have to sketch it (is is not symmetrical) then do a standard pocket, then a reverse pocket using the same sketched shape
in order to go thru the diameter if the cylinder........

Unless there is a tool that I have not seen in the tutorial yet...