@freecad
😻🤩👏🪅🎊🙌🎉🥳

#FreeCAD 26.3rc2

Alt...

OS: macOS 27.0.1 Architecture: arm64 Version: 26.3.0RC2.20261018 (Git shallow) Build date: 2026/10/18 05:49:18 Build type: Release Branch: (HEAD detached at 9fb16e7f9) Hash: 9fb16e7f981adb09f7d7f130ce085d68e9825358 Python 3.13.15, Qt 6.11.2, Coin 4.0.10 (bundled), Pivy 0.6.11 (bundled), Vtk 9.7.0, boost 1_90, Eigen3 5.0.1, PySide 6.11.2 shiboken 6.11.2, xerces-c 3.3.0, Clipper2 2.0.1, IfcOpenShell 0.8.5, OCC 8.0.1 Locale: English/Germany (en_DE) Stylesheet/Theme/QtStyle: FreeCAD.qss/FreeCAD Dark/ QPA/File dialog/Color dialog: cocoa/via Qt/via Qt Navigation Style/Orbit Style/Rotation Mode: CAD/Trackball/Drag at cursor Logical DPI/Physical DPI/Pixel Ratio: 72/114/2 OpenGL version/vendor/renderer: 2.1 Metal - 91.7/Apple/Apple M3 Max Installed mods: * Curves workbench 0.6.71 * Fasteners Workbench 0.5.44 * freecad.gears workbench 1.3.0

FreeCAD 26.3 Release Candidate 2

Hot on the heels of the first release candidate last week we are pleased to announce that builds for RC2 are now available.

#CAD #FreeCAD #Opensource #CAM #BIM

https://blog.freecad.org/2026/10/18/freecad-26-3-release-candidate-2/

A little late for #FreeCADFriday but here's what I designed and printed this week:

A magnetic holder, to keep my sunglasses safe in the car.

My car has a (disguised) metal plate hidden beside the steering wheel - so you can add your own magnetic flair.

#FreeCAD #3dPrinting #BambuLabs #H2D

Alt...

A sunglasses holder. It's a cube shape with a cutout in the center that matches the shape of the nose part of my sunglasses.

Alt...

The reverse of the holder shows mounting holes for the magnets.

You can see how I modeled the cutout for the nose section here:

This was by far the hardest part. I attempted to "pad" the area out multiple times but was hit with the dreaded "wire not closed" error.

In the end I drew an inverse shape and used "pocket" to remove material.

#FreeCAD #FreeCADFriday #3Dprinting #functional3dprint

Alt...

A simple sketch overlayed on the drawing, showing how material was removed from the cube shape to model the nose portion of the sunglasses.

Here’s the finished, 3D printed product!

This thing is seriously sturdy.

I had previously printed a similar version from makerworld but it wasn’t strong enough to hold my glasses, and if you drive over a speed bump - the sun glasses were dropped to the floor!

#3Dprinting #functional3dprint #freecad #freecadfriday

Alt...

3D printed sunglasses holder, mounted in my car.

Alt...

3D printed sunglasses holder, mounted in my car.

I'm fascinated by #PiDP11 software, looking forward to buy the proper hardware.
For now I built myself a case, modeled in #FreeCAD around STEP-files of a #RaspberryPi and a 7" HDMI display. The design is inspired by #DEC #VT100 terminals common in the late '70s.
The thing hangs on the door of a cabinet in my office, it will be degraded to a simple monitor as soon as I get the #PiDP case. It has a similar size and will hang at the same door.
@freecad #FreeCADFriday

Alt...

Fake VT100 terminal.

Alt...

Terminal modeled in FreeCAD.

Alt...

STEP models inside the case.

Hey! It's #FreeCADFriday! What are you wonderful people working on with #FreeCAD this week? #CAD

@freecad
I just read the release notes for the new #freecad release 26.3. Awesome work.
https://wiki.freecad.org/Release_notes_26.3

@freecad @fosdem See the issue I submitted here:
https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD-Homepage/issues/361

#FreeCAD #ipv6

@freecad Version 4 which operates very smoothly as a precise 3D print. The design goal here was to create a small 3D printable mechanism with the largest opening hole size for the total diameter of the mechanism. The central opening here is 34mm diameter with the external diameter of the opened petals being 56mm. I also wanted a mechanism where the opening remained approximately circular for any degree of opening. #FreeCAD #3dprinting

Alt...

Iris rear side, petals open.

Alt...

Iris rear side, petals closed.

This nearly broke me, and definitely broke FreeCAD multiple times, but I have made a working iris, animated in the assembly workbench. #FreeCADfriday #3dprinting #FreeCAD

Alt...

An 8 petal iris mechanism modelled in FreeCAD 1.1.4

Alt...

3D printed working iris prototype.

@freecad
Now that the navigation light fits and works on my Alpha W9 #velomobile, I take this #FreeCADfriday to build a taller (more than twice as high) and somewhat sturdier version for the Strada Velomobile. I do this in #FreeCAD 26.3.0RC1, which works fine so far.

(Though I very much hope, issue #32955 will make it into 26.3 release.)

#Regel17

Alt...

Screenshot FreeCAD with the model of the light's foot. I need to add height between the binders (used for an additive loft) and the upper pad "Rand". So all binders will get an additional offset and a pad is added between loft and "Rand". (At least that's my 1st plan … LOL)

Alt...

Navigation light "PosLi-P" on my Alpha velomobile in the garage, photo taken from across the street. Strada velomobile on the right side will get an adapted "XT" version of PosLi-P.

Alt...

close-up of PosLi-P on the velomobile scoop

It's #FreeCADFriday and in case you didn't notice we announced the 26.3 release candidate! As ever post what you are working on with #FreeCAD but huge extra kudos if you are testing 26.3 RC1! https://blog.freecad.org/2026/10/08/freecad-26-3-release-candidate-1/

Every year at #Christmas, my father-in-law builds a very large nativity scene with antique figurines in his #church. The figurines have wooden joints, some broken over the years.
He asked if I could 3D-print replacement parts.
Modeling them in #FreeCAD went quickly, printing them took significantly longer.
#FreeCADFriday @freecad

Alt...

"Grandpa needs ten of these from the 3D-printer."

Alt...

Quick model in FreeCAD.

Alt...

Part of the nativity scene, a few years ago. The whole setup is larger than my living room.

@freecad
Design and #3dprinting of last week's #FreeCADfriday project is done. The wire stranding machine is now working. 🥳

made w/ #FreeCAD

Alt...

A printed enclosure that looks a bit like american mailboxes (those sitting on wooden posts) held down by a table clamp. The pin pushing the power switch can be pulled with a string (or as for demonstration a shoe lace). The machine has an indicator LED, as it's sound and motion wasn't good enough … lol. The geared motor has a flat flange attached to which up to 4 thin wires can be fixed to twist them.

Alt...

rear view inside the machine: power jack, motor, micro switch

It's #FreeCADFriday! Our intrepid @concretedog however is out helping the @FLOSSK crew run #SFK26 an #opensource conference in Kosovo today, so there will be delays in boosting your FreeCADFriday toots... however, with that said, show us what you are working on with #FreeCAD!

@freecad
Me: "I need a **simple** plate to hold a geared motor with a table clamp (for mounting tools)."

Also me: see screenshot. 😹 (description in ALT text)

Happy #FreeCADfriday everyone!

#FreeCAD

Alt...

ScreenShot FreeCAD: a full enclosure for that geared motor; including indicator LED; 12 V power jack; micro switch with an activator pin that can be pulled with a string. – This machine is for stranding wires, so I will be up to 3 meters away from it when I need it to stop immediately. (this is still work in progress)

It's #FreeCADFriday! Woohoo! Hope everyone is doing OK. Show us what you've been working on with #FreeCAD this week! #CAD

"You've got a 3D printer. Surely you can fix this?"
"Maybe. But don't call me Shirley." #sorry
She gave me a #Kiddicraft toy caterpillar with a missing leg and a big sentimental value. So I launched #FreeCAD and tried some techniques I never used before.
I scanned one of the remaining legs and remodeled it using bezier curves. And I designed a part to replace a missing "hip joint".
Lacking yellow filament, the little guy now has a plaster cast leg. :-)
#FreeCADFriday @freecad

Alt...

Replacement "hip joint" as it looks in FreeCAD. The original was broken.

Alt...

Hip surgery on a toy caterpillar. :-)

Alt...

First time modeling after a scanned image of an original part.

Alt...

The hip joint is in the front, the cast leg in the back.

Last weekend I showed off the #FreeCAD designed #FoamO hot wire #CNC cutter at @lpoolmakefest This week and this #FreeCADFriday I have been working out #CAD approaches to make dihedral (angled) wing sections using #3Dprinted parts. FoamO repo (barebones!) is here https://codeberg.org/concretedog/FoamO #making #fixedwing

Alt...

A beardy concretedog stands in their maker "battle" jacket adorned with patches from maker and open source events and projects. They stand next to FoamO on a white desk. The scene a large infinity photograph background.

Alt...

A paper laminated foam wing made from a NACA4412 airfoil is held in shot. The flat section of the wing ends and there is a 3d printed angle section before another short dihedral section of foam wing, the tip of the wing has a rounded wingtip again 3D printed.

Alt...

A part of the wing in a FreeCAD screenshot. You can see the two flat foam sections of the wing and the rounded tip and the angled joint piece modelled in FreeCAD.

Alt...

A shot of a foam wing prototype held up to a prototype foam fuselage section.

kudos to deltahedra ❤️