TechDraw Workbench
Introduction
The TechDraw Workbench is used to produce basic technical drawings from 3D models created with another workbench, such as Part, PartDesign, or Arch, or imported from other applications. Each drawing is a Page, which can contain various Views of drawable objects such as Part::Features, PartDesign::Bodies, App::Part groups, and Document Object groups. The resulting drawings can be used for things like documentation, manufacturing instructions, contracts, permits, etc.
Dimensions, sections, hatched areas, annotations, and SVG symbols can be added to the page, which can be further exported to different formats like DXF, SVG, and PDF.
If your primary goal is the production of complex 2D drawings and DXF files, and you don't need 3D modelling, FreeCAD may not be the right choice for you. You may wish to consider a dedicated software program for technical drafting instead, such as LibreCAD or QCad.
TechDraw workbench icon
Pages
These are tools for creating Page objects.
Insert Default Page: adds a new page using the default template.
Insert Page using Template: adds a new page using a selected template.
Redraw Page: forces an update of the selected page.
Print All Pages: prints all pages in a document. introduced in version 0.21
Views
These are tools for creating View objects.
Insert View: adds a 2D projection view of an object.
Insert Active View: inserts a view of the active 3D view.
Insert Projection Group: invokes a dialog to create multiple views of an object from different directions.
Insert Section Views:
Insert Simple Section View: inserts a cross-section view of an existing view.
Insert Complex Section View: inserts a cross-section view of an existing view based on a profile. introduced in version 0.21
Insert Detail View: inserts a detail view of a portion of an existing view.
Insert Draft Workbench Object: inserts a view of a Draft Workbench object.
Insert Arch Workbench Object: inserts a view of an Arch Workbench Section Plane object.
Insert Spreadsheet View: inserts a view of a Spreadsheet Workbench sheet.
Move View: moves a view and its dependents to a different page. introduced in version 0.20
Share View: shares a view between multiple pages. introduced in version 0.20
Project Shape: creates projections of shapes in the 3D view. introduced in version 0.20
Stacking
These are tools for changing the stacking order which controls the apparent depth of views on a page.
Adjust Stacking Order:
Move view to top of stack: moves views to the top of the stacking order. introduced in version 0.21
Move view to bottom of stack: moves views to the bottom of the stacking order. introduced in version 0.21
Move view up one level: moves views up one level in the stacking order. introduced in version 0.21
Move view down one level: moves views down one level in the stacking order. introduced in version 0.21
Clips
These are tools to create and manage Clip objects (clipped views).
Insert Clip Group: inserts a clip group into a page.
Add View to Clip Group: adds an existing view to a clip group.
Remove View from Clip Group: removes a view from a clip group.
Decorations
These are tools to decorate pages or views:
Hatch Face using Image File: applies a hatch pattern from a file to a face.
Apply Geometric Hatch to Face: applies a hatch pattern to a face using an Autodesk PAT specification.
Insert SVG Symbol: inserts a symbol from a SVG file into a page.
Insert Bitmap Image: inserts a PNG or JPG bitmap image into a page.
Turn View Frames On/Off: turns on/off frames and labels surrounding a view.
Dimensions
These are tools for creating and working with Dimension objects.
Linear dimensions can be based on two points, on one line, or on two lines.
Insert Length Dimension: adds a length dimension.
Insert Horizontal Dimension: adds a horizontal length dimension.
Insert Vertical Dimension: adds a vertical length dimension.
Insert Radius Dimension: adds a radius dimension to a circle or circular arc.
Insert Diameter Dimension: adds a diameter dimension to a circle or a circular arc.
Insert Angle Dimension: adds an angle dimension between two straight edges.
Insert 3-Point Angle Dimension: adds an angle dimension using three vertices.
Insert Extent Dimensions:
Insert Horizontal Extent Dimension: adds a horizontal extent dimension.
Insert Vertical Extent Dimension: adds a vertical extent dimension.
Link Dimension to 3D Geometry: links an existing dimension to the 3D geometry.
Insert Balloon Annotation: adds a "balloon" annotation to a page.
Insert Axonometric Length Dimension: adds an axonometric length dimension. introduced in version 0.21
Insert Landmark Dimension (EXPERIMENTAL): adds a landmark distance dimension.
Dimension Repair: can adjust the 2D or 3D geometry references of a dimension. introduced in version 0.21
Annotations
The annotation tools are for "marking up" a drawing with additional information.
Insert Annotation: adds a plain text block as annotation.
Add Leaderline to View: adds a leaderline to a view.
Insert Rich Text Annotation: adds an rich text block as annotation to a leaderline or a view.
Add Cosmetic Vertices:
Add Cosmetic Vertex: adds a Vertex which is not part of the source geometry.
Add Midpoint Vertices: adds Cosmetic Vertices at midpoints of selected edges.
Add Quadrant Vertices: adds Cosmetic Vertices at quarter points of selected (circular) edges.
Add Centerlines:
Add Centerline to Faces: adds a centerline to selected face(s).
Add Centerline between 2 Lines: adds a centerline between 2 lines.
Add Centerline between 2 Points: adds a centerline between 2 points.
Add Cosmetic Line Through 2 points: adds a cosmetic line connecting 2 vertices.
Remove Cosmetic Object: removes cosmetic objects from a page.
Change Appearance of Lines: changes the appearance of selected line(s).
Show/Hide Invisible Edges: shows/hides invisible lines/edges in a view.
Add Welding Information to Leader: adds welding specifications to an existing leaderline.
Add Surface Finish Symbol: adds a surface finish symbol to a page. introduced in version 0.21
Add Hole/Shaft Fit: adds hole or shaft tolerances using ISO 286 to a dimension. introduced in version 0.21
Extensions
These are tools to improve your TechDraw drawings. (introduced in version 0.20)
Attributes and modifications
Select Line Attributes, Cascade Spacing and Delta Distance: selects the attributes (style, width and color) for new cosmetic lines and centerlines, and specifies the cascade spacing and delta distance.
Change Line Attributes: changes the attributes (style, width and color) of cosmetic lines and centerlines.
Change Length of Cosmetic Lines or Centerlines:
Extend Line: extends a cosmetic line or centerline at both ends.
Shorten Line: shortens a cosmetic line or centerline at both ends.
Lock/Unlock View: locks or unlocks the position of a view.
Position Section View: orthogonally aligns a section view with its source view.
Align Dimensions:
Position Horizontal Chain Dimensions: aligns horizontal dimensions to create a chain dimension.
Position Vertical Chain Dimensions: aligns vertical dimensions to create a chain dimension.
Position Oblique Chain Dimensions: aligns oblique dimensions to create a chain dimension.
Evenly Space Dimensions:
Cascade Horizontal Dimensions: evenly spaces horizontal dimensions.
Cascade Vertical Dimensions: evenly spaces vertical dimensions.
Cascade Oblique Dimensions: evenly spaces oblique dimensions.
Calculate the area of selected faces: calculates the area of selected faces and inserts an area annotation.
Customize format label: customizes the formatting of a balloon text or dimension text. GD&T symbols and other special character can be added.
Centerlines and threading
Add Centerlines:
Add Circle Centerlines: adds centerlines to circles and arcs.
Add Bolt Circle Centerlines: adds centerlines to a circular pattern of circles.
Add Cosmetic Threads:
Add Cosmetic Thread Hole Side View: adds a cosmetic thread to the side view of a hole.
Add Cosmetic Thread Hole Bottom View: adds a cosmetic thread to the top or bottom view of holes.
Add Cosmetic Thread Bolt Side View: adds a cosmetic thread to the side view of a bolt/screw/rod.
Add Cosmetic Thread Bolt Bottom View: adds a cosmetic thread to the top or bottom view of bolts/screws/rods.
Add Cosmetic Intersection Vertex(es): adds cosmetic vertex(es) at the intersection(s) of selected edges.
Add Cosmetic Circles or Arcs:
Add Cosmetic Circle: adds a cosmetic circle based on two vertexes.
Add Cosmetic Arc: adds a cosmetic counter clockwise arc based on three vertexes.
Add Cosmetic Circle 3 Points: adds a cosmetic circle based on three vertexes.
Add Cosmetic Parallel or Perpendicular Lines:
Add Cosmetic Parallel Line: adds a cosmetic line parallel to another line through a vertex.
Add Cosmetic Perpendicular Line: adds a cosmetic line perpendicular to another line through a vertex.
Dimensions
Create Chain Dimensions:
Create Horizontal Chain Dimensions: creates a sequence of aligned horizontal dimensions.
Create Vertical Chain Dimensions: creates a sequence of aligned vertical dimensions.
Create Oblique Chain Dimensions: creates a sequence of aligned oblique dimensions.
Create Coordinate Dimensions:
Create Horizontal Coordinate Dimensions: creates multiple evenly spaced horizontal dimensions starting from the same baseline.
Create Vertical Coordinate Dimensions: creates multiple evenly spaced vertical dimensions starting from the same baseline.
Create Oblique Coordinate Dimensions: creates multiple evenly spaced oblique dimensions starting from the same baseline.
Create Chamfer Dimensions:
Create Horizontal Chamfer Dimension: creates a horizontal size and angle dimension for a chamfer.
Create Vertical Chamfer Dimension: creates a vertical size and angle dimension for a chamfer.
Create Arc Length Dimension: creates an arc length dimension.
Insert Prefix:
Insert '⌀' Prefix: inserts a '⌀' symbol at the beginning of the dimension text.
Insert '〼' Prefix: inserts a '〼' symbol at the beginning of the dimension text.
Remove Prefix: removes all symbols at the beginning of the dimension text.
Change Decimal Places:
Increase Decimal Places: increases the number of decimal places of the dimension text.
Decrease Decimal Places: decreases the number of decimal places of the dimension text.
Export
These are tools for exporting pages to other applications.
Export Page as SVG: saves the current page as SVG file.
Export Page as DXF: saves the current page as DXF file.
Additional features
- Line Groups: to control the appearance of various types of lines.
- Templates: the default templates defined for the drawing pages.
- Hatching: explanation of the different hatching techniques.
- Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing: explanation on how to achieve geometric dimensioning and tolerancing.
Preferences
Preferences: preferences for the default values of the drawing page such as projection angle, colors, text sizes, and line styles.
Scripting
The TechDraw tools can be used in macros and from the Python console. For more information, see:
Limitations
- Do not cut, copy and paste TechDraw objects in the Tree view as this generally does not work out well.
- Do not drag TechDraw objects in the Tree view with the mouse.
Tutorials
- Basic TechDraw Tutorial: introduction to creating drawings with the TechDraw Workbench.
- Creating a new template: instructions to create a new page template in Inkscape for using with the TechDraw Workbench.
- TechDraw TemplateGenerator: instructions to create a macro for generating a basic template. A "few" added lines of code result in a tool like the Macro TemplateHelper.
- Measurement Of Angles On Holes: instructions for adding centerlines and subsequent angle representations on holes.
- Miscellaneous: instructions for different settings like center marks, etc.
- TechDraw Pitch Circle Tutorial: instructions for adding a pitch circle.
Video tutorials by sliptonic:
- Part 1 (Basics)
- Part 2 (Dimensions)
- Part 3 (Multiview)
- Part 4 (Section and Detail)
- Part 5 (Customizing Templates)
Development
Do you want to know about the future of the TechDraw Workbench? Visit the TechDraw Roadmap Page to learn more.