Create 05-freecad-notes.md

Author: dannystaple

content/2025/07/05-freecad-notes.md

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+---
+title: FreeCAD notes - working in the new assembly workbench
+tags: [FreeCAD, 3D CAD]
+date: 2025-07-05
+---
+I've been slowly getting my head around the new (FreeCAD 1.0) assembly workbench, and using it to create exploded diagrams for my upcoming book, Learn Robotics Programming Third Edition. 
+hese are some notes and observations while doing so.
+
+I'd previously used the exploded assembly workbnehc and others, but the new assembly workbench is rather good. It uses joint/constraint based assembly with a resolver.
+
+## Knolling before the assembly
+
+When you make the assembly in FreeCAD, you insert parts from your open documents into it.
+Initially they all are inserted at the origin (0, 0, 0).
+What I like to do is drag them out as I place them.
+
+For the photos I use in my books, I lay parts that I would assemble on a workbench (trying to find a good white surface for photos), so they can all be clearly seen and the quantity.
+This technique is known as knolling, and creates quite pleasing assembly instructions.
+
+![Using Knolling for a Raspberry Pi HAT asssembly](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/774232fa-e4a0-43f7-adcd-0ed1a7c85452)
+
+The same technique is handy when making FreeCAD assemblies, making the parts easier to assemble into place with joints/constraints afterwards:
+
+![Knolling an asssembly in FreCAD](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/cf0dfb9e-46d6-4306-853a-d3c0824485dc)
+
+## Trying the Parts workbench
+
+For some reason, in FreeCAD, I'd largely been using the Part Design workbench, perhaps because it is hte defualtr you start with.
+I've been using the Part workbench instead for a week, after seeing a video on the subject.
+Much of my workflow - draw sketches, extrude them and draw more, is the same.
+
+However, operations like being able to mirror, cut parts and use boolean combinations (union, subtraction) are more accessible in this workbench.
+I'll keep going and see where I get to.