We operated with just a network share before PDM. It made remote work almost impossible because of how long it took to load and save files to the server. Every time. PDM having a locally cached copy requires so much less network traffic. The only network traffic happening when you check new versions in, instead of as you save all day while working.

Also, the ability to search file properties has made finding existing parts and avoidance of duplicate parts so much easier. With just a network share, the only way to find things was a visual search. Our filenames are part numbers and if you didn’t know where to look, finding parts took forever. Also, nobody has to maintain a spreadsheet cross referencing part numbers to descriptions. Just a recipe for errors to have data in two separate places that aren’t linked.

Just because a file is checked out by another user doesn’t mean you can’t open it for things like insertion into assemblies or to do a SaveAs if you want to explore design changes without affecting the original. The only reason you should be checking out a file is because you intend to change it. Otherwise, it’s read-only to prevent accidental modification. If you need to modify something that someone may have accidentally checked out, just communicate with them and have them check it back in.

You don’t even have to touch any “advanced” modeling features for FreeCAD to be useful. I primarily use extrudes and revolves of sketches in the Part Design workbench. The workflow is exactly the same as what I do at work every day in SolidWorks.

FreeCAD doesn’t let you be as loosey-goosey with geometry as some commercial software. That’s because they don’t have an army of developers paid to work on “nicety” features like that.

I can break SolidWorks models the same way that I can break FreeCAD models. No CAD software is immune to this. Some fail more gracefully than others. It doesn’t mean it’s unusable. You should have seen the repairs I had to make to a SolidWorks model today because I needed to convert a generic extruded feature into a sheetmetal feature…. It took a few minutes, but it’s no different than fixing things in FreeCAD because you changed the design.

If the filament comes in a resealable bag, I simply store the spool in there with some desiccant. For everything else, I use resealable 2-gallon bags with desiccant. My basement humidity is very stable around 30%, and I don’t really have issues. I’ve never dried filament before printing. That’s going on 6 years.

If you are used to using F360 or SolidWorks, this is the version of FreeCAD you should be using. It doesn’t have the TNP problems that the main branch has. Of course, just like commercial CAD, it’s possible to break models by deleting references, and you’ll have to fix them. Experienced users of CAD know this is always possible.

I’ve been using RealThunder’s branch of FreeCAD for a few years and I’m able to do whatever I want, pretty much just like I do in SolidWorks in my day job. Most of my time is spent in the PartDesign workbench, which is really what most people designing for 3D printing should be using.

Remember that you’re using software built and maintained by volunteers. If you want constant improvement, you’re better off paying people whose sole job it is to work on the software. It’s up to you to decide if it’s worth paying for.

I also have this question. What is so different about the workflow between FreeCAD and other 3D CAD software? If you can do one, you can do the others.

I would love for you to explain how the workflow is any different than in something like SolidWorks? I use SolidWorks in my day job and I use FreeCAD exclusively for my personal projects. It was a pretty seamless transition for me. Sketch->Feature, repeat, paying attention to order of operations in your model tree. What’s so different?

Is FreeCAD’s UI a little rough in places? Perhaps, but a lot of the things that people complain about in FreeCAD are present in commercial software. If there’s one thing that SolidWorks might do better is allowing you to get away with things like over-defining geometry accidentally. It’s more forgiving of lazy modeling.

FreeCAD has improved significantly in just the last few years. There is a good community around it. We need more people using it and learning how to model.

Like others have said, Autodesk is a piece of shit company that continues to be customer hostile. They pulled the rug out from underneath users years ago with F360.

FreeCAD is a good alternative. A lot of people complain about the UI polish, and complain that models break. I’ll admit that the UI isn’t as polished as commercial software like F360 or SolidWorks. However, it’s just as easy to break models in SolidWorks as it is in FreeCAD. I’ve been using 3D CAD for over 20 years, and it’s always been a problem. Even with all of my experience, I still have to fix references that get broken as I make design changes. The more you use 3D CAD, the less you run into situations like this because you’re able to think ahead and avoid them. Talk to any experienced CAD user and they’ll tell you the same thing.

The workflows of FreeCAD are just like commercial software for most functions. There are definitely features that commercial software has that FreeCAD doesn’t, but that’s where you have to make the judgement about whether it’s worth it to pay for it.

For me, I’ll continue to use FreeCAD for my personal projects. I use SolidWorks at work, but we have different demands there, and it’s worth the company paying the maintenance for it.