This beginner lesson covers modeling a toy brick from scratch and preparing it for 3D printing. You will explore the Part Design workflow and learn how to handle both single-color and multi-material print configurations. It bridges the gap between creating a digital 3D shape and understanding the technical requirements for a successful physical print.

You’ll start by creating a Body and sketching a square on the XY plane. By using Equal and Dimensional constraints, you lock the geometry before Padding it into a 3D block. Finally, the Thickness tool hollows the part. This illustrates the power of parametric modeling: changing early dimensions automatically updates all subsequent features.

You’ll add features by creating and attaching sketches to faces. Learn to use Toggle Section View to see inside the model and External Geometry to constrain new sketches to existing corners. By setting a Pad to "Up to Face," you create a parametric relationship where the internal tube automatically adjusts to the brick's height.

By modeling symmetrically around the Origin, you can use Patterning to instantly duplicate features. Before duplicating, add a Chamfer to your stud so both are copied together. While a Polar Pattern easily creates the four studs by rotating around the Z-axis, a Linear Pattern offers more flexibility if you want to expand the brick's dimensions later.

Use the Measuring Tool to verify your  stud spacing and calculate distances for new features. For non-circular layouts, the Linear Pattern is superior to Polar allowing you to precisely position structural tabs in two directions simultaneously, ensuring a perfect fit for 3D printing.

To export for 3D printing, select the entire Body in the Tree View to ensure all features are included. Choose .3mf over STL for higher resolution and smaller file sizes. Go to File > Export, name your "brick," and verify the selection in the 3D view before saving.

To prepare for 3D printing, you must account for overhangs. Most printers struggle with angles exceeding 45° or spans over 10mm. While your hollow brick has a top overhang, the internal tube acts as a natural support, keeping gaps small enough to print safely without additional slicer-generated supports.

To print your brick, import the .3mf file into your slicer. If the orientation is wrong, use the "Lay on Face" tool to ensure the hollow side faces the heat bed. Disable supports, as the internal tube provides enough structure for the small spans. Finally, Slice the model to generate the G-code required for your printer.

Multicolor printing requires the Part Workbench to manage individual solids. Unlike Part Design, which fuses everything into one body, the Part workbench uses manual Boolean operations and a nested tree. This allows you to export separate components for different materials without breaking the parametric history of your model.

To print in multiple colors, use the Part Workbench to "Slice to Compound." This breaks the solid into individual features, like studs and the base, while maintaining their positions. Export the Slice object as a .3mf so your slicer can assign different filaments to each unique part of the brick.

Import your compound file and use the "Split to Parts" tool to isolate the brick's features. Select the studs in the object list and reassign their filament (e.g., from red to gray). Slicing will now include necessary filament changes or "flushes," preparing your multi-material model for the printer.

This lesson covered the Part Design and Part Workbenches for creating single and multi-material models. You learned to export .3mf files, manage overhangs without supports, and assign filaments in the slicer. Modern slicers even allow "painting" colors directly onto models, providing a shortcut for multi-filament printing.

Wrap up your first FreeCAD model by learning how to digitise real-world objects. Study the subject, break it into simple features, and follow a logical sequence of operations using the included flowchart. We will use the toy brick as a example.

The following flowcharts (as shown in the video) help breakdown real world subjects into CAD operation to capture them in the digital world.

This lesson teaches you to model a Chess piece; the  Rook / Castle by tracing a reference image with the Polyline tool. You’ll use the Revolve feature for the main body and Block Constraints to lock geometry during adjustments. Finally, you’ll use Slicer Modifiers to increase base density, creating a weighted, professional-feeling 3D print.

Import your reference image and use the Calibrate tool to establish real-world dimensions. By clicking two points on the image and entering the measurement, FreeCAD scales the picture precisely. Adjust transparency so your sketch lines are clearly visible against the background while tracing.

Sketch half the rook’s profile on the XY plane using the Polyline tool and Tangent Arcs (cycle with the M key). Use Block Constraints to freeze complex curves in place while you adjust other making the sketch ready for a Revolve operation.

Select your sketch and trigger the Revolve tool, ensuring it rotates around the Vertical Sketch Axis (Y) at 360°. This transforms your 2D silhouette into the 3D body of the Rook. With the base solid complete, you are now ready to cut the crenellations into the top rim

To create the crenellations, sketch a wedge on the top face that extends beyond the outer edge. Use the Pocket tool with a Tapered Angle to cut a sloped notch. Finally, apply a Polar Pattern to duplicate this cut around the Z-axis, instantly creating the rook's symmetrical teeth.

In the additive workflow, modify the Revolve to create a flat top, then Pad a single tooth. Use Select Reference in the Pad settings to align the extrusion with the rook’s sloped side. Finally, apply a Polar Pattern to duplicate the teeth symmetrically around the top rim.

Export your rook as a .3mf and import it into the slicer. Use a Cylinder Modifier at the base to increase infill density to 80%, creating a weighted feel. Enable Tree Slim Supports to hold up overhangs with minimal scarring. Slice with your material settings for a professional, stable result.

Multi-body design enables Print-in-Place assemblies like hinges and locking clips. By maintaining specific clearances between separate bodies in FreeCAD, you can print a pre-assembled, moving joint as one piece. We’ll use the Part Workbench to export these as a functional assembly ready for the slicer.

Start on the XY plane, using the origin as your pivot point. Sketch the profile with a 0.25mm clearance to prevent fusing. Use Symmetric Pad and Symmetric Pocket operations to create a centered, double-hoop housing. This ensures your first body is perfectly balanced for the upcoming "Print-in-Place" assembly.

By using a Subshape Binder, you've created a parametric link between the two bodies. The 0.5mm clearance ensures the joint remains mobile after printing, while the Mirror tool across the XY plane maintains perfect axial alignment. This setup is now a robust, functional Print-in-Place assembly.

Use the Part Design Clones to rotate your parts into a partially open position, preventing them from fusing during the print. Create a Compound in the Part Workbench to export the assembly as one aligned unit. After printing, wait for the part to cool completely before moving the joint to ensure a smooth, functional pivot.

In this lesson, you will refine a basic pivoting joint into a functional clip. You’ll learn to clean up the Tree View by removing compounds and clones before modifying body geometry. Key steps include using the Pocket tool for clearances, applying a 2.99mm fillet to avoid geometry errors, and adjusting pad sketches to angle the connecting parts.

In this lesson, you will design a secure locking mechanism for a functional clip using external geometry and construction lines to align multi-body parts precisely. Key techniques include applying tangent and coincident constraints for smooth mechanical motion, creating parametric sketches for adjustable fit, and troubleshooting padding errors by ensuring closed geometry and correct direction.

In this final lesson, you will learn to prepare functional assemblies for 3D printing using Clones and Compounds. The process covers non-destructive transformation for "print-in-place" orientation, adding finishing chamfers for aesthetics, and exporting as a unified 3MF/STL file. You’ll also learn post-processing techniques to free the integrated mechanism and ensure a satisfying tactile snap.

Designing containers for specific quantities like tablespoons or cups requires selecting the correct mathematical formula for the chosen shape. A hemisphere uses a different volume calculation than a cylinder, and even cylinders vary if they are square-based or tapered (frustums). Accurate design depends on matching your math to your geometry.

Apply formulas via the Expression Editor to define dimensions. For a 15ml cylinder with 50mm height, use sqrt(15ml / (pi * 50mm)) for the radius. Confirm volume with Check Geometry, then use the Thickness tool (2mm, outwards) to transform the solid into a hollow measuring container.

Design a 15ml (1 tbsp) coffee scoop using a geometric formula to determine the exact radius. By using a VarSet as a data source, you’ll create a parametric model where handle length and cup volume are easily adjustable and reusable for different sizes.

Build the neck first as a stationary reference. Construct the measuring cup as an additive sphere, then use subtractive operations to carve the internal volume. This allows the neck to embed deeply without gaps. Use lofts for the handle to easily adjust length by scaling consistent profiles.

Create a 10mm radius semi-circle on the XZ plane and pad it 8mm. Use a symmetric pocket on the YZ plane to shape the transition. Finally, apply the thickness tool at 2mm to hollow the underside, ensuring a lightweight, professional neck for the measuring cup.

Learn to create a measuring cup using additive and subtractive spheres. This lesson covers truncating primitives to create a hemispherical dome and utilising the expression editor with functions like CBRT and pi to automate volume calculations. Master attachment offsets to ensure a seamless merge between the cup and the neck, allowing the entire model to recompute automatically when volume or wall thickness parameters change.

Create a smooth handle transition using the loft operation to extrude through three distinct profiles. Learn to align sketches using external geometry and attachment offsets on the Z-axis. By matching vertex counts between shapes and utilising construction geometry, you ensure a precise, solid merge from the neck to the final 10 mm radius end profile.

Complete your model by adding a simple tamper feature. This process involves selecting an end face to create a sketch, centering a 45 mm circle, and applying a 3 mm pad operation. To refine the design, learn to apply a 2 mm fillet or chamfer for a professional finish.

Enhance your model's flexibility by transitioning from hardcoded values to a centralised data source. This lesson introduces VarSets (Variable Sets), allowing you to manage volume and wall thickness as name-value pairs. This approach ensures a user-friendly workflow, enabling global model updates without digging through the construction tree.

How to replace static values with expressions, linking sphere radii and wall thickness directly to your data tab. Learn to navigate the expression editor, manage case-sensitive variables. Test model limits by adjusting volume and thickness to ensure a stable, automated recompute.

How to position sketch profiles using the expression editor and a centralized property set. By linking dimensions like handle length to automated formulas, you can adjust your model’s scale and interpolation seamlessly without manual redesign.

Explore the mathematical reality behind the "seams" visible on cylindrical shapes. This lesson clarifies the difference between CAD seams and 3D printing "Z-seams," explaining how U and V coordinates define curved surfaces. Learn why these boundaries are essential for Boolean operations, fillets, and non-planar modeling, specifically using them as paths for the pipe (sweep) operation.

Create a functioning funnel while exploring how form influences the choice of modeling operations. This lesson introduces the subtractive pipe operation and the use of custom attachment methods. Learn to refine the model by making edits, and develop the skills to identify and fix common errors throughout the design process.

Analyse the essential features of a funnel to determine the most efficient modeling operations. This breakdown treats the project as two distinct elements: the main body and the integrated air gap. By separating these, you can utilise a revolve operation for the circular sections and a pipe operation for the curved air gap. Planning a sequence of revolve, pipe, and thickness ensures a seamless merge and a clear, logical workflow.

Utilise the Part Design workbench to create a new body and sketch on the XZ plane. Using the polyline tool, sketch a cross-section with auto-constraints and specific dimensions. Master the revolve operation and the fillet tool to transform a 2D sketch into a fully constrained 3D solid.

Create the air gap cross-section by sketching a simple 6 mm diameter circle on the bottom face of the revolve. Rename it “air gap sketch.” Reposition the sketch accurately along the funnel seam path: change attachment mode to use a vertex (origin snaps to it) and the seam edge (set normal to edge for correct orientation). This centers the profile perfectly on the curve, ready for the subtractive pipe to cut a clean air gap void.

Create a subtractive pipe to cut along a path: select the profile sketch first, then add edges sequentially (or pre-select edges with Ctrl before launching the tool). Address angled transitions and leftover volume by changing Corner Transition from “transformed” to “right corner” for a clean, straight cut at the top. Verify the void is fully removed from side/top views before proceeding to hollow the interior with thickness.

Hollow out the funnel using the Thickness tool: select the end faces (they highlight purple), enable the “Intersections” checkbox to allow inward thickening when standard mode fails, set the value to 2 mm, and confirm. The shell now runs uniformly through the entire model. Finish by adding fillets to the resulting inner edges for smoother transitions and a polished, printable design.

Add smooth fillets to the boat hull edges, but watch for failures when edges lack tangency. Fix issues by adjusting the subtractive pipe’s section orientation from “standard” to “fixed” for consistent cross-sections. Re-apply fillets to tangent pairs first (using Ctrl-select), then to straight edges. If problems persist, apply separate fillets or include rounding in the original design for cleaner results.

Achieve smooth, continuous fillets on the funnel by adding tangency (e.g., 8 mm radius fillet) directly in the revolve sketch instead of post-processing. This breaks the subtractive pipe path, causing errors; fix by re-selecting valid edges in the pipe feature, then re-assign faces in the thickness tool to restore valid geometry. Re-apply fillets to tangent edges for seamless rounding. Finalise your printable funnel model with clean, error-free transitions.