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Keep shoppingFreeCAD: A Practical Guide to 3D Modeling
59 students
FreeCAD: A Practical Guide to 3D Modeling
Learn to Design 3D Parts with FreeCAD: Sketches, Solids, Assemblies, and 3D Printing
Created byGiovanni Pisani
Last updated 1/2026
English
What you'll learn
- Learn how to use FreeCAD on your own to build functional 3D models starting from fully constrained sketches.
- Create parametric 3D parts that remain editable over time and are ready for 3D printing and prototyping.
- Learn the correct workflow and model structure used in FreeCAD’s main workbenches.
- Work with multiple components in a single project and learn the basics of assembly.
- Prepare and export 3D models in STL, STEP, PDF, and DXF formats.
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Course content
7 sections • 25 lectures • 1h 50m total length
Requirements
- No prior experience in 3D modeling is needed.
- A Windows, macOS, or Linux computer capable of running FreeCAD.
- FreeCAD installed (the course will show how to download and set it up).
- An interest in 3D modeling, 3D printing, or creating functional objects.
Description
This course is designed for anyone who wants to learn FreeCAD and practical 3D modeling from the ground up, focusing on real-world applications such as 3D printing, prototyping, and small technical projects.
FreeCAD is a powerful open-source CAD software widely used for parametric 3D modeling, but it can be challenging for beginners. This course provides a clear, structured, and hands-on introduction to FreeCAD, helping you understand the correct workflows used in technical 3D design.
You will start with the fundamentals: installing FreeCAD, initial configuration, and understanding the user interface. You will learn how to navigate in 3D space, manage views efficiently, understand FreeCAD workbenches, and organize your model structure properly.
The core of the course focuses on Sketcher and solid modeling, which are essential for parametric CAD design. You will learn how to create fully constrained sketches, apply geometric and dimensional constraints correctly, and convert sketches into solid 3D parts using the Part Design workflow. These skills are crucial for creating stable, editable, and robust models suitable for real applications.
The course also introduces the basic concepts of assemblies, allowing you to work with multiple parts in the same project without unnecessary complexity. You will learn how to export your models in the most commonly used formats, including STL and STEP, for 3D printing and technical use.
This is a practice-oriented FreeCAD course: every topic is designed to be immediately applicable to real projects. No paid software is required, and no previous experience with CAD or 3D modeling is needed.
By the end of the course, you will be able to use FreeCAD independently to design functional 3D parts and components, following a clean, logical, and repeatable CAD workflow suitable for 3D printing, prototyping, and personal technical projects.
This course was originally created in Italian and translated to English. If you are Italian, you may find the Italian version more detailed and natural
Who this course is for:
- Makers and technical hobbyists who want to design functional 3D objects with FreeCAD.
- Students from technical schools or mechanical design enthusiasts with little or no prior experience using CAD software.
- Technicians and hobbyist designers interested in open-source 3D modeling tools.
- Users interested in 3D printing, prototyping, and small-scale personal technical projects.
- Anyone interested in learning FreeCAD from the ground up with a practical, real-world focus.