3D modeling on the Raspberry Pi with FreeCAD

Conclusion

An engineering degree is not a prerequisite for 3D modeling and printing. Nor is it necessary to have expensive software. Creating simple objects is easy after some practice, and 3D print service providers can turn a model into reality. A second- or third-generation Raspberry Pi is capable of handling the modeling process without too many complications. However, you should activate the OpenGL hardware support on the device.

Infos

  1. FreeCAD: http://www.freecadweb.org/
  2. Portable version for Windows: http://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=10133
  3. YouTube tutorials for FreeCAD: https://www.youtube.com/user/MarthamEngineering
  4. FreeCAD tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_9HwDkwxllq5lFGkYBIH9g
  5. More FreeCAD tutorials: http://www.freecadweb.org/wiki/index.php?title=Offsite_tutorials
  6. Raspbian with OpenGL: https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/another-new-raspbian-release
  7. Raspberry Pi Touch Display: https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-touch-display/
  8. Data sheet for the Raspberry Pi display: https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/hardware/display/7InchDisplayDrawing-14092015.pdf
  9. STL file format: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format)

The Author

Raik Fischer is a mechanical engineer who discovered RISC OS in 1992. Recently he started using RISC OS on the Raspberry Pi. He contributes to numerous projects that involve RISC OS and both hardware and software.

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