OSE 3D Printer Workbench Documentation

A FreeCAD workbench for designing 3D printers by Open Source Ecology for Distributive Enterprise.

For more information on codebase conventions and patterns, see the OSE Workbench Platform.

Add Frame

The Add Frame tool adds a Frame to the active document.

You can use this to begin designing a D3D Pro printer of any size or axis configuration.

Custom Properties

Name	Type	Default Value	Description
Has Corners	Bool	False	Whether the frame has 3d printed corners or not.
Size	Length	304.8 mm	Size or dimension of cubic frame.
Thickness	Length	3.175 mm	Thickness of frame.
Width	Length	38.1 mm	Width of frame.

Attaching Axes to the Frame

See Add Axis for details on how to attach axes to the frame.

Warning

In order to attach axes to the frame, the frame must not be rotated.

See Also

• D3D Frame

Add Axis

There a three tools in the main toolbar to add a Axis, or Universal Axis object in different orientations to the active document:

1. Add X Axis

2. Add Y Axis

3. Add Z Axis

Custom Properties

Name	Type	Default Value	Description
Carriage Position	Percent	50	Position of carriage relative to available rod.
Length	Length	304.8 mm	Length of axis corresponds to rod length.
Orientation	String	x	Orientation of axis: X, Y, or Z.
Rod Diameter	Length	8.0 mm	Diameter of rod.
Side	String	top	Which side the bottom of the axis faces.

Attaching Axes to the Frame

You may attach axes to the frame by selecting one of it’s outer faces, and then clicking a button in the main toolbar to add a axis.

Only certain axes can be attached to certain faces or sides of the frame based on it’s orientation.

Axis Orientation	Attachable Side(s)
X	Top
Y	Left, Right
Z	Front, Rear

Note: You cannot attach an axis to the Bottom face or side of the frame.

The axis-frame attachment logic assumes the frame is not rotated, and determines whether the user is attaching the axis to the appropriate side of the frame based on whether the selected face is parallel to the XY, YZ, or XZ plane.

Tip

See the Report View for attachment troubleshooting.

Add Heated Bed

The Add Heated Bed tool adds a heated bed to the active document.

Custom Properties

Name	Type	Default Value	Description
Size	Length	203.2 mm	Size or dimension of heated bed.

Centering Heated Bed to Frame & Elevating to Z Axes

1. Hold-down Ctrl key for selecting multiple objects

2. Select one Z axis

3. Select the Frame

4. Click the Add Heated Bed button on the main toolbar

See Also

• D3D Heated Bed

• Heated Bed

Add Extruder

The Add Extruder tool adds an extruder to the active document.

Attaching Extruder to X Axis Carriage

An extruder can be attached to the carriage of the top X axis by selecting the top face of the carriage, and then clicking the Add Extruder button in the main toolbar.

See Also

• D3D Extruder

• File:Simpleextruderassy.fcstd

• File:Finalextruder.png

Generate Cut List

There are two options in the main menu to generate a cut list:

1. Copy Cut List to Clipboard

2. Save Cut List as CSV

Both options generate a cut list with the following:

• Rods for axes, heated bed, and spool holder

• Angled bars to construct a frame with 3d printable corners

How it Works

Each option queries the active document for Axis objects and the Frame object in order to determine the rods and angled bars for the cut list.

Determining Rod Quantity

• 2 X Axis Rods are added for every X Axis object

• 2 Y Axis Rods are added or every Y Axis object

• 2 Z Axis Rods are added for every Z Axis object

• 3 Spool Holder Rods are added based on the existence of a Frame object

• 2 Heated Bed Rods are added for every pair of Z Axis objects

Determining Rod Length

• X Axis Rod Length is adjusted by adding 4 inches

• Y Axis Rod Length corresponds with Length of the axis in the document

• Z Axis Rod Length is adjusted by subtracting 1 inch

• Length of Heated Bed Rods and 1 Spool Holder Rod are equal to the length of the Frame

• Length of 2 Spool Holder Rods are equal to the length of the Frame minus 1 inch (similar to Z axis rods)

Determining Angled Bar Quantity

• 12 Angled Bars are added based on the existence of a Frame object

Determining Angled Bar Length

Angled bar length is calculated from the following formula:

Frame.Size - ((Frame.Width + (Frame.Thickness * 2)) * 2)

For example, a 12 in frame with a 1.5 in Width and 0.125 in Thickness could have 8.5 in angled bars.

12 in - ((1.5 in + (0.125 in * 2)) * 2) = 8.5 in

Make Angle Frame Connector

The Make Angle Frame Connector tool makes a 3D-printable Angle Frame Connector with the specified parameters entered from the Task Panel.

Parameters

Slot Width

Width of three inner slots.

Slot Thickness

Thickness of three inner slots.

Orientation

One of eight possible corners of the frame.

Add Set Screw

Whether to add a set screw mechanism.

Useful for larger frames when worried about slips or frame mis-alignment.

Attention

Assumes M6 set-screw and nut.

Add Filleting

Whether to round edges of three inner slots.

Tip

Makes inserting angled bars later a little easier.

See Also

• FreeCAD Wiki - Export to STL or OBJ

Including Move and Rotate Tools

This document covers how to include the Move and Rotate functions of the Draft Workbench.

1. Load the Draft Workbench by selecting it from the workbench dropdown.

2. Select Tools, and then Customize from the Main menu.

3. Next, select the Toolbars tab.

4. Select OSE 3D Printer from the dropdown in the right pane.

5. Click the New… button.

6. Name the toolbar Move + Rotate, and click OK.

7. Select the Draft workbench from the dropdown in the left pane.

8. Find the Move and Rotate tools and use the Move right button, or right arrow to add them to the Move + Rotate toolbar.

9. You should now have the Move and Rotate tools alongside the OSE 3D Printer tools.

See Also

Customize Toolbars on the FreeCAD Wiki.

ose3dprinter

ose3dprinter library package containing code related to the geometry parts.

The ose3dprinter package is:

• Independent of the freecad.ose3dprinter package

• Must not know about the FreeCAD GUI (i.e. FreeCADGui or Gui)

• Executable from a server and command-line context

ose3dprinter.attachment

Attachment functions to make 3D Printer parts appear attached to each other.

Name	Description
get_axis_frame_attachment_kwargs	Get a dictionary describing how to attach an axis to a frame.
get_default_axis_creation_kwargs	Get default kwargs to create an axis with when not attaching to a frame.
get_extruder_axis_attachment_kwargs	Get a dictionary describing how to attach an extruder to an axis.
get_heated_bed_frame_axis_attachment_kwargs	Get a dictionary describing how to attach a heated bed to a frame and axis.

---

get_axis_frame_attachment_kwargs(frame, selected_frame_face, axis_orientation)

Get a dictionary describing how to attach an axis to a frame.

Keys include length, placement, and origin translation offset for making an axis object appear attached to a selected frame face.

Parameters

• frame – Frame object to attach axis to.

• selected_frame_face (Part.Face) – Selected face of frame to attach axis to.

• axis_orientation (str) – Orientation of axis.

Returns

Dictionary describing how to attach an axis to a frame.

Return type

dict

get_default_axis_creation_kwargs(axis_orientation)

Get default kwargs to create an axis with when not attaching to a frame.

Parameters

axis_orientation (str) – Orientation of axis.

Returns

Default kwargs to create an axis with when not attaching to a frame.

Return type

dict

get_extruder_axis_attachment_kwargs(axis, selected_axis_face)

Get a dictionary describing how to attach an extruder to an axis.

Parameters

• axis – Axis object to attach extruder to.

• selected_axis_face (Part.Face) – Selected face of axis to attach extruder to.

Returns

Dictionary describing how to attach an extruder to an axis.

Return type

dict

get_heated_bed_frame_axis_attachment_kwargs(frame, axis)

Get a dictionary describing how to attach a heated bed to a frame and axis.

Parameters

• frame – Frame object to attach heated bed to.

• axis – Axis object to attach heated bed to.

Returns

Dictionary describing how to attach a heated bed to a frame and axis.

Return type

dict

ose3dprinter.model

Models for 3D Printer parts.

Name	Description
AxisModel	Encapsulates the data (i.e. topography and shape) for a Axis,
ExtruderModel	Encapsulates the data (i.e. topography and shape) for a Extruder,
FrameModel	Encapsulates the data (i.e. topography and shape) for a Frame,
HeatedBedModel	Encapsulates the data (i.e. topography and shape) for a Heated Bed,

---

class AxisModel(obj, length=304.8, carriage_position=50, orientation='x', side='top', placement=Placement [Pos=(0,0,0), Yaw-Pitch-Roll=(0,0,0)], origin_translation_offset=Vector (0.0, 0.0, 0.0))

Bases: osecore.app.model.Model

Encapsulates the data (i.e. topography and shape) for a Axis, and is separate from the “view” or GUI representation.

Name	Type	Default Value	Description
Carriage Position	Percent	50	Position of carriage relative to available rod.
Length	Length	304.8 mm	Length of axis corresponds to rod length.
Orientation	String	x	Orientation of axis: X, Y, or Z.
Rod Diameter	Length	8.0 mm	Diameter of rod.
Side	String	top	Which side the bottom of the axis faces.

Type = 'OSEAxis'

calculate_carriage_box_x()

calculate_top_of_carriage_box_for_z_axis()

execute(obj)

Execute on document recompute.

is_x()

Return whether or not this axis is a X axis.

This assumes the axis is parallel to the XY, YZ, or XZ planes, and not rotated in a weird diagonal or skewed way.

Returns

Whether this axis is a X axis.

Return type

bool

is_y()

Return whether or not this axis is a Y axis.

This assumes the axis is parallel to the XY, YZ, or XZ planes, and not rotated in a weird diagonal or skewed way.

Returns

Whether this axis is a Y axis.

Return type

bool

is_z()

Return whether or not this axis is a Z axis.

This assumes the axis is parallel to the XY, YZ, or XZ planes, and not rotated in a weird diagonal or skewed way.

Returns

Whether this axis is a Z axis.

Return type

bool

class ExtruderModel(obj, placement=Placement [Pos=(0,0,0), Yaw-Pitch-Roll=(0,0,0)], origin_translation_offset=Vector (0.0, 0.0, 0.0))

Bases: osecore.app.model.Model

Encapsulates the data (i.e. topography and shape) for a Extruder, and is separate from the “view” or GUI representation.

Based on:

https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/File:Simpleextruderassy.fcstd

See:

https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/File:Finalextruder.png

Name	Type	Default Value	Description

Type = 'OSEExtruder'

execute(obj)

Execute on document recompute.

class FrameModel(obj, size=304.8, width=38.1, thickness=3.175, has_corners=False, placement=Placement [Pos=(0,0,0), Yaw-Pitch-Roll=(0,0,0)], origin_translation_offset=Vector (0.0, 0.0, 0.0))

Bases: osecore.app.model.Model

Encapsulates the data (i.e. topography and shape) for a Frame, and is separate from the “view” or GUI representation.

See D3D Frame on the Open Source Ecology Wiki: https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/D3D_Frame

Name	Type	Default Value	Description
Has Corners	Bool	False	Whether the frame has 3d printed corners or not.
Size	Length	304.8 mm	Size or dimension of cubic frame.
Thickness	Length	3.175 mm	Thickness of frame.
Width	Length	38.1 mm	Width of frame.

Type = 'OSEFrame'

property XMax

property XMin

property YMax

property YMin

property ZMax

property ZMin

property distance_between_axis_side_mount_holes

execute(obj)

Execute on document recompute.

get_face_side(face, axis_orientation)

Get the side of a frame corresponding to a given face and axis orientation.

Parameters

• face (Part.Face) – Face of frame to get the corresponding side for.

• axis_orientation (str) – Orientation of axis.

Returns

Side of frame for the given face and axis_orientation.

Return type

str

get_faces_for_side(side)

Get a list of face objects for a given side of the frame.

Parameters

side (str) – Side of frame to get the faces for.

Returns

List of faces objects corresponding to side.

Return type

List[Part.Face]

get_outer_faces()

Get a list of face objects corresponding to the outer-most faces of the frame.

Returns

List of outer frame face objects.

Return type

List[Part.Face]

class HeatedBedModel(obj, placement=Placement [Pos=(0,0,0), Yaw-Pitch-Roll=(0,0,0)], origin_translation_offset=Vector (0.0, 0.0, 0.0))

Bases: osecore.app.model.Model

Encapsulates the data (i.e. topography and shape) for a Heated Bed, and is separate from the “view” or GUI representation.

Name	Type	Default Value	Description
Size	Length	203.2 mm	Size or dimension of heated bed.

Type = 'OSEHeatedBed'

execute(obj)

Execute on document recompute.

ose3dprinter.part

Parts for 3D Printer.

Name	Description
AngleFrameConnector	Connects angled bars together in a cubic frame.
AngledBarFrame	Frame made from 12 angled bars connected by angle frame connectors.
Axis	Modular and scalable CNC axis for creating cartesian CNC machines.
CNCCutFrame	Frame made from flat sheets cut by a CNC machine.
Extruder	Extruder for extruding heated-plastic.
HeatedBed	Heated bed to help prevent warping of prints.

---

class AngleFrameConnector

Bases: object

Connects angled bars together in a cubic frame.

An angle frame connector is made up of three brackets.

axis_side_mount_length = 27.75

axis_side_mount_width = 5

classmethod calculate_bracket_length(width, thickness)

Calculate the length of the bracket.

Parameters

• width (float) – Width of the angled frame.

• thickness (float) – Thickness of the angled frame.

Returns

Length of one of the three brackets that make up an angle frame connector.

Return type

float

classmethod calculate_y_axis_overhang_distance()

Calculate distance of y axis over-hang.

Returns

Distance of y axis over-hang.

Return type

float

classmethod distance_between_axis_side_mount_holes_and_frame()

Calculate distance between the axis side mount holes and frame.

Returns

Distance between the axis side mount holes and frame.

Return type

float

classmethod make(width=38.1, thickness=3.175, corner='bottom_left_front', with_set_screw=False, with_filleting=False)

Make an angle frame connector.

Parameters

• width (float) – Width of the angled frame.

• thickness (float) – Thickness of the angled frame.

• corner (str) – Which corner to orient the angle frame connector to. Defaults to bottom left front corner.

• with_set_screw (bool) – Whether to include set screw mechanism.

• with_filleting (bool) – Whether to include filleting.

Returns

Angle frame connector object.

Return type

Part.Solid

class AngledBarFrame

Bases: object

Frame made from 12 angled bars connected by angle frame connectors.

static make(side=304.8, width=38.1, thickness=3.175)

Make a frame from from 12 angled bars connected by angle frame connectors.

No welding or epoxy required, and the frame can be disassembled.

Parameters

• side (float) – Side or dimension of frame from one corner to the opposite corner.

• width (float) – Width of angled bar.

• thickness (float) – Thickness of each angled bar.

Returns

A frame made up of angled bars, connected by angle frame connectors.

Return type

Part.Shape

class Axis

Bases: object

Modular and scalable CNC axis for creating cartesian CNC machines.

classmethod calculate_carriage_box_x(rod_length, carriage_position)

Calculate x position of carriage box.

Below is an ASCII depiction of a top-side view of an axis.

x position of carriage box

  <-------------------->

   +---------+        +------+        +---+
   |         |        |      |        |   |
   |  O   O  +--------+      +--------+ O |
   |         |        |      |        |   |
   |  O   O  +--------+      +--------+ O |
   |         |        |      |        |   |
   +---------+        +------+        +---+

   motor-side       carriage box      idler

Parameters

• rod_length (float) – Length of axis rods.

• carriage_position (int) – Position of carriage (0 - 100).

Returns

X position of carriage box.

Return type

float

carriage_box_width = 52

distance_between_hole_and_inner_motor_side = 12.59

distance_between_holes = 22.44

classmethod distance_between_idler_side_holes_and_outer_edge()

Calculate distance between idler side holes and outer edge.

Below is an ASCII depiction of a top-side view of the idler-side of an axis.

   |   |
   |   |
+--+---+--+
|         | ^
|  O   O  | |
|         | | distance
+---------+ |
outer edge  v

Returns

Distance between idler side holes and outer edge.

Return type

float

classmethod distance_between_inner_motor_side_holes_and_outer_edge()

Calculate distance between inner motor side holes and outer edge.

Below is an ASCII depiction of a top-side view of the motor-side of an axis.

       outer edge  ^
      +---------+  |
      |         |  |
      |  O   O  |  | distance
      |         |  |
inner |  O   O  |  |
holes |         |  v
      +--+---+--+
         |   |
         |   |

Returns

Distance between inner motor side holes and outer edge.

Return type

float

hole_radius = 3.39

idler_box_length = 66

idler_box_width = 26

classmethod make(rod_length=304.8, rod_radius=4.0, carriage_position=50, orientation='x', side='top', initial_placement=Placement [Pos=(0,0,0), Yaw-Pitch-Roll=(0,0,0)], origin_translation_offset=Vector (0.0, 0.0, 0.0))

Make a universal CNC axis.

Parameters

• rod_length (float) – Length of rods.

• rod_radius (float) – Radius of rods.

• carriage_position (int) – Position of carriage as percentage (0 - 100).

• orientation (str) – Default orientation of axis (x, y, or z).

• side (str) – Default side axis faces.

• initial_placement (Base.Placement) – Initial placement for part.

• origin_translation_offset (Base.Vector) – Offset part from origin.

Returns

Axis object.

Return type

Part.Compound

motor_box_width = 59.5

x_distance_between_holes = 23.36

class CNCCutFrame

Bases: object

Frame made from flat sheets cut by a CNC machine.

static make(side=304.8, width=38.1, sheet_thickness=3.175)

Make a frame from flat sheets cut by a CNC machine.

These flat sheets are then welded or epoxied together.

This approach works best with welding.

See Also:

https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/D3D_Frame

Parameters

• side (float) – Dimension of one side of a cubic sheet.

• width (float) – Width of outer sheet, after an inner sheet is cut out of the center.

• sheet_thickness (float) – Thickness of each sheet.

Returns

A frame “welded” together from eight CNC cut sheets.

Return type

Part.Shape

class Extruder

Bases: object

Extruder for extruding heated-plastic.

static make(initial_placement=Placement [Pos=(0,0,0), Yaw-Pitch-Roll=(0,0,0)], origin_translation_offset=Vector (0.0, 0.0, 0.0))

Make an extruder.

Parameters

• initial_placement (Base.Placement) – Initial placement for part.

• origin_translation_offset (Base.Vector) – Offset part from origin.

Returns

Extruder object.

class HeatedBed

Bases: object

Heated bed to help prevent warping of prints.

See Also:

• https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/Heated_Bed

• https://reprap.org/wiki/Heated_Bed

static make(size=203.2, initial_placement=Placement [Pos=(0,0,0), Yaw-Pitch-Roll=(0,0,0)], origin_translation_offset=Vector (0.0, 0.0, 0.0))

Make heated bed.

Parameters

• size (float) – [description]

• initial_placement (Base.Placement) – Initial placement for part.

• origin_translation_offset (Base.Vector) – Offset part from origin.

Returns

Heated bed object.

Return type

Part.Compound

freecad.ose3dprinter

freecad.ose3dprinter.command

Commands users can perform in FreeCAD’s GUI.

Name	Description
AddExtruderCommand	Command to add extruder object.
AddFrameCommand	Command to add Frame object.
AddHeatedBedCommand	Command to add Heated Bed object.
AddXAxisCommand	Command to add X Axis object.
AddYAxisCommand	Command to add Y Axis object.
AddZAxisCommand	Command to add Z Axis object.
CopyCutListToClipboardCommand	Command to copy cut-list to clipboard.
MakeAngleFrameConnectorCommand	Command to make an Angle Frame Connector.
SaveCutListAsCsvCommand	Command to save cut-list as a CSV file.

---

class AddExtruderCommand

Bases: object

Command to add extruder object.

Activated()

GetResources()

IsActive()

NAME = 'AddExtruder'

class AddFrameCommand

Bases: object

Command to add Frame object.

Activated()

GetResources()

IsActive()

NAME = 'AddFrame'

class AddHeatedBedCommand

Bases: object

Command to add Heated Bed object.

Activated()

GetResources()

IsActive()

NAME = 'AddHeatedBed'

class AddXAxisCommand

Bases: object

Command to add X Axis object.

Activated()

GetResources()

IsActive()

NAME = 'AddXAxis'

class AddYAxisCommand

Bases: object

Command to add Y Axis object.

Activated()

GetResources()

IsActive()

NAME = 'AddYAxis'

class AddZAxisCommand

Bases: object

Command to add Z Axis object.

Activated()

GetResources()

IsActive()

NAME = 'AddZAxis'

class CopyCutListToClipboardCommand

Bases: object

Command to copy cut-list to clipboard.

Activated()

GetResources()

IsActive()

NAME = 'CopyCutListToClipboard'

class MakeAngleFrameConnectorCommand

Bases: object

Command to make an Angle Frame Connector.

Activated()

GetResources()

IsActive()

NAME = 'MakeAngleFrameConnector'

class SaveCutListAsCsvCommand

Bases: object

Command to save cut-list as a CSV file.

Activated()

GetResources()

IsActive()

NAME = 'SaveCutListAsCsv'

freecad.ose3dprinter.icon

Package containing icons.

Name	Description
get_icon_path	Get the path to a given icon.

---

Icons

Icon	Filename
	Extruder.svg
	Frame.svg
	HeatedBed.svg
	Std_CoordinateSystem.svg
	XAxis.svg
	YAxis.svg
	ZAxis.svg
	document-save-as.svg
	edit-copy.svg

---

get_icon_path(icon_filename)

Get the path to a given icon.

Parameters

icon_filename (str) – icon filename (e.g. Box.svg)

Returns

Path to icon file.

Return type

str

freecad.ose3dprinter.part_feature

Exposes functions to create Part::FeaturePython objects.

Minimally, these objects are custom, parameteric, and have a Shape for viewing in three dimensions.

See Also:

https://wiki.freecadweb.org/FeaturePython_Objects https://wiki.freecadweb.org/Creating_a_FeaturePython_Box,_Part_II https://wiki.freecadweb.org/Scripted_objects

Additionally, they may have a ViewProvider class for providing additional customization to their 3d representation, and how they respond to certain graphical interactions such as selection.

See Also:

https://wiki.freecadweb.org/Viewprovider

Name	Description
create_axis	Creates a axis object with the given name,
create_extruder	Creates a extruder object with the given name,
create_frame	Creates a frame object with the given name,
create_heated_bed	Creates a heated bed object with the given name,

---

create_axis(document, name, length=304.8, carriage_position=50, orientation='x', side='top', placement=Placement [Pos=(0,0,0), Yaw-Pitch-Roll=(0,0,0)], origin_translation_offset=Vector (0.0, 0.0, 0.0))

Creates a axis object with the given name, and adds it to the document.

create_extruder(document, name, placement=Placement [Pos=(0,0,0), Yaw-Pitch-Roll=(0,0,0)], origin_translation_offset=Vector (0.0, 0.0, 0.0))

Creates a extruder object with the given name, and adds it to the document.

create_frame(document, name)

Creates a frame object with the given name, and adds it to the document.

create_heated_bed(document, name, placement=Placement [Pos=(0,0,0), Yaw-Pitch-Roll=(0,0,0)], origin_translation_offset=Vector (0.0, 0.0, 0.0))

Creates a heated bed object with the given name, and adds it to the document.

OSE_3D_Printer

Command Registry Module

Name	Description
register_commands	Register all workbench commands,

---

register_commands()

Register all workbench commands, and associate them to toolbars, menus, sub-menus, and context menu.

init_gui

Imported when FreeCAD starts up to add workbench to GUI.

Indices and tables

• Index

• Module Index

• Search Page