Howto use the Link Tool in FreeCAD's General Workbench

Contents

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 00:36 Explanation of what the Link tool does
  • 01:22 Demonstration of how it works
  • 04:21 Example: Creating a part from a linked spreadsheet
  • 11:18 Example: Floor plan with linked furniture
  • 12:08 Discussion about link groups
  • 13:08 Transforming the linked design

The Link Tool allows you to take an existing design and "link" it to your current design. This is different from a straight "cut and paste" of the design because the "linked" design does not become part of the current model file like the pasted elements. Rather, a link is made to the file which allows it to be updated independently of your current design.

Important

The Link Tool can only link on body at a time from the existing model. The workaround for this is the create a Link Group which combines multiple bodies into a single item that the Link Tool can use. This is discussed in the Discussion about link groups section of the video.

This is useful for situations where you are designing say a living space, and the first instances of the furniture to be used in the space are modeled as simple blocks. The living space design is automatically updated as the furniture designs take shape. There are other use cases as well.

Important

The Link Tool is not a substitute for an assembly. While the linked model is included in the design there are no constraints allowing it to be assembled with other components.

Glasson Design Studio creates FreeCAD spreadsheets that describe off the shelf components that it uses regularly. The Link Tool allows us to use those definitions in formulas so that our designs remain parametric in nature. Examples of these components include:

  • T-nuts
  • T-track
  • Aluminium channel
  • Router bushing

We will be increasing the number of reusable components that can be used by the Link Tool as it provides an easy method for ensuring that the designs using those components are based on accurate data not guess work.

Warning

Many of the tools in FreeCAD will quite happily work with linked designs or models, but this may not be the case in all instances.