A simple, clean FreeCAD setup that sets sane defaults and mimics Onshape in navigation, shortcuts, and workflow.
Copy config/user.cfg to your FreeCAD user config directory. Alternatively, modify setup.sh to your needs and use that.
| Setting | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Navigation style | TinkerCAD | Closest to Onshape mouse navigation |
| Orbit style | Trackball Classic | Industry standard CAD orbit style |
| Rotation mode | Object Center | Cursor first, then object center |
| Pick radius | 10px | Easier selection |
| Marker size | 11 | Easier to click constraint/sketch points |
- Opens directly into Part Design
- Creates a new document on launch
- Workbench selector set to tabs
- Reduced toolbar clutter
- Toolbar icon size set to 32px
- Decimal separator follows system locale
Workbenches are ordered by most common use. Rarely-used workbenches are hidden.
Toolbar reduced to two lines.
- Sketcher toolbar simplified
- Sketcher cursor coordinates hidden
- Notification popup-time reduced
The default FreeCAD shortcuts are terrible in regards to UX, thus the most used Sketcher and Part Design shortcuts are changed to be single-key, simple to remember, and consistent with Onshape where possible. Many default FreeCAD shortcuts (especially multi-key view shortcuts) are cleared to avoid conflicts.
| Key | Command |
|---|---|
S |
New Sketch |
E |
Pad (extrude) |
C |
Pocket (cut) |
R |
Revolution |
G |
Groove |
H |
Hole |
F |
Fillet |
P |
Pattern (Multi-Transform) |
T |
Transform (Move/Rotate) |
| Key | Command |
|---|---|
L |
Polyline |
R |
Center Rectangle |
C |
Circle |
F |
Point Fillet |
U |
External Geometry (project edges) |
X |
Trim |
Q |
Toggle Construction Mode |
Q, Q |
Toggle Driving Constraint |
I |
Coincident Constraint |
H |
Horizontal Constraint |
V |
Vertical Constraint |
A |
Auto Horizontal/Vertical Constraint |
T |
Tangent Constraint |
E |
Equal Constraint |
S |
Symmetric Constraint |
B |
Parallel Constraint |
N |
View Sketch (fit sketch to screen) |
N, N |
View Section (cut away model in sketch) |