A professional FreeCAD workbench for designing metal frame structures with parametric features for extrusion, joints, and alignment.

Create metal frame members by extruding a profile sketch along selected edges with full alignment control.

Features:

• Multi-edge selection for batch extrusion
• 9-point alignment grid (Top Left, Center, Bottom Right, etc.)
• Profile rotation control
• Horizontal and vertical offset adjustments
• Live preview with yellow transparency

Create precise miter joints between two frame members with configurable gap and offset strategies.

Features:

• Bisect or Full Miter cut types
• Gap control with symmetric, flipped, or default offset
• Automatic geometry cleanup with removeSplitter()
• Parametric updates when source geometry changes

Trim or extend frame members to a target face or plane with offset control.

Features:

• Multi-beam selection
• Face or plane target selection
• Offset distance control
• Automatic extension for proper cutting
• Smart face detection for optimal results

Create L-shaped corner joints with master/slave relationship for clean intersections.

Features:

• Two-beam selection
• Offset control for each member
• Master beam passes through, slave beam butts against it
• Automatic face selection for optimal joint geometry

Modify alignment properties of existing frame members interactively.

Features:

• 9-point alignment grid
• Rotation control (-360° to +360°)
• Horizontal and vertical offset adjustments
• Auto-apply for instant feedback
• Works on selected features or entire groups

Automatically align a frame face to a target plane by calculating required offsets.

Features:

• Select source face on frame member
• Select target face or plane
• Automatic offset calculation using Frenet frame mathematics
• Adjusts OffsetHorizontal and OffsetVertical properties

1. Download or clone this repository
2. Copy the freecad/metal_working folder to your FreeCAD Mod directory:
   • Windows: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\FreeCAD\Mod\
   • Linux: ~/.FreeCAD/Mod/
   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/FreeCAD/Mod/
3. Restart FreeCAD

1. Activate the Workbench

   • Select "MetalWorking" from the workbench dropdown menu

   

2. Create a Profile Sketch

   • Use the Sketcher workbench to create your frame profile (e.g., rectangle, I-beam, tube)

   

3. Create a Path Sketch

   • Create a sketch with edges defining the frame member paths

   

4. Extrude Along Path

   • Click the Extrude Sketch tool
   • Select your profile sketch
   • Select one or more path edges
   • Adjust alignment, rotation, and offsets as needed
   • Click OK

1. Create a rectangular profile sketch (e.g., 40mm × 40mm)
2. Create a path sketch with 4 edges forming a rectangle
3. Use Extrude Sketch to create all 4 frame members
4. Use Corner Joint to connect the corners
5. Adjust alignment as needed with Change Alignment

• Extrude Sketch: Create frame members along paths
• Miter Cut: Create miter joints between members
• Trim/Extend: Trim or extend members to faces
• Corner Joint: Create L-shaped corner joints

• Change Alignment: Modify alignment of existing members
• Align to Plane: Auto-align face to target plane

All features are fully parametric using FreeCAD's FeaturePython framework:

• ExtrudeFeature: Base frame member with alignment properties
• MiterFeature: Parametric miter joint
• TrimExtendFeature: Parametric trim/extend operation
• CornerJointFeature: Parametric corner joint

Each ExtrudeFeature includes:

• Profile: Link to profile sketch
• Path: Link to path edge (DirLink)
• RefUp: Reference up vector for orientation
• Alignment: 9-point anchor selection
• ProfileRotation: Rotation angle around anchor
• OffsetHorizontal: Horizontal offset in mm
• OffsetVertical: Vertical offset in mm

The workbench uses Frenet frames for proper orientation:

• Z-axis: Along extrusion direction (path edge)
• X-axis: Horizontal (from RefUp cross Z)
• Y-axis: Vertical (Z cross X)

• FreeCAD 1.0 or later
• Python 3.8+
• PySide6 (included with FreeCAD)

Contributions are welcome! Please:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Submit a pull request

This workbench is not released under any license.

• Issues: Report bugs or request features on GitHub Issues
• Forum: Discuss on the FreeCAD Forum

• ✅ Extrude Sketch with 9-point alignment
• ✅ Miter Cut with gap control
• ✅ Trim/Extend to faces
• ✅ Corner Joint creation
• ✅ Change Alignment tool
• ✅ Align to Plane tool
• ✅ Parametric feature updates
• ✅ 3D icon set with blue/yellow theme