FreeCAD Macros to create plane from one face using as support the XY

[sebasg84]

Hello everyone, in the telegram group "FreeCAD en español" arose the need for the following macros. I share with you in case any of you find it useful.

Two macros for PartDesign are presented.

The first one creates a datum plane from a face, using as support the XY plane corresponding to the body of the selected face. In this way there is no dependency on the face, and therefore the problem of topological naming is avoided.

The second macro, allows to update the position of the plane, in case the position of the face has changed, by selecting the plane and the face.

phpBB [video]

https://github.com/sebasg84/planeFromFace

[galou_breizh]

Nice macros. Would you agree to put them on the official repository (and accept that others may modify your code)? Please send a pull request if yes.

Thanks,
Gaël

[drmacro]

Hello everyone, in the telegram group "FreeCAD en español" arose the need for the following macros. I share with you in case any of you find it useful.

Two macros for PartDesign are presented.

The first one creates a datum plane from a face, using as support the XY plane corresponding to the body of the selected face. In this way there is no dependency on the face, and therefore the problem of topological naming is avoided.

The second macro, allows to update the position of the plane, in case the position of the face has changed, by selecting the plane and the face.


https://github.com/sebasg84/planeFromFace

Nice. Does it have the option to create just a sketch? Since all I typically need is a sketch and it can be positioned the same as a Datum plane.

Edit: I modded it to make just a sketch.
And, yes, I did it quick and dirty.

[sebasg84]

Nice macros. Would you agree to put them on the official repository (and accept that others may modify your code)? Please send a pull request if yes.

Thanks,
Gaël

Of course I would like to share them in the official repository. But first, I want to make some arrangements. For example, currently the plane is located at the center of mass of the face, but if the shape of the face changes, then the center of mass also, and the plane would move. I already thought about the solution. As soon as I do, I upload it, and make the pull request.

Thanks,
Sebastian

[sebasg84]

Nice. Does it have the option to create just a sketch? Since all I typically need is a sketch and it can be positioned the same as a Datum plane.

Edit: I modded it to make just a sketch.
And, yes, I did it quick and dirty.

I did this too, but I still haven't upload the macro to github. Then I compare your solution with mine, and get the best of both.
I share my macro that create a sketch over the plane in case you want to see it.

Thanks,

Sebastian

[drmacro]

Nice. Does it have the option to create just a sketch? Since all I typically need is a sketch and it can be positioned the same as a Datum plane.

Edit: I modded it to make just a sketch.
And, yes, I did it quick and dirty.

I did this too, but I still haven't upload the macro to github. Then I compare your solution with mine, and get the best of both.

Thanks,

Sebastian

I did it really quick. I just changed the type of object it creates to sketch. at this point my version now has variable names that would make the reader (of the code) think it was a datum, when it is in reality a sketch. I'd clean up the names for any sort of release code.

[sebasg84]

I did it really quick. I just changed the type of object it creates to sketch. at this point my version now has variable names that would make the reader (of the code) think it was a datum, when it is in reality a sketch. I'd clean up the names for any sort of release code.

Edit the previous message, and attach the macro that creates sketch in case you want to try it. The macros need some fixes, which in a short time I will have them ready and upload to github.

[drmacro]

...
Edit the previous message, and attach the macro that creates sketch in case you want to try it. The macros need some fixes, which in a short time I will have them ready and upload to github.

You misunderstand me. I don't want a datum plane.

In most cases I consider datum planes redundant, so my version creates a sketch, and only a sketch.

[sebasg84]

You misunderstand me. I don't want a datum plane.

In most cases I consider datum planes redundant, so my version creates a sketch, and only a sketch.

I did it, before you ask. And yes, you changed the datumplane to sketch, modifying the line:
datumPlane = body.newObject('PartDesign::Plane','DatumPlane')
for
datumPlane = body.newObject('Sketcher::SketchObject','Sketch')

datumplane may not be necessary. In the group I mentioned, they asked about doing it this way.

You can also add:
Gui.ActiveDocument.setEdit(body,0,datumPlane.Name+".")
If you want the skectch to enter directly into edit.

[LHC]

Hi - this thread is a bit old and I'm wondering if this macro(s) are stable and ready to be used by average users - like me