Not only is it nice to quickly focus on a particular sub-assembly, it also lowers the required hardware to comfortably navigate these assemblies in Blender.ĭownload Isolate Collections (Control+Click) | CHANGELOG CAD Fasteners This addon works especially well, when assemblies get bigger and bigger. The Isolate Collections addon allows you to use keys 1-9 to quickly isolate specific collections in the 3D Viewport. This addon will then automatically constraint those boolean cutter objects, so that, when you move the main CAD Part object, the modifier objects will move along.)ĭownload Auto Constraint Tools (Control+Click) | CHANGELOG Isolate Collections (As these put the cutter objects under a generic name in a 'Cutters' collection. This addon combines nicely with the BoxCutter and HardOps addons as well. The constaint child object can remain separate in the outliner and can even be part of a different collection. The Auto Constraint Tools addon automatically manages (child-of) constraints of objects referenced in the modifiers. The video explains it all.ĭownload CAD Mesh Dimensions (Control+Click) | CHANGELOG Auto Constraint Tools The CAD Mesh Dimensions addon allows to quickly dimension a part directly in the 3D viewport. This addon will then allow for quick access to those boolean cutter objects.)ĭownload Toggle Hide (Control+Click) | CHANGELOG CAD Mesh Dimensions Because of it, putting precise names on your Boolean objects is no longer necessary, as you can track them visually from the main CAD part object.
I like to think of this addon as getting an extra 'edit mode'. (So you can change the location/size of bore holes, cutouts, or otherwise modify those object/meshes etc.) The Toggle Hide addon allows to quickly hide or unhide all (Boolean) objects referenced in the modifiers. (See animation.)ĭownload CAD Outline (Control+Click) | CHANGELOG Toggle Hide The CAD Outline addon adds a CAD outline to objects¹ drawn in the 3D viewport. So even if you are only interested in some of the addons, you are catered for.įinally, in case you are interested in doing CAD design in Blender yourself, be sure to watch this very informative and helpful video on non-destructive modelling in Blender. It's maybe good to realize that all addons can be installed separately or turned on or off individually. Then again, it's all GPL, so you can always try to add your own features. Especially if I don't need such a feature myself. Please bear in mind that, even though feature suggestions are welcome, it may take a while before they get implemented. I put them up here, in the event that they might prove useful to someone else.
#BLENDER CADTOOLS FULL#
These addons are small enough for me to maintain and tweak to do exactly what I need them to do in order to speed up my workflow –Like I said, spare time is scarce.īeing open-sourced under the GPL license, the addons come with the full set of disclaimers (applicability, suitability and lack of support). What you will find here, is a collection of Blender addons that I've created as my personal productivity tools, or to simply making CAD designs in Blender even more enjoyable. As a bonus, you also don't get to be vendor locked-in (Fusion 360 anyone?), but this may be a topic for a different discussion -)
In total, I think the trade-offs are favorable. I have only little spare time and I don't need to send blueprints of my designs to a production facility. Especially if you are, like me, a hobbyist. And, in particular, for designs that are meant to be 3D printed, I think the non-destructive and non-linear workflow that Blender offers, exceeds that of any commercial Solid Modelling tool. Blender CAD Toolsīlender CAD Tools is a collection of Blender addons to make CAD design with Blender even more enjoyable.
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