BOM extension for "FreeCAD: Assembly 4"

The content of this repository are meant to be used with Assembly 4 v0.12.3. Maybe it works with other versions (just give it a try).

What is this repo for?

This repository contains 3 files, which replaces the files from the Assembly 4 extension for FreeCAD. The files from this repository contains changes which will make the work of a woodworker easier if he plans his projects with FreeCAD and Assembly 4.

These files will extend the existing BOM/Bill of material function from Assembly 4 especially for the woodworking purpose. The new BOM mechanism will create a BOM specialized for wood parts.
The BOM now also works with parametrization and variables.
The new mechanism also provides the creation of Cut-Lists ready for Tools like Cutlist Optimizer. For every different thickness of a Part a own Cut-List for this thickness is created.

There is a full YouTube Video out there, which describes the following steps aswell.

Also take a look at the FreeCAD forum.

How to "install" this extension?

1. Install FreeCAD and the Assembly 4 workbench

2. Download the 3 files from this repository

3. Go to your "FreeCAD" folder that contains all the installed Addons:

   Windows:
   C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\FreeCAD

   Linux:
   /home/username/.FreeCAD

   It should look like this:

4. Go to the Templates folder and make a backup of the file: Asm4_infoPartConf.json

   This is important if you want to remove the changes if this extansion in the future or if something goes wrong.

5. Delete the file Asm4_infoPartConf.json in your Templates folder

6. Go to the folder Mod->Assembly4 starting from your FreeCAD folder

7. Paste the 3 files from this repository inside the Assembly4 folder and replace the existing files with the same name

How to use the new BOM?

• First of all create your model in FreeCAD like always and if it exist, delete your old BOM created with Assembly 4.
• Then load your project for which you want to create the BOM.
• Load the Assembly 4 workbench.
• Click on the BOM button from Assembly 4:

• Then you have to select the folder in which the CSV files of the cutlists will be safed.
• That's it!
  • You can check if the BOM, the Cut-List Spreadsheets and the CSV files were created correctly.
  • Every part should also have the standard properties like Thickness, PricePerPiece, etc. now.

If you want to refresh the BOM or the Cut-Lists just run the BOM (press the button) again.
The most standard properties are calculated automatically are overwritten by the next time you refresh/create the BOM. The only standard properties you can change are:

• Density (in $\frac{g}{cm^3}$)
• PricePerPiece

Tips for the usage of this extension

In order to work properly for the new BOM you should follow the following tips:

Keep everything clean:

• Every Part should contain a Body
• Every Body should contain a Pad with a Sketch inside

The reason for that is that the BOM calculates the dimensions based on a virtual box arround the Pad of an Body.

Keep your parts flat:

• Every Part should be flat, like if you saw it out of a wide plank

Otherwise the dimensions and the assignment to a Cut-List get fucked up.

Use your pad for thickness:

• Always draw your Part from the top. This means your Sketch has to be the top down view of the Part in your Cut-List.

In other words:
The length of the Pad of your Sketch has to be the thickness of the Part, otherwise the BOM doesn't assign the Part to the correct Cut-List.

• A loosely alternative is to draw your Sketch on the XZ-Plane or YZ-Plane and use the Z-Axis as thickness of your Part.