To a large extent you are exactly correct. However, things are changing fast. This video shows how to set up chatgpt with FreeCad to generate fully parametric models from sketches or text prompts. No hint as to what it costs for the ai tokens used for the examples.
https://youtu.be/M5KOgtk9VfI<https://youtu.be/M5KOgtk9VfI?is=DdV2IBs-HgHU74HS> I fear for entry level ME's, whose typical job has been lots of basic cad modelling until they have experience. Companies replacing them with ai tools will find themselves short on senior ME's in a few years. I may recommend that cad-averse LCNC users give it a try though. --Ralph -- Ralph ________________________________ From: Chris Albertson <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, 06 October 2026 10:20:45 To: Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC) <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Emc-users] Free CAM CAUTION: This email originated from outside the Walla Walla University email system. So now with the LLM, you have a design for a chuck that you cannot understand and cannot modify and cannot analyze for potential improvements. It might even be a copy of a commercial product, and you’d get sued if you tried to make these and sell them. You just don’t know anything about how it was designed, and you can't justify any of the decisions. The biggest problem is that you have lost control of the design of the product. What if the part is too heavy or not strong enough or both? You would not know until after you made the part, and then you ask the LLM to fix it, and you are back to zero and can’t know what else is changed until after you build the new part. Of course, OpenSCAD is very limited to only making one part, not a whole machine. (Try my test where you make a battery-operated drill, let alone a motorcycle engine.) Hand-written G-code is a problem too. Again, you can’t use it to simulate a machine before you commit to manufacture. Can’t do any kind of heat or stress calculation of G-code (or OpenSCAD). And far worse, is that if you hand-write G-code there is an “air gap” between the design and implementation. You can’t prove the as-built is the same as the as-designed unless the part is very simple. A critical QC step is “air gapped”. The biggest use of 3D CAD is “modeling”— the try before you build idea. A machine or product usually has many off-the-shelf parts, screws and PCBs and switches and LEDs and ball bearing units and washers and brass thread inserts and 100 other kinds of hardware. All this has to go into the model, and you have to check that all the parts mate. Then 6 months later, someone makes a change request, and you have to move some internal PCB and wires by 5 mm. But if the part is designed by an LLM, you have to start over; you can’t edit the existing files, so all your product testing has to start from zero, again. > On Oct 6, 2026, at 1:15 AM, maurice e heskett <[email protected]> wrote: > > On 9/30/26 22:34, Ryan McIntosh wrote: >> Fusion360 runs just fine under WINE on linux. OpenSCAD will create >> whatever level of part complexity you can mathematically describe. If you >> have a part with many b-splines or freeform curves, yes, you will spend a >> long time describing them. However, the mathematical precision with which >> you must think about your part can make the production of CAM files or >> meshes much simpler and/or with less "stepping" It is worth mentioning >> that FreeCAD exports to OpenSCAD natively. Should you want to produce a >> part on an older Fanuc, for example, you may have difficulties with larger >> meshes. >> >> >> *Ryan McIntosh* >> E4F Designs >> (204)770-3682 >> [email protected] > Its likely good to know that fusion360 can do that. But the last time I read > the TOS and license I got a bad after-taste. Back to openscad for printed > designs, or writing my own gcode. Freecad to me has way too vertical a > learning curve, where openscad is a piece of cake. >> On Wed, Sep 30, 2026 at 4:04 PM Chris Albertson <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >>> My test to see if a CAD/CAM system is usable is to try to make a Milwaukee >>> battery-powered drill housing. Note that the drill on the outside has >>> no flat parallel surfaces, as it is all compound curves and freeform. >>> Except there is bilateral symmetry and, in some places, radial symmetry. >>> Then, if you look on the inside, it is very geometric and has places for >>> mechanical gears and PCB mounting holes, threaded blind holes, and is very >>> “mechanical.” A good CAD system should allow you to design something like >>> a drill or a car that is both mechanical and a sculpted shape. >>> >>> FreeCAD is open source and passed the above test. Autodesk’s Fusion 360 >>> is free to use and has a better user interface and is faster to use. Both >>> have a CAM systems. FreeCAD’s CAM is really only 2.5D and basically >>> works. Autodesk Fusion’s CAM is 100% professional quality, but the free >>> version is limited. You need a paid license for 5-axis support. Both >>> work well for making 3D-printed parts with very complex part shapes up to >>> and including motorcycle engines and similar. >>> >>> About Gene’s comment: I can’t understand how someone with good mechanical >>> skill can not learn either of these two CAD systems. OK, Fusion 360 is >>> easier. But anyone reading this should be able to do basic work after a >>> week or two of study and after 6 weeks, make complex parts like the >>> Milwaukee drill. >>> >>> About OpenSCAD, I challenge anyone to make a Milwaukee battery drill in >>> OpenSCAD. Or a car or a motorcycle engine. It is, however, good for any >>> shape that can be described by an algorithm; gears are a good example. >>> >>> Summary: if making complex parts and wanting a free CAD/CAM system, use >>> Fusion 360. If it must also be open source, use FreeCAD. >>> >>> Your operating system might help you decide. Fusion 360 runs only on >>> macOS and Windows. FreeCAD runs on these but also runs on Linux. >>> Fusion360 can run on Linux if you run a virtual machine with Windows. > >>> On Sep 30, 2026, at 8:14 AM, maurice e heskett <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>>> On 9/30/26 09:41, andy pugh wrote: >>>>>> Agreed.. Off topic, is there a CAM that's both open src and free? >>>>> FreeCAD? >>>>> >>>>> https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DmVz2p_ze3yc&data=05%7C02%7Cralph.stirling%40wallawalla.edu%7C6f8843b5057d4727fb4a08df23ce4d9e%7Cd958f048e43142779c8debfb75e7aa64%7C0%7C0%7C639269041232284870%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=94SvyZNbIi6F7tMJmXfiHYyf2JJh%2FJDUOPB%2B%2FRjchpQ%3D&reserved=0<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVz2p_ze3yc> >>>> A near vertical learning curve for my aging wet ram. I've made probably >>> 20 passes at it, haven't gotten past the 1st page of examples w/o gaining >>> any real insight as to how it works. Openscad is a piece of tasty cake. The >>> link above gave me a prostate commercial I had to sit thru, but got bored >>> after about 2 minutes and killed FF. Never saw the freecad demo. went >>> back again, 'skip"ped about 3 commercials, then got lost in the speakers >>> accent. As Winston Churchill once said, 2 great countries separated by a >>> common language... The chances I'd get anything out of that are quite slim. >>>> Thanks, Gene >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Emc-users mailing list >>>> [email protected] >>>> https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flists.sourceforge.net%2Flists%2Flistinfo%2Femc-users&data=05%7C02%7Cralph.stirling%40wallawalla.edu%7C6f8843b5057d4727fb4a08df23ce4d9e%7Cd958f048e43142779c8debfb75e7aa64%7C0%7C0%7C639269041232313679%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=CUElbgL5OYVid1QdB7wyAkLqYEeLhFb4AZikrv79vSQ%3D&reserved=0<https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users> >>> ___________________________________________ >>> Emc-users mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flists.sourceforge.net%2Flists%2Flistinfo%2Femc-users&data=05%7C02%7Cralph.stirling%40wallawalla.edu%7C6f8843b5057d4727fb4a08df23ce4d9e%7Cd958f048e43142779c8debfb75e7aa64%7C0%7C0%7C639269041232336864%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=7yTz1szET4HuZjSRal2OtvZrn3s2Y6tl7skZaKYu05A%3D&reserved=0<https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users> >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> Emc-users mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flists.sourceforge.net%2Flists%2Flistinfo%2Femc-users&data=05%7C02%7Cralph.stirling%40wallawalla.edu%7C6f8843b5057d4727fb4a08df23ce4d9e%7Cd958f048e43142779c8debfb75e7aa64%7C0%7C0%7C639269041232360284%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=N7c%2BPK7tg%2BpzZyGTKAMuP8jAh%2BlkvuWiJUbnVynt1DU%3D&reserved=0<https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users> > > > _______________________________________________ > Emc-users mailing list > [email protected] > https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flists.sourceforge.net%2Flists%2Flistinfo%2Femc-users&data=05%7C02%7Cralph.stirling%40wallawalla.edu%7C6f8843b5057d4727fb4a08df23ce4d9e%7Cd958f048e43142779c8debfb75e7aa64%7C0%7C0%7C639269041232384348%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=fBFsM50QLs%2BZb6rLZ64opLkrGq9BGB5%2FTK2xi17VggI%3D&reserved=0<https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users> _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list [email protected] https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flists.sourceforge.net%2Flists%2Flistinfo%2Femc-users&data=05%7C02%7Cralph.stirling%40wallawalla.edu%7C6f8843b5057d4727fb4a08df23ce4d9e%7Cd958f048e43142779c8debfb75e7aa64%7C0%7C0%7C639269041232408446%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=4wx3cdY5HzE0%2BCj9ar3uvAkO7r22HibtYbGxCzHn0Ro%3D&reserved=0<https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users> _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
