Freecad design

[wmyhal]

I am new to 3d design. I need to print a box to hold a printer like the one in the picture.
Is this a big job in FreeCad. Needs top that opens

[Zardozer]

You’d need to give more information about what it’s supposed to do, how it’s oriented, dimensions etc. also what kind of printer is that? For receipts or something? Maybe a napkin sketch at least of what it’s supposed to look like. I mean if it’s just a box with a lid, that’s pretty easy.

[wmyhal]

It's a label printer. I was able to make the base in FC but now I get stumped when trying to make the lid for the base. Do I do it totally separate or in the same body.
Also the lid hinge holes will need to match.

This box is to mount a printer on a kiosk stand.

[wmyhal]

Just need a lid like this

[Geit]

Well, you can do it one way and the other. The official way is to use separate bodies.

It is also a good idea to name all sketches and measurements, so you have them correctly. Since you know you need an axle, it is logical to work symmetrically on one axis.

It is not a must, but easier as you e.g. have the x axis as hinge and since you are centered, you can build both parts in separate bodies located and oriented at the same spot, which allows to see them in their final combined position.

So I would design both parts in closed state. The x axis would be the axis of the box and lid, create the base shape on y, extrude symmetrically and then pocket away the inner stuff the same way just minus the wall size. Later I would create a second body and again start at the y axis again to create the lid in the same way. When using measurements you just need to add a tolerance measurement like 0.3mm (I would create an entry in spreadsheet or the first sketch to have a global reference) as you cannot build a model 60mm wide and have the lid opening also 60mm. While designing you just add the tolerances where needed and later on you fine tune it by just changing one value.

Same goes for the wall size. Define it once and when you need to pocket the inner part of the box you just use "basesketch.constrain.BoxWidth-basesketch.constrain.BoxWallSize*2" as measurement and the inner wall is always refined by FreeCAD, when you change the global size of the box or the thickness of the wall.

Do not get intimidated by the amount of text required to set one measurement. FreeCAD does most of the work. You start typing and a popup allows you to select the next section for the reference.

[wmyhal]

Thanks for all that info. Very helpful.

[Ender5r]

Just to add to Geit's excellent post, bodies are separate objects in the same file. This makes it possible to use sketches from 1 body as references in another body, as Geit said.