I first heard of FreeCAD years ago when I started looking for that elusive opensource CAD system. At that time it was as painful to use as it was to install. Recently I had the pleasure of giving it a second try. All I can say is it's Amazing how much difference a couple of years can make in the opensource community. The new installation was a breeze. I copied and pasted the repository into the package manger, did a quick search and loaded the entire package with the press of a button. The interface is stylish a the layout makes it easy to find what your looking for. The modeler is parametric and, from my limited experience, is equal to any purchased CAD system on the market. If you familiar with SolidWorks you will be in familiar territory. There are of course a couple of drawbacks that, for now, will keep this system out of the corporate world. The first issue is the actual drafting package lacks some functionality. When I tried it I had a little trouble with dimensions and tolerances. With the pace of development that will not last long. There are various groups working on drafting packages and I would not be surprised to see this CAD system in the industry soon.
