# Kindred Create

**An engineering-focused parametric 3D CAD platform built on FreeCAD 1.0+**

[Website](https://www.kindred-systems.com/create) •
[FreeCAD Documentation](https://wiki.freecad.org) •
[FreeCAD Forum](https://forum.freecad.org/)

> **MVP Release** - Kindred Create is currently in active development. Features and interfaces may change.

---

## Overview

Kindred Create is a fork of FreeCAD 1.0+ that integrates custom workbenches and tooling for professional engineering workflows. It combines the power of FreeCAD's parametric modeling with purpose-built extensions for part design, assembly management, and parts database integration.

**Key additions over base FreeCAD:**

- **ztools Workbench** - Unified interface consolidating part design, assembly, and drawing tools with custom engineering features
- **Silo Integration** - Parts database system for tracking, versioning, and managing CAD files across teams, with an interactive browsing panel for searching, opening, and inspecting parts directly from the dock
- **Catppuccin Mocha Theme** - Dark theme with spanning tree branch indicators, optimized for extended work sessions

Kindred Create is maintained by [Kindred Systems LLC](https://www.kindred-systems.com).

---

## Features

### ztools Workbench

The ztools workbench provides a unified interface that consolidates functionality from multiple FreeCAD workbenches while adding custom engineering-oriented tools.

#### Consolidated Toolbars (17 total)

ztools exposes commands from PartDesign, Sketcher, Assembly, and Spreadsheet workbenches through a single unified interface:

- **Structure & Sketcher Tools** - Body/Sketch creation, editing, mapping, validation
- **PartDesign Datums** - Planes, lines, points, coordinate systems, binders, clones
- **Additive Features** - Pad, revolution, loft, pipe, helix, and primitives
- **Subtractive Features** - Pocket, hole, groove, loft, pipe, helix, and primitives
- **Transformations** - Mirror, linear pattern, polar pattern, multi-transform
- **Dress-Up Features** - Fillet, chamfer, draft, thickness
- **Boolean Operations** - Union, intersection, difference
- **Assembly Tools** - Create assembly, insert link, insert new part
- **Assembly Joints** - 13 joint types (fixed, revolute, cylindrical, slider, ball, distance, parallel, perpendicular, angle, rack-pinion, screw, gears, belt)
- **Assembly Management** - Toggle grounded, solve, create view, create BOM, export
- **Spreadsheet Tools** - Create, import, export, aliases, merge/split cells

#### Custom Datum Tools

ztools includes a custom datum creation system with 16 creation modes, using a purpose-built attachment system that stores geometry references for reliable parametric updates.

**Datum Planes (7 modes):**
- Offset from Face - Distance offset perpendicular to a face
- Offset from Plane - Distance offset from an existing datum plane
- Midplane - Plane equidistant between two parallel faces
- 3 Points - Plane defined by three vertices
- Normal to Edge - Plane perpendicular to an edge at a specified parameter
- Angled - Plane rotated about an edge by a specified angle
- Tangent to Cylinder - Plane tangent to a cylindrical surface

**Datum Axes (4 modes):**
- 2 Points - Axis through two vertices
- From Edge - Axis aligned with a linear edge
- Cylinder Center - Axis at the center of a cylindrical face
- Plane Intersection - Axis at the intersection of two planes

**Datum Points (5 modes):**
- At Vertex - Point at a selected vertex
- XYZ Coordinates - Point at absolute coordinates
- On Edge - Point at a parameter along an edge
- Face Center - Point at the centroid of a face
- Circle Center - Point at the center of a circular edge

#### Custom Pattern Tools

- **Rotated Linear Pattern** - Linear pattern with incremental rotation per instance
- **Assembly Linear Pattern** - Pattern assembly components linearly with spacing control
- **Assembly Polar Pattern** - Pattern assembly components around a rotation axis

#### Enhanced Pocket

SOLIDWORKS-style "Flip Side to Cut" feature that removes material outside the sketch profile instead of inside, using boolean operations internally.

#### Spreadsheet Formatting Tools

Dark-theme compatible formatting commands for spreadsheets:
- Bold, italic, underline toggles
- Left, center, right alignment
- Background and text color pickers
- Quick alias creation from cell labels

### Silo Parts Database

Silo is a parts database system designed for managing CAD files, part numbers, and revision history across engineering teams.

**Architecture:**
- **Server Daemon** - Go-based REST API server
- **PostgreSQL** - Relational data storage for part metadata, relationships, and revision history
- **MinIO** - S3-compatible object storage for CAD file versioning
- **FreeCAD Workbench** - Integrated commands for check-in, check-out, and synchronization

**Core Capabilities:**
- Configurable part numbering schemas defined in YAML
- Full revision history with status tracking (draft, review, released, obsolete)
- Bill of materials management with relationship types and quantities
- Project-based organization and tagging
- CSV import/export for bulk operations
- Web interface for browsing and searching parts

**FreeCAD Integration:**
- Open, save, and commit files directly to Silo
- Pull latest revisions and push changes
- View item metadata and revision history
- **Database Activity Panel** - Interactive dock panel for browsing, searching, and opening parts without leaving the 3D viewport. Includes search filtering, type filtering (part/assembly), a details pane showing metadata (part number, description, type, revision, projects), and direct open/info actions.

Silo documentation is available in the `mods/silo/` directory.

### Catppuccin Mocha Theme

A comprehensive dark theme using the [Catppuccin Mocha](https://github.com/catppuccin/catppuccin) color palette, applied across:

- Main window, toolbars, and menus
- 3D viewport backgrounds and selection colors
- Sketch editor colors for edges, vertices, and constraints
- Python console and code editor syntax highlighting
- Spreadsheet backgrounds and text
- Property editor and tree view
- All dialog and widget styling
- Tree view branch indicators using spanning lines (`├`, `└`, `│`) instead of disclosure arrows

The theme is automatically applied when using Kindred Create.

---

## Installing

### Prebuilt Binaries

Prebuilt packages for Linux are available on the [releases page](https://git.kindred-systems.com/kindred/create/releases).

#### Debian/Ubuntu (.deb)

Download the `.deb` package from the releases page and install with:

```bash
sudo dpkg -i kindred-create_*.deb
sudo apt-get install -f  # Install any missing dependencies
```

Or install directly with apt:

```bash
sudo apt install ./kindred-create_*.deb
```

#### AppImage

Download the `.AppImage` file from the releases page, make it executable, and run:

```bash
chmod +x KindredCreate-*.AppImage
./KindredCreate-*.AppImage
```

After installation, launch Kindred Create from your application menu or run `kindred-create` from the terminal.

### Building from Source

Kindred Create uses [pixi](https://pixi.sh) for dependency management and CMake for building. Pixi handles all build dependencies automatically via conda packages.

#### Prerequisites

- [pixi](https://pixi.sh) (conda-based package manager)
- Git with submodule support

#### Build Steps

```bash
git clone --recursive ssh://git@git.kindred-systems.com:2222/kindred/create.git
cd create
pixi run configure
pixi run build
pixi run install
```

To launch the built application:

```bash
pixi run freecad
```

#### Platform Support

CMake presets are available for:

- **Linux** (x86-64, aarch64) - Clang compiler
- **macOS** (Intel, Apple Silicon) - Clang compiler
- **Windows** - MSVC compiler

See `CMakePresets.json` for platform-specific configuration. For general FreeCAD build guidance:

- [Linux](https://wiki.freecad.org/Compile_on_Linux)
- [Windows](https://wiki.freecad.org/Compile_on_Windows)
- [macOS](https://wiki.freecad.org/Compile_on_MacOS)

---

## Usage

### Getting Started

Kindred Create is compatible with standard FreeCAD workflows. The FreeCAD wiki provides documentation on general usage:

- [Getting started](https://wiki.freecad.org/Getting_started)
- [Features list](https://wiki.freecad.org/Feature_list)
- [Workbenches](https://wiki.freecad.org/Workbenches)
- [Scripting](https://wiki.freecad.org/Power_users_hub)

### ztools Workbench

The ztools workbench is available from the workbench selector. On activation, it presents consolidated toolbars and applies the Catppuccin Mocha theme to spreadsheets.

### Silo Setup

Silo requires a running server instance with PostgreSQL and MinIO. See `mods/silo/README.md` for server deployment instructions.

Configure the FreeCAD workbench with environment variables:
- `SILO_API_URL` - Silo server API endpoint (default: `http://localhost:8080/api`)
- `SILO_PROJECTS_DIR` - Local projects directory (default: `~/projects`)

---

## Project Structure

```
kindred-create/
├── src/                        # FreeCAD core source
│   ├── App/                    # Core application logic
│   ├── Base/                   # Base classes and utilities
│   ├── Gui/                    # GUI framework
│   │   └── Stylesheets/       # Theme stylesheets and assets
│   ├── Mod/                    # FreeCAD modules (PartDesign, Assembly, Sketcher, etc.)
│   │   └── Create/            # Kindred Create module (loads addon workbenches)
│   └── 3rdParty/              # Vendored dependencies (OndselSolver, GSL)
├── mods/                       # Kindred Create addon modules (git submodules)
│   ├── ztools/                # ztools workbench
│   │   ├── ztools/            # Workbench package
│   │   │   ├── InitGui.py     # Workbench registration
│   │   │   └── ztools/        # Commands and resources
│   │   └── CatppuccinMocha/   # Theme preference pack
│   └── silo/                  # Silo parts database
│       ├── cmd/               # Go server entry points
│       ├── internal/          # Go API, database, storage packages
│       ├── pkg/freecad/       # FreeCAD workbench (Python)
│       ├── deployments/       # Docker configuration
│       └── migrations/        # PostgreSQL migrations
├── resources/                  # Branding and preferences
│   ├── branding/              # Splash screens and logos
│   ├── preferences/           # Default preference packs
│   └── icons/                 # Application icons (16x16 to 512x512)
├── package/                    # Packaging (debian, AppImage)
├── .gitea/workflows/           # CI/CD workflows (build, release)
├── CMakeLists.txt              # Root CMake configuration
├── CMakePresets.json           # Platform-specific CMake presets
└── pixi.toml                   # Pixi environment and dependency definition
```

The `mods/ztools` and `mods/silo` directories are git submodules. After cloning, initialize them with:

```bash
git submodule update --init --recursive
```

---

## Reporting Issues

Report issues at [git.kindred-systems.com/kindred/create/issues](https://git.kindred-systems.com/kindred/create/issues).

When reporting:

1. Specify whether the issue is with Kindred Create additions (ztools, Silo, theme) or base FreeCAD functionality
2. Include version info from `Help > About FreeCAD > Copy to clipboard`
3. Provide steps to reproduce the issue
4. Attach example files if applicable (FCStd as ZIP)

For base FreeCAD issues, consider also checking the [FreeCAD issue tracker](https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD/issues).

---

## License

Kindred Create is licensed under the [LGPL-2.1-or-later](LICENSE) license, consistent with FreeCAD.

---

## Acknowledgments

Kindred Create is built on [FreeCAD](https://www.freecad.org), an open-source parametric 3D modeler. We acknowledge the FreeCAD community and contributors for their foundational work.

**Underlying Technology:**
- [OpenCASCADE](https://www.opencascade.com/) - Geometry kernel
- [Coin3D](https://github.com/coin3d/coin) - 3D scene representation
- [Qt](https://www.qt.io/) - GUI framework
- [Python](https://www.python.org/) - Scripting and workbench development
- [Catppuccin](https://github.com/catppuccin/catppuccin) - Color palette