Combining FreeCAD Assembly, Multibody Dynamics, and Finite Element Analysis

FreeCAD is a powerful CAD software with vast capabilities supporting complete technical design pipelines beginning from modelling to FEM analysis to 3D printing. By enabling FreeCAD users to perform multibody dynamic (MbD) calculations, convert the results to FEM loads and visualise the stress and strain of an assembly in motion in a single coherent workflow, FreeCAD will be better positioned to rival commercial CAD software used by the industry today. The goal of this project is to help build that workflow by improving the combined Motion workbench so that motion-derived loads can be transferred into FEM analyses in a structured and user-friendly way. This project will focus on three main objectives. The first objective is to organise the current code into a clearer object-oriented framework. The second objective is to convert idealised MbD joint forces and torques into realistic distributed FEM loads on selected contact surfaces of real parts. The third objective is to design a user interface (UI) that allows the selection of the contact regions in FreeCAD.