Version 1.0 of the free and open-source FreeCAD programme (described in this article), released in 2024, marked a true revolution in the software’s development. Two key objectives, which had been planned for years, were achieved: a significant reduction in the problem of lost references and the implementation of an official environment for assembly modelling.
In addition, a host of improvements were implemented in the Sketchbook and the FEM module, and the materials handling system was overhauled. The next version, this time designated 1.1, did not have such ambitious goals, but the pace of development did not slow down and many new features appeared that significantly improved the user experience.
The full list can be found on the Release Notes 1.1 page, but the aim of this article is to present the most important changes in the stable release of FreeCAD 1.1, which was released on 25 March 2026.
Global improvements
Version 1.1 introduced several very significant improvements. First and foremost, construction geometries (local coordinate systems, planes, axes and construction points) are no longer restricted to the Part Design module. From now on, they can be used from within any workspace. Furthermore, their appearance has been refreshed.
The Transform tool, used to move and rotate objects in 3D view, has been significantly improved. It can now be positioned not only at the origin of the object’s coordinate system, but also at its centre of mass or any specified point. It has also gained the ability to specify a destination point for movement, making it easy to assemble parts into simple assemblies without even needing to use the Assembly module.
A very useful little tool has also been introduced which, when activated, displays a list of various types of objects located near the cursor. The objects listed are highlighted in the 3D view and temporary transparency is activated so that they can be seen if they are obscured.
This makes it easy to select geometric elements (such as vertices, edges or faces) even if they are inside an object, behind another object, or so close to neighbouring objects that it is difficult to select them directly. This solution can significantly improve workflow in many modules, including FEM, where selecting internal walls has always been problematic.
A very significant visual improvement is the introduction of three-point lighting in FreeCAD. As a result, 3D models in this programme look much better than before.
A smaller but equally important change is the introduction of versioning and migration of configuration files.
New features in the FreeCAD Sketch
Following the revolution that took place in the Sketch module in version 1.0, one of the biggest annoyances remained the need to trace projected geometry in order to use it in sketch operations. It could not be used directly, but only as reference geometry. This limitation was completely removed right at the start of the development of version 1.1. Furthermore, in addition to projection, you can also create geometry from the intersection with the sketch plane. Adding external geometry (projected or from intersection) is also easier thanks to the ability to select entire faces whose edges are to be added to the sketch.
Furthermore, an optional automatic scaling of the sketch upon adding the first dimension has been introduced, as well as (also optional) automatic detection of contours and the display of faces for them, which can be selected, for example, for extrusion after exiting sketch editing.
This feature still has some limitations, so it should be used with caution. However, combined with improved support for multiple solids within a single Body object in the Part Design environment (this is no longer an experimental feature), it allows you to easily create solids from selected sketch contours.
Changes to the Part Design environment
Several significant improvements have been added to the Part Design module, which is the primary environment for designing parts based on solid modelling. One of these is transparent operation previews, clearly showing their effect. This is a feature that greatly enhances the convenience and ease of working in FreeCAD. Thanks to this, operations in Part Design are much clearer, and you can immediately see when, for example, it is necessary to reverse their direction. Furthermore, as part of the GSoC (Google Summer of Code) project, controls have been added to adjust operation parameters directly in the 3D view.
The hole creation tool has been significantly improved. It features a redesigned, much clearer panel, can create holes based on sketches using not only circles but also points or arcs, and supports additional thread types, including tapered threads.
The extrusion and face panel has also been improved.
Intensive development of the FEM environment
The FEM environment had already received many improvements in version 1.0, but in the current release discussed here, it has practically dominated the list of new features in FreeCAD. The focus has mainly been on electromagnetic analyses, result processing, and missing features of the CalculiX solver.
In the field of electromagnetic simulations, a new type of analysis has been added for the Elmer solver – direct current flow. Combined with heat flow, this also allows the calculation of the amount of heat generated as a result of current flowing through an electrical conductor (in accordance with Joule’s law).
Electric charge density loading has also been added, along with support for electrostatic analyses using the CalculiX solver (utilising the differential equation analogy for electrostatics and steady-state heat flow). Other boundary conditions and electromagnetic loads have also been enhanced – improved task panels, new modes and symbols in the 3D view.
As regards post-processing, the main changes concern the results pipeline. Previously, running an analysis with the CalculiX solver always created a pair of result objects (the pipeline and the older CCX_Result object) for each frame of the analysis.
This meant that the model tree would quickly fill up with a dozen or several dozen result objects in the case of natural vibration, unsteady heat transfer or non-linear statics analyses. In version 1.1, alongside the redesigned support for the CalculiX solver, an option to generate only pipeline objects has been introduced. Furthermore, support for multiple frames within a single pipeline object has been implemented – it is possible to switch between them easily.
Another significant improvement in post-processing is the introduction of two new types of filters – a calculator allowing users to create their own contour plots based on equations involving existing result variables, and a symbol filter that displays vector fields in the form of symbols, such as arrows or lines. A set of tools for manipulating numerical data has also been introduced – creating tables, line charts and histograms. Another major change regarding result processing was the introduction of animation for older result objects (CCX_Results).
The final major category of improvements concerns support for various missing features in the CalculiX solver. Two new types of beam element profiles have been introduced: box and elliptical. Support has been added for membrane and truss elements as alternatives to shells and beams without flexural stiffness. For shells (and membranes), optional offset has been introduced, i.e. the ability to model thin-walled structures not only using central surfaces, but also, for example, upper or lower reference surfaces.
Additional options have been introduced for thermal and thermomechanical analyses. The first such improvement was support for a reference temperature for analyses involving thermal expansion. Subsequently, contact thermal conductivity, inter-surface radiation, the ability to define different initial temperatures in specific areas, and support for a specified temperature field in mechanical analyses were introduced.
Contact has gained two special modes – tied and hard. In turn, ties (which permanently connect surfaces) can now also be applied to the surfaces of shell models. Furthermore, support for 2D analyses has been significantly expanded by adding the ability to assign pressure, thermal loads, ties and contact to the edges of flat models. Volumetric heat sources and centrifugal force loads can now be applied to the walls of 2D models.
A significant new feature is support for amplitudes, i.e. tabular definitions of variations in boundary conditions, loads and time-dependent fields for transient heat transfer and non-linear structural analysis.
Several improvements have also been made to mesh generation. Of particular note is the ZRefine property of the Netgen mesher, which, together with the Quad Dominated property, allows the creation of simple hexahedral meshes by extrusion. Whilst this approach has certain limitations, it represents an important step towards supporting hexahedral meshes in FreeCAD FEM. Netgen has gained the ability to generate second-order meshes via linear interpolation and to define local refinement. It can also automatically create continuous meshes in certain cases. Furthermore, installing the Netgen mesher is now much easier for both Linux and Windows operating systems.
The final new feature in the FEM module worth mentioning here is a special menu that appears when you select a face of a composite object belonging to two adjacent solids. This menu allows you to choose which of the solids you wish to select, e.g. when assigning a material. In combination with the previously mentioned tool for selecting internal walls (and other objects), this makes it very easy to define analyses with embedded objects (e.g. a core, reinforcement or an insert made of a different material).
Improvements in other FreeCAD modules
During the development cycle of version 1.1, work on the CAM environment (formerly Path), used to generate code for CNC machine tools, has intensified significantly. First and foremost, significantly improved support for tool management has been introduced, further enhanced by new tool and library editors. Profiling operations have also been improved.
The built-in assembly module has gained, amongst other things, a tool for generating motion animations.
The TechDraw environment for creating 2D documentation from 3D models has also received several improvements, including automatic switching of view frames.
Future plans
Development of FreeCAD continues apace. Developer version 1.2 is now available, featuring several interesting new additions, including a mass property measurement function, a tool for creating text geometry in the Sketchbook, cosmetic threads for the Hole function in the Part Design environment, creating annotations in 3D view, editing multiple documents at once, and numerous improvements to the measurement tool. Annotations added to technical drawings in the TechDraw module have also been improved. Further improvements are already in the pipeline, including enhancements to search functionality, material handling, and numerous improvements to the CAM environment. A tool for inserting symbols into sketches is also in development, as well as algorithms designed to reduce the phenomenon of dimensions flipping in sketches. The MES module is set to feature, amongst other things, advanced mesh generation (including hexahedral meshes) using the Gmsh mesher and support for the Code Aster solver. Preparations are also underway for the annual GSoC (Google Summer of Code) initiative, in which volunteers supervised by mentors will tackle projects of their choice relating to the development of FreeCAD.
Version 1.1.1, containing bug fixes, is likely to be released relatively soon, but there are also plans to shorten the time between subsequent stable releases featuring new features. In the meantime, it is worth making use of the weekly developer builds, available for download here.
