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Dan Fixes Coin-Opsifixcoinops@retro.social
Jun 1, 2026, 10:03 PM
I gotta make a ground mount for these solar panels and I've probably gotta learn some kinda CAD program
I will probably regret asking Fedi this question but Fedi, kindly recommend a Linux-compatible CAD program that a normal person would find easy to use specifically for making things out of american-sized dimensional lumber, I've already tried and dismissed freecad and whatever that damn thing was where you defined all your shapes in fucking XML or smth, like table-stakes it should know out-of-the-box how big a 2x4 is
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Replies

Dan Fixes Coin-Opsifixcoinops@retro.social
Jun 1, 2026, 10:35 PM
Y'know what I wonder why the hell there aren't more Linux CAD programs
'cause like, the situation where someone has to do a job, finds no good tools, and says y'know what fuckit I'll MAKE a tool, that's gotta happen like, weekly right
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Dan Fixes Coin-Opsifixcoinops@retro.social
Jun 1, 2026, 10:37 PM
Is this why there aren't more ground mount solar panels
Is it because there are Linux guys with stacks of panels waiting for them to finish writing KLibreOpenKAD
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Wayne Wernerketmorco@fosstodon.org
Jun 1, 2026, 10:05 PM
@ifixcoinops unfortunately I'm pretty sure those goals are relatively incompatible 😅 though OnShape is JS/browser based so might work for your needs. FreeCAD is not "easy"
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Week-old Flowerstrevorflowers@hachyderm.io
Jun 1, 2026, 10:06 PM
@ifixcoinops I see a lot of casual use of TinkerCAD. FreeCAD is amazing but has a steep learning curve.
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Mike [SEC=OFFICIAL]mike@chinwag.org
Jun 1, 2026, 10:08 PM
@trevorflowers @ifixcoinops I have knocked up a few things in Tinkercad without much drama. I'm starting to feel the limitations there's but by god I can't seem to get my head around freecad at all.
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Robin (going slightly mad)reb@retro.social
Jun 1, 2026, 10:06 PM
@ifixcoinops mk1 carbon cored cellulose stick combined with A4 sized planar cellulose, though the latter may be hard to find
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0xC0DEC0DE07EAc0dec0dec0de@hachyderm.io
Jun 1, 2026, 10:13 PM
@reb @ifixcoinops calculations can be performed with the same or you can augment them with a simple digital calculator
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Dan Fixes Coin-Opsifixcoinops@retro.social
Jun 1, 2026, 10:14 PM
@c0dec0dec0de @reb I don't know what I expected
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0xC0DEC0DE07EAc0dec0dec0de@hachyderm.io
Jun 1, 2026, 10:16 PM
@ifixcoinops @reb sorry, I use pencil and paper for planning because even as a turbo nerd the software is too difficult or time-consuming to pick up when the old tools still work (and can be taken to the job site and destroyed incidentally or in a fit without there being any real loss)
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Dan Fixes Coin-Opsifixcoinops@retro.social
Jun 1, 2026, 10:20 PM
@c0dec0dec0de @reb plus if you fuck up a drawing you can rip it up and eat it, try doing that with a computer file. You'd just be hungry
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D2cascheranno@hachyderm.io
Jun 1, 2026, 10:38 PM
(Chuckles at @c0dec0dec0de’s ‘destroyed in a fit’)
@ifixcoinops @reb
Knowing openscad’s out there is nice, for times when one wants a 3d print one can conceptualize as ‘this shape, minus cylindrical thru-holes for connecting’.
But other times, i miss the crazy simplicity of ‘3D-Home’ (win, a decade ago) where walls defaulted to std thicknesses, windows/doors/fixtures snapped to a wall, etc. Eager to see if anyone suggests a cool osx/Linux CAD.
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Dan Fixes Coin-Opsifixcoinops@retro.social
Jun 1, 2026, 10:43 PM
@cascheranno @c0dec0dec0de @reb oh my God Sweet Home 3D, now THAT'S a good program. There's a Linux version now too!
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LiamSocialGaff@cathode.church
Jun 1, 2026, 10:15 PM
@reb @ifixcoinops
While I've had to use US sizing, this is the best I've found so far too. (particularly the kind that's pre-populated with cell segmentation).
Looking forward to seeing more (software) answers.
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Cyan, like the colorwxcafe@tacobelllabs.net
Jun 1, 2026, 10:07 PM
@ifixcoinops sorry if i'm being obnoxious but i'm going to give an exceedingly linux-person answer: are you sure you need CAD rather than paper and a pencil? ground mounts are fairly simple Things and if you're working only with dimensional lumber it's also a fairly simple Material
feel free to tell me to fuck off for going "have you tried running arch though? arch would solve all your problems" to your "how to fix this bug in firefox" question
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Wayne Wernerketmorco@fosstodon.org
Jun 1, 2026, 10:17 PM
@wxcafe @ifixcoinops I was honestly going to recommend this, too. Scale your graph paper grids to 1.5" per square, a calculator, and use inches (e.g. 96" or 50" not 8' or 4' 2")
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Dan Fixes Coin-Opsifixcoinops@retro.social
Jun 1, 2026, 10:18 PM
@wxcafe this is one of the Most Fedi Answers I've ever seen
You brought Arch into it like, check that box
You even went out into the woods and dragged Firefox in by its tail
I'm weirdly impressed
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Cyan, like the colorwxcafe@tacobelllabs.net
Jun 1, 2026, 10:21 PM
@ifixcoinops i mean yeah i. the thing is ive tried using quite a few linux CAD packages and none of them is Good / easy to use especially for a normal person. and paper is right there, yknow,
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Dan Fixes Coin-Opsifixcoinops@retro.social
Jun 1, 2026, 10:24 PM
@wxcafe the tragic part is I'm not even a normal person, I'm here squawking along with the rest of this zoo, but unfortunately I have to do a Fairly Normal Task without first reinventing the computer from TTL on upwards
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Cyan, like the colorwxcafe@tacobelllabs.net
Jun 1, 2026, 10:47 PM
@ifixcoinops i bid you good luck then🫡
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Murteza Yesilmurteza@edmontonian.social
Jun 1, 2026, 10:13 PM
@ifixcoinops@retro.social
Are you looking to learn CAD for 3D printing?
Blender has a paid course, but first 2 chapters are free to view without an account.
https://studio.blender.org/training/3d-printing/
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Dan Fixes Coin-Opsifixcoinops@retro.social
Jun 1, 2026, 10:13 PM
@murteza no for making a ground mount for solar panels
out of American sized dimensional lumber
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Murteza Yesilmurteza@edmontonian.social
Jun 1, 2026, 10:40 PM
@ifixcoinops@retro.social
If you are looking for something simple, like SketchUp from back in the day, there isn't anything unfortunately.

There is Blender, but it is intended for artists. FreeCAD is the closest thing, which has an intimidating interface.
Go with FreeCAD, and do few of the beginner tutorials: https://wiki.freecad.org/Tutorials
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Dan Fixes Coin-Opsifixcoinops@retro.social
Jun 1, 2026, 10:41 PM
@murteza sad thing is I'm already proficient in FreeCAD, it's just wholly the wrong tool for the job
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PetraPetraOleum@cloudisland.nz
Jun 1, 2026, 10:13 PM
@ifixcoinops I love openSCAD but "whatever that damn thing was where you defined all your shapes in fucking XML or smth" is a great description
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Dan Fixes Coin-Opsifixcoinops@retro.social
Jun 1, 2026, 10:19 PM
@PetraOleum ah yes that was the name
That'll never get mistaken for the other free/open CAD program with the near-identical name
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sungosungo@social.sungo.space
Jun 1, 2026, 10:19 PM
@ifixcoinops it doesn't exist as far as I know. The best one I know is a closed source ipad app (though probably has desktop clients now) and it's super expensive and still ridiculous to deal with. I would love to know if I am wrong and something sensible exists. I have simply never found anything.
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stibbonsstibbons@s.scintilla.social
Jun 1, 2026, 10:39 PM
@ifixcoinops They're workshopping the image editor name except in 3D.
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Chris [list of emoji]suetanvil@freeradical.zone
Jun 2, 2026, 12:37 AM
@stibbons @ifixcoinops
And arguing about whether it should be written in Rust or Common Lisp.
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kjellkjell@leanside.org
Jun 1, 2026, 10:42 PM
@ifixcoinops Reply guy-ing your question but focusing toward the overlap of Linux guys and solar panels : have you seen joeyh (a Linux guy)’s solar panel fence (ground mounted solar panels)?
https://joeyh.name/blog/entry/cheap_DIY_solar_fence_design/
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see shy jojoeyh@sunbeam.city
Jun 1, 2026, 11:45 PM
@kjell @ifixcoinops I didn't use a CAD program though. Because there are no CAD programs for linux.
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Andrew (Television Executive)ajroach42@retro.social
Jun 1, 2026, 10:38 PM
@ifixcoinops I mean there's linuxcnc. And the cad plugins for inkscape.
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Malcolm Herbertmherbert@chinwag.org
Jun 1, 2026, 10:45 PM
@ajroach42 @ifixcoinops I haven't tried the CAD plugins (and will now go and try them), but in most cases basic Inkscape would probably be Good Enough?
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hazelnot :yell:hazelnot@sunbeam.city
Jun 1, 2026, 11:14 PM
@ifixcoinops there are CAD programs that a normal person would find easy to use?
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Bill, organizer of stuffwcbdata@vis.social
Jun 2, 2026, 12:18 AM
@ifixcoinops The only thing I've ever been able to force FreeCAD to do was build framing plans using the lumber plugin. If it still works, it's probably worth a shot. Otherwise, I've completely given up on FreeCAD. It's not designed to be used...
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