The PartDesign Workbench provides tools for modeling solid components. It is mostly focused on creating mechanical components that can be manufactured and assembled into a finished product. Nevertheless, the created solids can be used for any other purpose such as BIM modeling, finite element analysis, or machining and 3D printing.
The PartDesign Workbench uses a feature based methodology. A component is represented by the Body object container. The Body defines a local coordinate system and contains the cumulative features that define the component. Most features are based on parametric sketches and are either additive or subtractive. For example, the Pad tool adds the extruded sketch to the developing solid, the Pocket tool subtracts the extruded sketch. Each feature is cumulative and builds on the result of preceding features. It is also possible to use primitives (Cylinder, Sphere, etc.) as well as solids created outside the Body as features.
The Part Design tools are all located in the Part Design menu and the PartDesign toolbar that appear when you load the Part Design workbench.
Structure tools
These tools are in fact not part of the PartDesign Workbench. They belong to the Std Base system. They were developed in v0.17 with the intention that they would be useful to organize a model, and create assemblies; as such, they are very useful when working with bodies created with this workbench.
Part: adds a new Part container in the active document and makes it active.
Group: adds a Group container in the active document, which allows organizing the objects in the tree view.
Part Design Helper tools
Create body: creates a Body object in the active document and makes it active.
Create Sketch:
Create sketch: creates a new sketch on a selected face or plane. If no face is selected while this tool is executed, the user is prompted to select a plane from the Tasks panel. The interface then switches to the Sketcher Workbench in sketch editing mode.
Attach sketch: attaches a sketch to geometry selected from the active body.
Edit sketch: opens the selected sketch for editing.
Validate sketch: verifies the tolerance of different points and adjusts them.
Check geometry: Checks the geometry of selected objects for errors.
Create a shape binder: creates a shape binder referencing geometry from a single parent object.
Linear Pattern: creates a linear pattern of one or more features.
Polar Pattern: creates a polar pattern of one or more features.
Create MultiTransform: creates a pattern by combining any of the transformations mentioned above, as well as the Scaled transformation.
Scaled: scales one or more features. This is not available as a separate transformation tool.
Extras
Some additional functionality found in the Part Design menu:
Sprocket: creates a sprocket profile that can be padded.
Involute gear: creates an involute gear profile that can be padded.
Shaft design wizard: Generates a shaft from a table of values and allows to analyze forces and moments. The shaft is made with a revolved sketch that can be edited.
Move object after other object: allows reordering of the Body tree by moving the selected sketch, datum geometry or feature to another position in the list of features.
Items shared with the Part workbench
Appearance: determines appearance of the whole part (color transparency etc.).
Color per face: Assigns colors to individual faces of objects.
Obsolete tools
Migrate: migrates files from FreeCAD versions below 0.17 to version 0.17. This tool is not available in version 1.0 and above.
Preferences
Preferences: preferences available for PartDesign Tools.
Fine tuning: some extra parameters to fine-tune PartDesign behavior.
Tutorials
How to use FreeCAD, a website describing the workflow for mechanical design.