Group different types of Objects in the Tree view

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In FreeCAD, a Group is a container object used to organize and manage other objects in the document tree. Groups help keep your model structured, making it easier to navigate complex designs.

Std Group (internally called App DocumentObjectGroup) is a general purpose container that allows you to group different types of objects in the Tree view, regardless of their data type. It is used as a simple folder to categorize and organize the objects in your model, in order to keep a logical structure. Std Groups may be nested inside other Std Groups.

The Std Group tool is not defined by a particular workbench, but by the base system, thus it is found in the structure toolbar that is available in all workbenches.

To group 3D objects as a single unit, with the intention of creating assemblies, use Std Part instead.

  1. Follow the Following Steps:
    • Right-click the name of the document in the Tree view and in the context menu choose Create group….
    • Press the  Create group button.
  2. An empty Group is created.
  3. To add objects to the Group, select them in Tree view, and drag and drop them onto the Group.
  4. To remove objects from the Group, drag them out of the Group, and onto the document label at the top of the Tree view.
  5. Objects can also be added and removed by editing the Group property of the Group.

Create group in freecad 01

Create Group in FreeCAD with Python Console Method.

import FreeCAD as App
doc = App.ActiveDocument
group = doc.addObject("App::DocumentObjectGroup", "MyGroup")
group.addObjects([obj1, obj2])  # Add existing objects
doc.recompute()

Key Features of Groups in FreeCAD-:

  • Nesting: Groups can contain other groups.

  • Visibility Control: Toggle visibility for all objects in a group at once.

  • Drag-and-Drop: Objects can be moved in/out of groups in the tree view.

  • No Geometric Effect: Unlike Boolean operations, a standard group does not modify the geometry.

Use Cases of Group in FreeCAD-:

  • Organization: Keep related objects together (e.g., fasteners, sketches, parts).

  • Assembly Management: Use Part::Part containers for mechanical assemblies.

  • Workflow Clarity: Separate construction geometry, reference planes, and final parts.

Limitations of Group in FreeCAD-:

  • Standard groups do not enforce geometric relationships (unlike PartDesign Bodies).

  • Moving objects between groups may break dependencies in parametric models.

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Amar Patel
About Amar Patel 252 Articles
Hi, I am Amar Patel from India. Founder, Author and Administrator of mechnexus.com. I am a Simple Average Man who Loves life and Love living life. Professionally I am a Mechanical Engineer with Solid command over CAD software like FreeCAD, SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD Mechanical. I’m here to share my knowledge to help you accomplish your design and engineering tasks quicker and easier. I am Passionate about learning new things especially about Open-Source Software. I love teaching therefore I started my YouTube Channel on FreeCAD and I believe FreeCAD have lots of potential than traditional 3D software. contact me - [email protected]