FreeCAD Submission Verifier

Quick start

1. Finish and save your model in FreeCAD

   Save the file, then export the 3D model as .glb. If your paper asked for a drawing sheet, export that as .pdf too. Some questions ask only for parts, and those need no drawing.

2. Give every file for a question the same name

   Use your registration number and the question you are answering, for example E022-01-1234-2024-Question3, so you end up with:

   • E022-01-1234-2024-Question3.FCStd
   • E022-01-1234-2024-Question3.glb
   • E022-01-1234-2024-Question3.pdf
3. Add your files here

   Drop in every file for every question you answered. The verifier reads the names and sorts them into questions for you.

4. Check the summary

   Each question needs its .FCStd and .glb. Fix anything reported as missing before you continue. A question with no .pdf still packages, so add one only if your paper asked for a drawing.

5. Create your submission packages

   You get one .fcsub file per question.

6. Upload the files the way you were told to

   Usually that is the Google Form your examiner gave you, one file per upload. Send each file exactly as produced: do not open it, rename it, or change anything inside.

What you need to submit

For every question you answer, submit three files. The verifier bundles them into one .fcsub per question.

• .FCStd, your FreeCAD model

  The actual file you worked in. In FreeCAD choose File > Save As and keep the .FCStd extension.

• .glb, the 3D model

  In the model tree select the assembly, or the body if the question asked only for parts. Then choose File > Export and pick glTF Binary (*.glb) as the file type.

• .pdf, the technical drawing

  Open your TechDraw page, then choose File > Export PDF. If the question did not ask for a drawing, export the page you do have, or print the model view to PDF.

Naming your files

The name tells the verifier who you are and which question the work belongs to. All three files for one question must share the same name and differ only in extension.

• The pattern

  PREFIX-XXXX-YYYY-QuestionZ.extension

• What each part means
  • PREFIX is your course code, for example E022-01.
  • XXXX is your four digit registration number, for example 1234.
  • YYYY is your admission year, for example 2024.
  • Z is the question number you are answering.
• A worked example

  Student E022-01-1234-2024 answering question 3 submits E022-01-1234-2024-Question3.FCStd, E022-01-1234-2024-Question3.glb and E022-01-1234-2024-Question3.pdf.

• Answering several questions

  Repeat the naming for each one, changing only the question number. Add every file at once and the verifier will group them. There is no fixed number of questions: submit as many or as few as the paper asked for.

• Mistakes that cause trouble
  • Using a different name for the .glb than for the .FCStd.
  • Leaving the browser's ' (1)' on a re-downloaded file.
  • Writing Q3 instead of Question3.
  • Using a space or an underscore in place of a dash.
• If you are not sitting a course

  Anyone can use the verifier to have their work checked. If you have no registration number, use any four digit number and the current year. Keep the same pattern so the files group correctly.

Using the verifier

• Add every file

  Drag your files in, or use the browse button. Files whose names follow the pattern are sorted into questions automatically.

• If a file is not recognised

  It appears on its own so you can either rename it and add it again, or pick the question it belongs to by hand.

• Create the packages

  The verifier reads your model, encrypts the details and writes one .fcsub per question. On the desktop app you choose the output folder; in the browser each one downloads.

• Submit the .fcsub unchanged

  Upload exactly the file that was produced. Opening it, renaming it, or re-zipping the contents will make it unreadable and your work may not be credited.

Where to send your packages

• Use the link your examiner gave you

  Submissions are normally collected through a Google Form. Open the link for your course and upload one file per question. If you were told to use a different method, follow that instead.

• Upload every question you answered

  Each question has its own file. A question whose file you never uploaded cannot be marked.

• Check what you uploaded

  After submitting, confirm the form shows the right number of files and that each name ends in -SUBMISSION.fcsub.

• Keep your own copy

  Hold on to the .fcsub files and the original FreeCAD files until your marks are published, in case anything needs checking.

If something goes wrong

• Nothing happens when I add my FreeCAD file

  Check the extension is .FCStd. A .FCBak file is a backup, not your model. Open it in FreeCAD and use File > Save As to write a proper .FCStd.

• It says my file is not a valid FreeCAD file

  The file is probably damaged or was renamed from another format. Re-save it from FreeCAD and try again.

• My question shows a missing file

  One of the three names does not match the other two exactly. Compare them character by character, including the question number.

• The question number came out wrong

  The verifier takes it from the file name. Rename the files and add them again, or set the question by hand.

• I need to start over

  Clear the files and add them again. You can create your packages as many times as you need before you submit.

Your privacy

• Your files never leave your machine

  The desktop app runs entirely offline. The online verifier does all its work inside your browser: your model is not uploaded to any server, and the .fcsub is written on your own computer.

• Why the package is encrypted

  The .fcsub holds a copy of your model so your submission can be checked against exactly what you built. It is encrypted so that only the examiner can read it.