FreeCAD Pallet Tool

A fully parametric FreeCAD add-on (Workbench) for generating custom wooden pallets with optional side-wall crates.
All geometry is driven by internal-dimension parameters and updates automatically on recompute.

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Features

• Parametric pallet runners (count, width, height, spacing)
• Auto-calculated top deck planks with gap control
• Optional left/right and front/back side-wall frames
• Vertical reinforcement posts at configurable spacing
• Outer skin panel (single rectangular sheet per side)
• Structured logging to FreeCAD Report View + rotating log file
• Simple Task Panel UI for editing all parameters
• Euro-pallet preset
• BOM (Bill of Materials) export to CSV
• TechDraw 2D drawing export (optional)

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Coordinate Convention

X → Internal Width  (left–right)
Y → Internal Length (front–back)
Z → Height          (up)

Origin: bottom-left-front corner of the INTERNAL cavity

"Internal dimensions" refer to the clear space above the top deck surface and between the inner faces of side walls.
The pallet base (runners + deck) sits below Z = 0 of the internal cavity; side walls surround X and/or Y extents.

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Installation

Manual (FreeCAD 0.21+)

1. Clone or download this repository.
2. Copy (or symlink) the src/PalletTool/ folder into your FreeCAD Mod directory:
   • Linux: ~/.local/share/FreeCAD/Mod/PalletTool
   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/FreeCAD/Mod/PalletTool
   • Windows: %APPDATA%\FreeCAD\Mod\PalletTool
3. Restart FreeCAD.
4. Switch to the Pallet Tool workbench from the workbench selector.

Via FreeCAD Addon Manager (future)

Not yet published. Follow manual steps above.

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Quick Start

1. Open FreeCAD, switch to Pallet Tool workbench.
2. Click Create Pallet from the toolbar or menu.
3. A Task Panel opens — enter your internal dimensions and toggle options.
4. Click OK. A Pallet object appears in the model tree.
5. To edit, double-click the Pallet object to reopen the Task Panel.

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Parameters Reference

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
InternalWidth	Length	1000 mm	Clear internal width (X)
InternalLength	Length	1200 mm	Clear internal length (Y)
InternalHeight	Length	800 mm	Clear internal height of side walls
RunnerWidth	Length	100 mm	Runner cross-section width (X)
RunnerHeight	Length	50 mm	Runner cross-section height (Z)
RunnerCount	Integer	3	Number of runners
DeckPlankWidth	Length	100 mm	Plank width (X direction)
DeckPlankThickness	Length	50 mm	Plank thickness (Z)
DeckPlankGap	Length	8 mm	Gap between planks
EnableSideWalls	Bool	True	Enable left/right walls
EnableEndWalls	Bool	False	Enable front/back walls
FrameMemberWidth	Length	50 mm	Frame timber cross-section width
FrameMemberHeight	Length	50 mm	Frame timber cross-section height
ReinforcementSpacing	Length	1200 mm	Max c/c spacing of vertical posts
SidePanelThickness	Length	15 mm	Outer skin panel thickness

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Repository Structure

freecad-pallet-tool/
├── src/
│   └── PalletTool/
│       ├── __init__.py          # Workbench registration
│       ├── PalletFeature.py     # FeaturePython object + ViewProvider
│       ├── PalletGeometry.py    # Pure geometry computation
│       ├── PalletTaskPanel.py   # Qt Task Panel UI
│       ├── PalletCommands.py    # FreeCAD commands (toolbar actions)
│       ├── PalletLogging.py     # Structured logging helper
│       ├── PalletBOM.py         # BOM export helper
│       └── PalletPresets.py     # Named presets (Euro pallet, etc.)
├── resources/
│   ├── icons/
│   │   └── PalletTool.svg
│   └── ui/
│       └── PalletPanel.ui       # Qt Designer file (optional, UI built in Python)
├── tests/
│   ├── test_geometry.py
│   ├── test_bom.py
│   └── generate_sample.py       # Headless FCStd generation script
├── docs/
│   └── architecture.md
├── .github/
│   └── workflows/
│       └── ci.yml
├── pyproject.toml
├── LICENSE
└── README.md

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Development

# Lint
pip install ruff
ruff check src/

# Run geometry unit tests (no FreeCAD needed for pure math)
python -m pytest tests/ -v

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License

MIT — see LICENSE.