The part workbench is not really a good workbench to use for something like this. Use the part design workbench. https://www.freecadweb.org/wiki/Basic_Part_Design_Tutorial_017 (If you need to manually calculate something then you use the wrong tool.)
It would just be so easy to create boxes and cylinders with the Part WB because their dimension are known and easily edited. I just miss an easy way to change their relative location. Mostly you would like to have the coordinate zero in the geometric center point (in a plane) but I haven’t found an easy way to move the parts like that. A basic operation IMO no matter what the workbench.
It’s just as easy to create boxes and cylinders with sketches and pad operations from parts design wb.
If only I could figure out a proper way to make separate bodies that attach to each other…
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You can use aligner tools … recently I’ve added this feature to Manipulator WB
…
What do you mean with that?
Aligner tools from Manipulator WB can help in align objects, Bodies and Parts to each others faces, edges, points.
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For aligning imported stuff yes of course. If you need that for a self made model then your design methodology might not be exactly correct.
18 posts were split to a new topic: 3d modeling (freecad) how to reference features between bodies of the part design workbench
You can but problem is whenever you try to do anything with the sketch it pulls in all the underlying shapes from the other body instead of just doing the operation as if it was unattached new sketch.
Who is we in this case? 
If you mean librarians, don’t worry, I’ll send PR with all the files a bit later.
users who want to learn 
BTW if you link the cloned sketch with expressions to the body Placement parameters, the clone will follow also Body placement 
3 posts were merged into an existing topic: 3d modeling (freecad) how to reference features between bodies of the part design workbench
7SEGMENT-LED_HDSM281B_HDSM283B_SMD.step (340.8 KB)
7SEGMENT-LED_HDSM281B_HDSM283B_SMD.wrl (136.5 KB)
Avago_7segment_display_HDSM-281B.FCStd (317.5 KB)
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Now we just need a version for each possible display character showing … 
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But what about e.g. OLED displays? We really need every possible pixel combination. Maybe 3D models should be programmable.
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I want mine to scroll.
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Think about the possibilities if this would be combined to ngspice modeling. When the component reaches its limits it pushes out smoke.
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Don’t forget different models for the different colors available…
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Hey, if EveryCircuit can do this, why can’t KiCad? I mean, because they do the same thing, they should be the same program… Right?
(Ok… maybe not.)
Most SPICE models don’t include voltage breakdown or package thermal behaviour so no smoke.
