First rendered images from the FreeCAD models: sliding-roof concept
in both states (travel stacked vs deployed awning with props, iso and
top views showing the doubled PV area) and the interior zoning through
a transparent envelope. Rendered headless through the GUI binary with
event-loop pumping after a first blank-frame attempt. Physics post
now carries the two roof views.
First structural study of the awning mode, using section properties
measured on the actual C-beam STEP (I = 6.11e5 mm4 by numerical
integration). Verdict: a free cantilever fails at 80 km/h wind
(SF 0.89) while tip props turn four plain C-beams into a structure
that rides out 100 km/h at SF 2.6 — props are structural, not
optional. Baseline for the FEM stage: four C-beam crossmembers plus
two props; deployment procedure and wind fold-in rule recorded.
Dodo (pinned commit) and Fasteners (pinned tag) are now installed in
the user Mod directory after explicit approval, and FreeCAD starts
clean with them. The simulation toolchain is complete: profiles,
fasteners, native FEM and Assembly.
Seven validated STEP files (Rat Rig V-slot 2020/2040, T-slot 4040,
C-beam 40x80 under CC BY-NC-SA, official Victron Cerbo/MPPT/
MultiPlus-II as closest proxy) with checksums and licences; failures
and alternatives recorded (Fronius, Pylontech, OpenBuilds plates
behind logins, no free Karosa mesh). Dodo and Fasteners addons
documented at pinned commits with the macOS install path — install
left to human review per the supply-chain policy. Native FEM/ccx and
Assembly confirmed sufficient for cantilever, sliding kinematics and
centre-of-gravity studies.
Generate a FreeCAD library of equipment envelopes at exact datasheet
dimensions with real masses attached as properties (each Victron box,
the Fronius, one US3000C and the 4-unit bank, the LONGi panel), so
layout studies and centre-of-gravity checks use true volumes from day
one. Third-party STEP models get a gitignored lib/ folder with a
tracked index, mirroring the constructor-doc pattern.
Official manufacturer figures for the whole energy chain: US3000C
32.0 kg (bank 128), MultiPlus 30.0, MPPT 4.5, Fronius Primo 21.5
(the one estimate that was off, +5.5 kg), Cerbo ~0.4 (reseller value,
absent from Victron docs), LONGi panel 19.5 confirmed. Weight
tracker, architecture, roof concept and the decision entry all
updated; Fronius MPP window corrected to 80-800 V.
First numbered estimate for the solar roof: 20 LONGi 370 panels at
about 19.5 kg each plus fixed rails, the self-supporting sliding
frame (aluminium mandatory, steel would double it) and cabling land
around 650-700 kg. Recorded in the weight tracker and the roof
concept doc with the structural and centre-of-gravity implications.
Owner read the minimal kerb weight off the papers: 11000 kg, half a
tonne under the prospectus figure. Update the vehicle sheet and give
the weight tracker its first theoretical budget: about 5.2 t of
fit-out allowance before the real weighing refines it.
Owner read the axle maxima off the vehicle papers: front 6500 kg,
rear 12000 kg (sum 18500 vs 18000 kg PTAC, normal repartition slack).
Replaces the labeled C954E extrapolation — front matched, real rear
is 500 kg higher. Vehicle sheet, weight tracker zero-point and the
research report annotation all updated.
FreeCAD drops timestamped .FCBak backups next to saved documents;
one slipped into the previous commit. Remove it and ignore the
pattern so only the real .FCStd models are versioned.
Owner corrected the variant: it is the 12 m Axer (11.99 x 2.50 m),
not the 12.8 m. Sweep the repo with the researched figures: PTAC
18000 kg (official prospectus, three concordant sources — the
18500/19000 ad-grade values were wrong), PV ~11500 kg for the 12 m,
wheelbase 6270 mm, C954E axle figures kept as labeled extrapolation.
Research report annotated, vehicle sheet and weight tracker updated,
FreeCAD dimension sheet recalibrated (11400 x 2440 x 2010 interior
placeholders).
Owner confirmed the long-wheelbase 12.8 m Axer. Pin it in the vehicle
sheet with the matching PTAC order of magnitude (~19 t, ad-grade,
official value still to be read on the plate), and bump the FreeCAD
interior-length placeholder from a 12 m guess to 12300 mm so the
parametric zoning reflects the right envelope until the real survey.
Third leg of the CAD tooling: FreeCAD 1.1 for 3D and dimensioned
technical drawings. Seed a spreadsheet-driven model of the interior
(envelope, 9-seat zone, shower cell, Tiroclass bench, fab-machine
zone) so the survey of the emptied bus only has to fill in the
dimension sheet to recalibrate the whole layout. Conventions and
planned files documented in the folder README; decision registered.
L'électron rare