How to compile Freecad Ver 18.5

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bbutcher85
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Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2022 2:29 pm

How to compile Freecad Ver 18.5

Post by bbutcher85 »

I have searched the forum and found a number of folks with the same addon manager problem in version 18, and the usual response is upgrade to the latest version. Unfortunately I am stuck using a 32 bit version of Windows (7), so upgrading to version 0.19 or 0.20 is not a solution for me. I own other very expensive software that will not work on newer versions of Windows, or on 64 bit computers.
I have FreeCad version 18.4 installed, and have the addon manager problem that was solved in ver 18.5. However no binaries are available for that version. I have downloaded the zip file for version 18.5, but do not understand how to proceed.
I want to add A2plus workbench, and have already downloaded and copied the files to the "Users/Bob/AppData/Roaming/Freecad/Mod/A2Plus" folder.
I restarted FreeCad many times, and A2plus appears in the selections. When I click on it, I get an error message "Cannot load workbench".
workbench window.jpg
workbench window.jpg (136.29 KiB) Viewed 1279 times
Could someone please explain to me what I need to download in order to compile this code? I am fairly computer savvy, but I am an engineer, not a programmer. Please be specific as to all programs I need to compile version 18.5, and please point me to websites where I can download the required programs. Also I would appreciate step by step instructions on how to compile and upgrade from ver 18.4 to ver 18.5.
Thank you for a great product, I really look forward to using it.
Syres
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Re: How to compile Freecad Ver 18.5

Post by Syres »

bbutcher85 wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 3:23 pm
I have FreeCad version 18.4 installed, and have the addon manager problem that was solved in ver 18.5.
As the AddonManager is built in Python there is no need to complile to get the AddonManager fixes, all you need to do is copy and paste the contents of https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FreeC ... Manager.py into you existing 0.18.4 AddonMnager.py file (sing any text editor you have).

The issues you're having with A2Plus are possibly due to the developer concentrating on Python 3.6.x and above, your 32 bit version uses Python 2.7.x I believe and so you're likely to be better off using the older Assembly2 Wb which is not maintained but worked quite well back then.
bbutcher85
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Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2022 2:29 pm

Re: How to compile Freecad Ver 18.5

Post by bbutcher85 »

I will give assembly 2 a try. Thanks for the tip.
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onekk
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Re: How to compile Freecad Ver 18.5

Post by onekk »

bbutcher85 wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 3:23 pm Unfortunately I am stuck using a 32 bit version of Windows (7), so upgrading to version 0.19 or 0.20 is not a solution for me. I own other very expensive software that will not work on newer versions of Windows, or on 64 bit computers.
Sadly with this habits, using Opensource software, something could go wrong as there is no a real support for outdated versions, especially with addons, that are usually developed by volunteers that have little to dedicate to development, and usually they target mostly the stable version (0.20 now) and maybe development version (some of them target addons on development version only).


Honestly I have used Linux for more than 20 years now and I'm not very young, so probably I don't remember very well the efforts spent in learning Linux, so probably what I'm writing below, could not be an option to you.

Probably buying an old computer (some computers 5 or 6 years old perfectly usable will cost less than 100 Euros here in Italy) and installing a Linux distribution will be less expensive even in term of efforts than using outdated software.

I personally use Windows maybe ten times a year to update my Car navigation system and my outdoor GPS (and for little other tasks) and own a 10 years old used computer payed around 80 Euros, so I'm speaking knowing problems.

My two cents.

Regards

Carlo D.
GitHub page: https://github.com/onekk/freecad-doc.
- In deep articles on FreeCAD.
- Learning how to model with scripting.
- Various other stuffs.

Blog: https://okkmkblog.wordpress.com/
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adrianinsaval
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Re: How to compile Freecad Ver 18.5

Post by adrianinsaval »

for addons you could download an older version that worked in 0.18.4, you'll have to ask the dev if he knows what commit works on it or look at the dates of release
bbutcher85
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Re: How to compile Freecad Ver 18.5

Post by bbutcher85 »

I have downloaded and attempted to install ver 18.4, but addons still do not work. I am not sure just what version I have installed. About Freecad shows
OS: Windows 7
Word size of OS: 32-bit
Word size of FreeCAD: 32-bit
Version: 0.18.4 (GitTag)
Build type: Release
Branch: releases/FreeCAD-0-18
Hash: 980bf9060e28555fecd9e3462f68ca74007b70f8
Python version: 2.7.14
Qt version: 4.8.7
Coin version: 4.0.0a
OCC version: 7.2.0
Locale: English/UnitedStates (en_US)
I installed the Assembly2 workbench, and can access it from the workbench selection box. I can create a new empty document, and import two parts from another FreeCad document. The first part has fixed position true, the second part has fixed position false and I can move it around.
I can create an angular constraint between the two parts, and can change the angle, and when I click "Solve Assembly2 constraints (the Rubiks cube icon), the parts move to the correct angle.
Likewise I can Add an axial constraint between two cylindrical surfaces and the parts align as expected.

When I try to Add a plane constraint between the two parts it fails with the report view showing
UNABLE TO SOLVE CONSTRAINTS! info:Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Users\Bob\AppData\Roaming\FreeCAD\Mod\FreeCAD_assembly2\assembly2\solvers\dof_reduction_solver\__init__.py", line 58, in solveConstraints
constraintSystem = PlaneOffsetUnion(constraintSystem, *cArgs, constraintValue = constraintObj.offset.Value)
File "C:\Users\Bob\AppData\Roaming\FreeCAD\Mod\FreeCAD_assembly2\assembly2\solvers\dof_reduction_solver\constraintSystems.py", line 77, in __init__
self.solveConstraintEq()
File "C:\Users\Bob\AppData\Roaming\FreeCAD\Mod\FreeCAD_assembly2\assembly2\solvers\dof_reduction_solver\constraintSystems.py", line 99, in solveConstraintEq
if self.analyticalSolution(): #if analytical solution then will update X
File "C:\Users\Bob\AppData\Roaming\FreeCAD\Mod\FreeCAD_assembly2\assembly2\solvers\dof_reduction_solver\constraintSystems.py", line 567, in analyticalSolution
V = numpy.linalg.lstsq(A,[error],rcond=None)[0]
File "C:\Program Files\FreeCAD 0.18\bin\lib\site-packages\numpy\linalg\linalg.py", line 1961, in lstsq
0, work, -1, iwork, 0)
TypeError: a float is required
removing constraint planeConstraint01
Likewise I have the same issue with Add a circular edge constraint between two objects
creating circularEdgeConstraint01
UNABLE TO SOLVE CONSTRAINTS! info:Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Users\Bob\AppData\Roaming\FreeCAD\Mod\FreeCAD_assembly2\assembly2\solvers\dof_reduction_solver\__init__.py", line 68, in solveConstraints
constraintSystem = PlaneOffsetUnion(constraintSystem, *cArgs, constraintValue=constraintObj.offset.Value)
File "C:\Users\Bob\AppData\Roaming\FreeCAD\Mod\FreeCAD_assembly2\assembly2\solvers\dof_reduction_solver\constraintSystems.py", line 77, in __init__
self.solveConstraintEq()
File "C:\Users\Bob\AppData\Roaming\FreeCAD\Mod\FreeCAD_assembly2\assembly2\solvers\dof_reduction_solver\constraintSystems.py", line 99, in solveConstraintEq
if self.analyticalSolution(): #if analytical solution then will update X
File "C:\Users\Bob\AppData\Roaming\FreeCAD\Mod\FreeCAD_assembly2\assembly2\solvers\dof_reduction_solver\constraintSystems.py", line 567, in analyticalSolution
V = numpy.linalg.lstsq(A,[error],rcond=None)[0]
File "C:\Program Files\FreeCAD 0.18\bin\lib\site-packages\numpy\linalg\linalg.py", line 1961, in lstsq
0, work, -1, iwork, 0)
TypeError: a float is required
removing constraint circularEdgeConstraint01
I understand from the wiki that Assembly2 may not work with newer versions of FreeCad, and A2Plus is reccomended, but I have not been able to get it to work so far. I have it copied into the MOD directory, and it shows up in the workbench selection box, but when I select it I get the error message:
A2plusWorkbench: PythonCommand::getResource():Method GetResources() of the Python command object returns a dictionary which holds not only strings
Last edited by bbutcher85 on Sat Aug 27, 2022 3:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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onekk
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Re: How to compile Freecad Ver 18.5

Post by onekk »

bbutcher85 wrote: Sat Aug 27, 2022 3:24 pm ....
unreadable script, please use:

Code: Select all

 [code]

[/ code]

 and 

[quote]

[/ quote]
tags, quote is the " icon and code is the </> icon it will create a tag like in the above frame (I have to add a space in the closing tag) where you could put the relevant part, like the FC info and the error reports.

Regards

Carlo D.
GitHub page: https://github.com/onekk/freecad-doc.
- In deep articles on FreeCAD.
- Learning how to model with scripting.
- Various other stuffs.

Blog: https://okkmkblog.wordpress.com/
chrisb
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Re: How to compile Freecad Ver 18.5

Post by chrisb »

bbutcher85 wrote: Sat Aug 27, 2022 3:24 pm I understand from the wiki that Assembly2 may not work with newer versions of FreeCad, and A2Plus is reccomended, but I have not been able to get it to work so far. I have it copied into the MOD directory, and it shows up in the workbench selection box, but when I select it I get the error message:
You may have to get an older version from Git of A2Plus. I don't recommend to try to get Assembly2 to work, it is a dead end. When you ever get a 64 bit computer you would not be able to benefit from newer versions.
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Syres
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Re: How to compile Freecad Ver 18.5

Post by Syres »

This is a copy of A2Plus before all the Python 3 Qt 5 started to be integrated so it definitely have bugs in it but I've just given it a spin on 0.17 which is the nearest I have to a 32 bit setup and it works albeit slowly.

You'll obviously have to extract it and manually copy it into C:\users\username\AppData\Roaming\FreeCAD\Mod folder.

For info, as it's a piece of specialist software that's stopping you using a 64 bit Win OS then I'd seriously consider a dual boot facility with a Linux distro. I've just added a new SSD to my box, installed Linux Mint 20.3 initially with the other drives disconnected. I've got multiple ways to use FreeCAD (compiled, Conda packaged) and after I reconnected the other drives the boot menu configured itself, picking up the other two OS boot straps automatically.
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