Release notes 1.0

FreeCAD 1.0 was released on DD MM 2023, get it from the Download page. This page lists all new features and changes.

Older FreeCAD release notes can be found in the Feature list.

Placeholder for an eye-catching image selected by the admins from the user showcases forum.

Further user interface improvements

 * The button for [[Image:Std_UserEditModeDefault.svg|24px]] Edit Mode has been removed from the standard toolbar. It can be re-added by customizing your toolbar. Pull request #7570
 * The buttons for [[Image:Std_Print.svg|24px]] Print, [[Image:Std_Copy.svg|24px]] Copy, [[Image:Std_Paste.svg|24px]] Paste and [[Image:Std_Cut.svg|24px]] Cut have been removed from the standard toolbar. They can be re-added by customizing your toolbar. Pull request #7571 and commit ea9a04e
 * Commands to store and recall a temporary working view have been added. Pull request #7525
 * Value changes with the mouse wheel in 'input fields' (a widget type used to enter values in task panels, for example by Draft Line) are disabled if the widget doesn't have the focus and the ComboBoxWheelEventFilter parameter is enabled. This prevents unwanted value changes while scrolling, as was already the case for spin and combo boxes. Pull request #7561
 * It is now possible to set a default transparency for new Part or PartDesign objects in the Preferences. Pull request #7103
 * There is the new orbit style Free Turntable. It can either be enabled in the Preferences or by pressing the button in the Status bar and then using the menu ). Pull Request #8048
 * The Std SetAppearance task panel now also has a button to set the Point Color property. Pull request #7708
 * A button has been added to switch the colors of the 3D view background gradient in the Preferences. Pull request #7155
 * All transparency settings use now the uniform spin button step of 5%: One click on the button in a dialog or the property editor changes the transparency by 5%. Keep the button pressed to change several 5% steps at once. Pull request #7723
 * The Output window has been renamed to Report view for uniformity with the UI. Pull Request #7739

New Python API

 * BSplineSurfacePy::scaleKnotsToBounds: Scales the U and V knots lists to fit the specified bounds. Pull request #7258 and Pull request #7385
 * BSplineCurvePy::scaleKnotsToBounds: Scales the knots list to fit the specified bounds. Pull request #7385


 * ShapeFix_EdgeConnectPy: Root class for fixing operations. commit 4d4adb93
 * ShapeFix_EdgePy: Fixing invalid edge. commit 4089cbfb
 * ShapeFix_FaceConnectPy: Rebuilds connectivity between faces in shell. commit a0eb2e9d
 * ShapeFix_FacePy: Class for fixing operations on faces. commit b6cd635c
 * ShapeFix_FixSmallFacePy: Class for fixing operations on faces. commit 4c2946c8
 * ShapeFix_FixSmallSolidPy: Fixing solids with small size. commit b70d8d37
 * ShapeFix_FreeBoundsPy: Intended to output free bounds of the shape. commit 1ee1aee1
 * ShapeFix_RootPy: Root class for fixing operations. commit f3e941a3
 * ShapeFix_ShapePy: Class for fixing operations on shapes. commit 87db9dcc
 * ShapeFix_ShapeTolerancePy: Modifies tolerances of sub-shapes (vertices, edges, faces). commit 125d5b63
 * ShapeFix_ShellPy: Root class for fixing operations. commit f3e941a3
 * ShapeFix_SolidPy: Root class for fixing operations. commit 8d568793
 * ShapeFix_SplitCommonVertexPy: Class for fixing operations on shapes. commit 4b44c54c
 * ShapeFix_SplitToolPy: Tool for splitting and cutting edges. commit bbecc3f2
 * ShapeFix_WireframePy: Provides methods for fixing wireframe of shape. commit 6843a461
 * ShapeFix_WirePy: Class for fixing operations on wires. commit 94f6279a
 * ShapeFix_WireVertexPy: Fixing disconnected edges in the wire. commit 8c6ffc99

Removed Python API

 * FreeCAD.EndingAdd: replaced by FreeCAD.addImportType. Pull request #7167
 * FreeCAD.EndingGet: replaced by FreeCAD.getImportType. Pull request #7167

Arch Workbench

 * Several edit mode issues have been fixed and the Tree view context menus for Arch objects have been improved. Objects that can be edited now have an option in that menu. The  option was removed for objects without a face or that can only have a single face. Pull request #8122

Further Arch improvements

 * Profile objects now support modification of the profile type after creation. Pull request #7217

Draft Workbench

 * The inaccuracy of Draft Snap Near when snapping to curves was fixed. In addition, Draft Snap Perpendicular can now also snap to faces and find multiple points. To snap to a vertex (e.g. a Draft Point) Draft Snap Endpoint must now be used instead of Draft Snap Near. Pull request #7132
 * To make working with layers easier their drag and drop behavior was modified. If you drop an object from a Std Group, or a group-like object such as an Arch BuildingPart, on a layer, it is no longer removed from the group, and vice versa. This works without holding down the key. Pull request #7462
 * The Draft PointArray command now supports more point object types. Any object with a shape and vertices, as well as a mesh and a point cloud can be used. Pull request #7597
 * The Tree view context menus for Draft objects have been improved. Objects that can be edited with the Draft Edit command, or that have a dedicated edit solution, now have an option in that menu. The  option was removed for objects without a face or that can only have a single face. Pull request #7970
 * The properties of Draft annotation objects have been unified. Draft Text, Draft Dimension and Draft Label objects now all have a Font Name, a Font Size and a Text Color property. The Display Mode options have been made consistent as well and are now: Screen and World. Issue #7861 and Pull request #8081

Further Draft improvements

 * Several Draft PathArray related issues have been fixed. Pull request #7506 and Pull request #7662
 * The Draft Edit command has received several improvements. For wires, B-splines and Bézier curves a Close/Open option has been added to the edge context menu. For B-splines and Bézier curves a Reverse option has been added to the same menu as well. The task panels have been cleaned up. Pull request #7527 and Pull request #7541
 * The Draft Snap toolbar was changed to a standard toolbar. Keyboard shortcuts can now be assigned to snaps. But using them during a command only works if none of the input boxes in the task panel has the focus as they 'catch' the so-called in-command shortcuts. Pull request #7656
 * In the task panel of the Draft SetStyle command the "Texts/dims" button has been replaced by the "Annotations" button. Pressing this button will process all annotations, including Draft Labels. Several minor additional issues were also fixed. Pull request #8190, Pull request #8195 and Pull request #8196

Further FEM improvements

 * The [[Image:FEM_ConstraintInitialPressure.svg|24px]] initial pressure constraint was added to set the initial internal pressure of fluids. Pull request #7364
 * The [[Image:FEM_ConstraintCurrentDensity.svg|24px]] current density constraint was added to set current densities for bodies and faces. Pull request #8348
 * The [[Image:FEM_ConstraintMagnetization.svg|24px]] magnetization constraint was added to set magnetizations for bodies and faces. Pull request #8393
 * The [[Image:FEM_ConstraintBodyHeatSource.svg|24px]] body heat source constraint now has a task panel and it is possible to set the heat for several bodies or to use several constraints for different bodies in one analysis. Pull request #7367
 * It is now possible to open (and this way visualize) *.pvtu files (partitioned VTK unstructured grid data). A *.pvtu file is also the result of an Elmer simulation, when more than one CPU core was used. Pull request #7159
 * Critical Strain Ratio has been added to the VTK result pipeline. It gives an indication of ductile rupture for materials with a "MaterialMechanicalNonlinear" object. Pull request #7467
 * [[Image:FEM_FemMesh2Mesh.svg|24px]] FEM mesh to mesh has the new parameter scale to define the scale of deformed mesh using Python. Forum thread and Pull request #7715
 * New material card for carbon dioxide. Pull request #8332

Further Mesh improvements

 * Support to add transparencies to a mesh. Forum thread and Commit f88305e

Further PartDesign improvements

 * In the Hole dialog, the deprecated screw head types (cheese head, cap screw etc.) have been removed. They were deprecated since FreeCAD 0.19. Holes using these types are transformed to custom countersinks/counterbore holes with the diameter and depth used by the types. Pull request #7654
 * The Validate sketch command was added to Helper toolbar. Pull request #7700
 * The unusable Leave sketch and View sketch commands were removed from the menu. The Edit sketch, Merge sketches and Mirror sketch commands were added to the menu. Pull request #7700
 * The involute gear profile has new properties to change the tooth length. This now allows adjustments for certain types of interferences and to use the profile to create involute splines too. Pull request #8184

Path Workbench

 * Camotics integration. If camotics (version 1.2.2 or later) is installed, a new icon will be added to the Path toolbar. Select a Path Job and press the button to open the Camotics dialog. Then drag the slider to generate a simulated solid at any point in the job. You can also launch the full camotics application to run the animated simulaton. This results in a silent post-processing of the job and creation of a camotics project file. Pull request #6637


 * Additional substitution strings for automatic output naming. If output is being split into multiple files, the filenames can automatically substitute the toolcontroller label, WCS, or operation label. This is in addition to the other existing substitution strings like date, job name, etc.


 * Implemented Chipbreaking option for peck style drill cycles. Chipbreaking emits a G73 cycle which causes the control to make a very small retraction move to break the chip without fully retracting the bit from the hole. G73 is supported natively by LinuxCNC. Some other postprocessors will have to interpret the G73 and emit control appropriate codes or decompose the retraction into G1/G0 moves. Postprocessor support for G73 decomposition has been added to the "refactored" postprocessors.Pull request #7469

Further Sketcher improvements

 * The toolbar button for Constrain refraction (Snell's law) has been removed. Commit ef62fc3
 * The Dimensional Constraints and Quantity Spin Boxes now support the same math as Expressions (Evaluated in place). Pull Request #7124
 * The toolbar buttons for Select redundant constraints and Select conflicting constraints have been removed. Pull request #7568
 * The toolbar button for Stop operation has been removed. Pull request #7569
 * The 'Edit controls' section in the Sketcher dialog has been made optional. Pull request #7572
 * The toolbar button for Select unconstrained DoF has been removed. Pull request #7603
 * The Sketcher toolbar has been split in two: 'Sketcher-edit-mode' and 'Sketcher' (i.e. 'not edit mode'). The Sketcher toolbars that are only for edit-mode are hidden in non-edit-mode, and those only for non-edit-mode are hidden in edit-mode. The Structure toolbar is also hidden in Sketcher. Pull request #7655
 * Coincident constraint can now act as a concentric constraint when selecting 2 or more circles, arcs, ellipses or arcs of ellipses. Pull request #7703
 * Carbon copy if possible now uses constraint names in the expressions it creates instead of an index based reference, making it more reliable. Pull request #7688

Further TechDraw improvements

 * Navigation modes have been updated to match those used in the 3D view. Pull request #7081 and Pull request #7107
 * Bitmap hatching was fixed. Issue #6582 and Pull request #7121
 * Support for adjustable gaps for extension lines of dimensions was added. Pull request #7133
 * Multithreading was introduced for hidden line removal and face finding. Pull request #7377
 * The face detection algorithm was improved. Pull request #7448
 * The PrintAll tool was added. Pull request #7460
 * Four tools to control the stacking order of views were added. Issue #6012 and Pull request #7460
 * ActiveView now creates a screen capture instead of an SVG image. Pull request #7471
 * All Latin script templates have been converted to "plain svg". Pull request #7472
 * A preview was added to the task panel of the SectionView tool. Pull request #7658
 * Deprecated DrawViewPart functions were removed: replaceCenterLine, replaceCosmeticEdge, replaceCosmeticVertex and replaceGeomFormat.
 * The HoleShaftFit tool was added. Pull request #8455
 * The AxoLengthDimension tool was added. Pull request #8359
 * 3D dimensions can now be created in the same way as 2D dimensions removing the need to link them manually to 3D geometry. Moreover, the DimensionRepair tool was added. Pull request #8141

Compilation
Since this release FreeCAD can only be compiled using Qt 5.x and Python 3.x. The lowest supported Python version is 3.8 according to the FreeCAD 1.0 development goals.

To compile FreeCAD see the instructions for Windows, Linux and MacOS.

The supported operating systems are:
 * Windows 7, 8, 10 and 11
 * Linux Ubuntu Focal Fossa (20.04) and newer
 * MacOS: 10.12 Sierra or newer

32bit Windows
Since FreeCAD 0.19 we no longer officially support 32bit Windows. FreeCAD might work on these systems, but no support is given.

Remote Desktop under Windows
Depending on the OpenGL graphics capabilities of a computer, it might be that one encounters a crash when running FreeCAD via remote desktop. To fix this upgrade your OpenGL driver. Only if this doesn't help:
 * Download this OpenGL library for 64bit Windows and extract it.
 * Rename the DLL file to opengl32sw.dll and copy it to the bin subfolder of FreeCAD's installation folder (overwrite the existing DLL there).

MacOS: Start Workbench shows blank page
If the Start Workbench shows only a blank page, you must enable the option Use software OpenGL in the menu.