Release notes 0.19
Are features missing? Mention them in the Release notes for v0.19 forum thread.
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Older FreeCAD release notes can be found in Feature list.
General
Python 3 and Qt5
The effort to migrate from Python 2 and Qt4 to Python 3 and Qt5 is essentially complete and most developers have moved to the Python3/Qt5 toolchains.
Undoubtedly there are unforeseen bugs and unanticipated breakages that will present themselves during the next development cycle or two, but any existing dependence on Python 2 or Qt4 will not be supported moving forward. Note that the developers of certain addons have not yet ported to their tools to Python3/Qt5. This may be due to several reasons including lack of support, time, resources, or broken dependencies that may or may not be easily fixed. Individuals interested in the migration of a particular workbench or tool are encouraged to participate in the FreeCAD forum.
Fixed issue with Std Part containers visibility when the viewport is displayed in full screen in Qt5:
- Set
Qt::AA_ShareOpenGLContexts
for Qt 5.9 and above; forum discussion, commit 2a1dd8415, and commit 57b3ca6f77. - Disabled ESC button support in
View3DInventor::keyEvent()
for Qt5 to avoid MDI view mode-related rendering artifacts; forum discussion, commit 960d612547. - Fixed bug in
MainWindow::setActiveWindow
to avoid a crash when returning from full screen; forum discussion, commit c4e34ed9b. - Fixed issue #4088 about the visibility of the origin of a Part changing when undocking the 3D view; forum discussion, commit 1e19ef5be.
Development
- Merged QtWebEngine support; pull request #1937.
- New Libpack for Windows with Qt 5.12, OCC 7.3 and Python 3.6; forum discussion.
- Added support for existing Python virtual environments; pull request #2021, commit bb81425147.
Other
- Fixed broken support for "INCH" units when exporting to STEP/IGES formats; forum discussion, commit 1b26173580.
- Improved import/export compatibility with proprietary CAD systems, when using compressed STEP, or STPZ; forum discussion, pull request #2323, commit 7de89cf62e.
- Pre-select name filter in the import/export dialog; forum discussion, commit e239994,
- Fix missing application ID and icon on GNOME/Wayland; pull request #2466.
Known Limitations
- Black screen due to video card drivers, while running FreeCAD inside a virtual machine; issue #3939.
- Logitech Wingman USB joystick can cause erratic behavior when spinning and zooming in the view; forum discussion.
- Gesture navigation is fully supported for Windows but yet to be maintained in Linux and MacOS. Problem: the developer, DeepSOIC, doesn't have a MacOS machine with its special trackpad, and hasn't tested it on Linux either; forum discussion.
User Interface
COIL icon theme developed by user 1D_Inc (a coil of threads or strands alludes to the appearance of the icons). This is a minimalistic icon set inspired on Blender's 2.8 outline-style icons. The intention is to have professional-looking icons that can be used with different color themes, including light, dark, and monochrome.
Forum discussion 1 (old thread), discussion 2 (main thread), 1D_SVG_Tools repository. | |
New icon theme management developed by user triplus. | |
New dark stylesheet developed by user userzmp2000. | |
Dark themes by user pablogil. Blue, green, and orange variations, which are darker than previous templates. |
App::Link and assembly
After 2.5 years in development, the "Link" object, or more formally App::Link
, was introduced in FreeCAD. This is a special type of App::DocumentObject
with certain properties that will hopefully allow for doing assemblies easier.
A "Link" allows objects to use another object's data, such as geometry or even their 3D visual representation, in the same or different files. It can be thought of as a thin, absolute clone, or as the same object living into two different "instances". Some functionality offered by a "Link" is already present in some workbenches like Arch and BIM (clones, external references), but the "Link" implementation is at the core level, and thus can be used by all workbenches in different ways.
The "Link" component was thought and developed almost single-handedly by user realthunder. The motivations and design implementations behind this project are described in his GitHub page, Link. In order to accomplish this feature, several core changes to FreeCAD were made; these are also extensively documented in Core-Changes.
The history of "Link" can be traced to some essential forum threads:
- Why an object can only be inside one App::Part? (March 2017)
- Introducing App::Link/XLink (March 2017)
- Links (May 2017)
- Realthunder Link implementation: Architecture discussion (June 2017)
- PR #876: Link, stage one, context aware selection (July 2017)
- Preview: Link, stage two, API groundwork (July 2017)
- Assembly3 preview (December 2017)
- Merging of my Link branch (June 2018)
Finally, the pull request and merge happened:
- App::Link: the big merge, old thread (July 2019), pull request #2350 (the BIG merge), LinkMerge branch.
- App::Link: the big merge, main thread (July 2019)
- A simple path description of Link, 019, Link stage, Asm3, merge? (August 2019)
The "Link" object prepares FreeCAD for the phase that was scheduled to happen after the redesign of PartDesign in FreeCAD 0.17, which is working with assemblies.
"Assembly3" is an assembly workbench written in Python by realthunder, that makes use of the "Link" functionality. The workbench served as a testbed for the "Link" component during its development. While Assembly3 is still not officially part of FreeCAD, with the inclusion of "Link", it is a matter of time for Assembly3 to be provided as an installable add-on, just like A2plus Workbench is provided currently.
Other additions in the App::Link merge
Beside the introduction of App::Link
, the "LinkMerge" branch also introduced some changes visible to the user with regards to object properties, expressions, visual selection, and the tree view. These are described in the Core-Changes page.
App::Link object allows lightweight linking of objects in a document and from external documents. | |
File:Custom-property.gif | Dynamic properties can be added to any object. |
Selected elements hidden by other elements are highlighted to indicate their position within the model. |
Arch Workbench
The Arch Site tool once more is able to produce sun path diagrams if the given latitude, longitude, and declination are provided. This requires Pysolar 0.7 or above, and only works with Python 3. | |
The Arch Site tool now can display a compass to show the direction of the "true North" (declination) in the model. By the default, North is aligned to the Y axis. This is useful when working in real world coordinates.
Forum discussion, pull request #2111, commit ff1fb11af, pull request #2360. | |
The Arch SectionPlane tool now has the ability of clipping the view, to act as a camera. | |
The Arch Fence tool was added to produce fence objects starting from a post and a path.
Forum discussion, pull request #2151, pull request #2173, pull request #2263, pull request #2270. | |
Improvements in the Reinforcement Addon, which extends the Arch Rebar tool.
Automated reinforcement graphical user interface: the intention is to facilitate the automatic creation of simple and complex rebars. This development was carried out as a Google Summer of Code 2019 project: Suraj_Dadral/gsoc_proposal. Forum discussion, FreeCAD-Reinforcement (master code), SurajDadral/FreeCAD-Reinforcement (development fork). |
Draft Workbench
New Draft Edit and Draft Edit Improved modes to edit shapes by directly manipulating nodes.
Forum discussion | Animated gif | commit 272a8dfcc9, commit 7de2248bb, pull request #2108, pull request #2430. Tool in its separate module: commit a4e2df115d, commit c351b9094. | |
File:Draft 3rd degree bezier.gif | New Draft CubicBezCurve tool, to create 3rd degree Bezier curves similar to Inkscape. |
New Draft Arc 3Points tool, to create circular arcs by specifying three points through which the arc passes. Originally developed in the BIM Workbench and then migrated to Draft.
Forum discussion, commit 4f19a65559, commit 0b905fade0, pull request #2286. | |
New Draft Layer tool that replaces the seldom used Draft VisGroup, providing a true layer system as it exists in other CAD systems. Draft Layer supports adding objects by drag-and-drop, controls object visibility and, optionally, object color. | |
Substantial reworking to improve 2D drafting and integration for TechDraw pages. | |
New Draft Fillet tool that creates a fillet (rounded corner) or a chamfer (straight line) between two simple Draft Lines. |
Other
- The Draft Wire tool now is called "Polyline" in the menu, instead of "DWire"; all options and functionality remain the same, so this doesn't break compatibility; commit 39e748229e.
- Undergoing efforts to split tools into their own module file to ease maintenance of the codebase for the future; forum discussion, commit 16c26cb3b1.
FEM Workbench
- Updated coding standards; forum discussion, commit ad03ee9bdf, commit 27cb54009b.
Part Workbench
- New Face method:
Part.Face.cutHoles(list_of_wires)
to cut holes into a face. The face usually needs to be validated after operation. - New command: create points object from mesh; forum discussion (and video), pull request #2450.
PartDesign workbench
Path Workbench
Added Coolant Modes for Coolant Management (Discussion) |
Other Changes
- Fixed P3 Memory Leak (Discussion)
Render Workbench
Added support for Blender Cycles renderer (git commit)
Sketcher Workbench
Sketcher Elements Widget - Filter geomtry by type (Discussion)
Spreadsheet Workbench
Start Workbench
Re-added example files to the Start page with saved thumbnails in their icons, forum announcement, git commit ba6a6d63ee9c.
Surface Workbench
TechDraw Workbench
Improved scaling support for viewport geometry added as an image to a drawing | |
Added balloon decorators for Techdraw notes | |
Added support for leader lines and rich text formatting | |
Support for "cosmetic" dimensioning, which is not based on existing geometry | |
Mask portions of a drawing and add centerlines to faces | |
Welding icon set
(Discussion)(Github) |
Other TechDaw Changes
- Fixed font size issues when exporting to SVG (discussion) (pull request)
- Support for Russian standard document templates (Github)
- Add options for page size, line width and background on SVG (github)
- Panning support using middle mouse button (github)
- Improved Drawing update control (github pull request 2468)
- Russian templates pull request #2249.
Material Handling
Macros
Automatic light-gauge steel frame creator and panelizer (GPL 3)
Forum discussion | Screencast | FreeCAD-Steel_Frame repository. |
Additional modules
Curved Shapes Workbench
A new workbench for designing curves 3D surfaces; CurvedShapesWorkbench. |
A2plus discussion github | |
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A new workbench to assemble different parts in FreeCAD. It is an extension of the Assembly2 workbench providing an extended color and transparency handling for parts and a new constraint using the center of mass of parts.
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CadQuery github | |
Scripting based on the CadQuery CAD scripting API. A new code editor is available and script variables can be edited dynamically through a parameter dialog. The workbench also supports normal file operations for CadQuery scripts (open, new, close, etc), and example scripts to help users learn new concepts. | |
Civil Engineering/Transportation Workbench | |
A toolset for developing highway and railway designs, including horizontal alignments, vertical profiles, and 3D models | |
Curves github discussion | |
A collection of tools to create and edit NURBS curves and surfaces. | |
Defeaturing Workbench discussion github | |
Edit imported STEP models and remove selected features from the model. | |
Electromagnetic (EM) discussion | |
Electromagnetic | |
Fasteners Workbench discussion github details | |
Generate screws, bolts, washers, and other fasteners | |
Flamingo Workbench discussion github | |
A set of customized FreeCAD commands and objects that help to speed-up the drawing of frames and pipelines. | |
InventorLoader discussion github | |
Import Autodesk Inventor files (in progress). | |
KicadStepUp Workbench discussion sourceforge | |
Provide support for KiCad and FreeCAD users in ECAD and MCAD collaboration. | |
Lithophane Workbench github discussion | |
Create Lithophanes by projecting images onto solid surfaces | |
Manipulator Workbench discussion | |
Tools to aid in part manipulation | |
Nurbs discussion github Microelly's "FreeCAD Buch" | |
A collection of scripts for managing freeform surfaces and curves. | |
SheetMetal Workbench Discussion (thread 1 | thread 2 | thread 3) github | |
Tools for designing and bending objects made from sheet metal | |
Silk discussiongithub | |
A collection of NURBS surface modeling tools focused on low degree and seam continuity. | |
SQL Workbench discussion github | |
Perform Structured Query Language (SQL) queries on FreeCAD document files to retrieve and report model data. |