Could someone make a .19 conda version with python 3.7 to work with blender3d?

Building & Packaging
1

https://github.com/sgrogan/FreeCAD/releases/tag/PY3.7-win This version is an older version and the plugins are not packaged with it. Please see this thread and maybe someone can make a version to work with blender 2.82a, blender 2.83 and blender 2.9. https://blenderartists.org/t/freecad-embending-subd-to-nurbs-for-developers/1218702 Thanks Edit- Qt is 5.9.7 in the py3.7-win release linked above. Python is 3.7.3

2

Is there still no blender version with py38 available? Blender gets lots of funding. It’s a shame they are behind us in this regard. Would be nice if you can ask them to update.

A freecad py3.7 package is available from conda-forge. So actually there is no excuse.

3

Hi looo. I posted the link to the 3.7 py version of freecad above. Is that the one you are talking about. It does not have some plugins installed and I don’t know how to install them. It is only version.18. Thanks

4

This is on their roadmap but I think 2.8-alpha is PY3.7. @Syres had a recent post explaining this but I can’t find it at the moment.

I asked @bkjernisted to open this thread https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=46106&start=10#p396730, but I had a different intention in mind.
With 0.19 release coming I just want to keep in mind Blender compatibility.
I think FreeCAD Conda should continue to be as “bleeding edge” as possible i.e. PY3.8.

Conda also offers the ability to create some custom environments. Maybe it should be the Libpack that supports this. I’m not sure. I’m not asking anybody to do anything but think about it. i.e. PY3.7 for Blender. I think I can make a release build that supports this, that is not frequently updated.
@bkjernisted’s link https://blenderartists.org/t/freecad-embending-subd-to-nurbs-for-developers/1218702 hints at mesh to nurbs. That would be pretty interesting.

Is this the 0.19-alpha? And how can I help with this?

5

Yes exactly. Simple tell people to use conda directly if such special stuff is needed… :wink: As it is now all on conda-forge installing is as simple as:

  1. install miniconda
  2. add conda-forge channel: conda config --add channels conda-forge
  3. create env: `conda create -n freecad37 freecad python=3.7.*
  4. activate the env: `conda activate freecad37
  5. start freecad: freecad


    I had a look at packaging blender for conda once. This for sure would be another nice to have, as blender and freecad could be installed in the same environment and therefore compatibility is guaranteed.
6

Thanks I was pinning Python improperly.
This build seems to suffer from the NetGen/SMesh problem? https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?f=42&p=396858#p396818
I’ll continue this discussion in that thread.

I am working on something for the wiki. I think I will concentrate on this instead of re-packaging the conda build.

I’m surprised they don’t have someone working on this. I think we can leave that part to them :wink:

7

Yes, I think so too. They have quite some special dependencies which are not yet available on conda-forge. I guess packaging blender is as difficult as packaging freecad. So, therefore, be prepared if you want to start such efforts. :wink:

8

Thank you sgrogan and looo. I appreciate your looking at this.

9

I followed @looo’s 5 steps (replacing the asterix in step 3 with a 6) and got a recent 0.19 build with Python 3.7.6 which works happily with Blender 2.90Alpha (Python 3.7.4) to do FreeCAD imports.

OS: Windows 7 SP 1 (6.1)
Word size of OS: 64-bit
Word size of FreeCAD: 64-bit
Version: 0.19.20909 (Git)
Build type: Release
Branch: (HEAD detached at 0.19.alpha2)
Hash: 8be2c08141f0275e9da005bd143771953e982a59
Python version: 3.7.6
Qt version: 5.12.5
Coin version: 4.0.0
OCC version: 7.4.0
Locale: English/United Kingdom (en_GB)

10

Syres, I am not a programmer. Can you post this version and provide a link. Would it work in 2.82a? Thanks

11

Any Python 3.7.x based recent FreeCAD build will work with Blender 2.82a as the Blender Institute have stipulated that this year they will keep Python 3.7.4 unless there’s a show stopping need to upgrade as they are now having a Long Term Support strategy for the animation studios primarily.

Creating a Conda Environment is different to a distributable build as I have found out so unfortunately I can’t help on that front but the Conda process was pretty easy, I know nothing about Conda before trying it this morning.

  1. Download MiniConda3 from https://docs.conda.io/en/latest/miniconda.html click the Python 3.7 Miniconda3 Windows 64-bit version
  2. Choose a suitable HDD/SSD with enough space and install to that partition, I would personally recommend against C:\Program Files unless you have no alternative, I installed for All Users, otherwise accept all defaults that the installer presents.
  3. Click Start > All Programs > Anaconda3 (64-bit) > Anaconda Prompt (Miniconda3) you don’t want the Powershell version

Now it’s a case of typing in the Anaconda prompt following @looo’s steps

conda config --add channels conda-forge

conda create -n freecad37 freecad python=3.7.6

conda activate freecad37

to test FreeCAD actually functions, type
7)

freecad

You can now close FreeCAD and deactive the environment by typing
8)

conda deactivate

and to close the Anaconda Prompt
9)

exit

I wrote a step-by-step procedure for the Blender side of things if you want to double check that is configured correctly based on @s-light’s importer, so it’s been recently tested by another forum member, see https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=45560#p390746

12

Thanks Syres. Do I install the latest freecad to my program files using an executable file? Then follow your process?

13

Nope, just follow the process and you’ll end up with a folder structure that wherever your Miniconda3 folder is will result in …\Miniconda3\envs\freecad37\Library\bin\ and that’s where you’ll point the FreeCAD Importer to in step 6 of the Blender instructions I linked at the end of the previous post. In my case it’s

G:\MyProgs\Miniconda3\envs\freecad37\Library\bin\
14

Thank you Syres.

15

Tried this process with Blender 2.83 (Python 3.7) and Freecad 0.19 on a Windows 10 machine and it did work initially for a day or so.
But now I always get “Unknown runtime error occurred while initiating FreeCAD” whenever I try to start FreeCad via the Anaconda Prompt.

Tried several reboots, un- and reinstalling both Miniconda and Freecad but always get the same result. Opening Freecad by itself outside of conda works fine, but then the Blender exporter add-on won’t work. Maybe I should mention that I orignally had three versions of Freecad (0.18, 0,19, 0.20) installed when it did work, now I have 0.18 and 0.19.

Any hints on how I can get this to work again or find some other way of exchanging files between Freecad and Blender?

16

does it work with 0.20 from conda? Try redoing your freecad conda env

17

Thanks for the reply. I reinstalled 0.20 and redid the freecad 37 env, but same problem. In fact, when I try to start 0.20 outside of conda, I get the same error message, which was the reason I de-installed in the first place.

18

how would you run outside of conda a version that is meant to run from conda? How did you install freecad 0.20? notice you need to install freecad trhough conda in the conda env (and this obviously needs to run in the conda env), not with the installer.

19

Good question, and something tells me the solution might lie there.

I’m not a programmer and I don’t know anything about conda or environments, all I did was follow the process Syres lined out. The Freecad versions were already installed on my computer before that.