How to install macros

Description
This short tutorial will show you how to install and use FreeCAD macros.

Macros are sequences of commands or drawing actions which are used to perform a complex operation. Macros are Python scripts, which means they are text files that can be written and edited with a text editor.

While Python scripts normally have the extension, macros should have the  extension.

See Introduction to Python to learn about the Python programming language, and then Python scripting tutorial and FreeCAD Scripting Basics to learn about writing macros.

Toolbar

 * [[Image:Macro-record.svg|32px|record]] Record
 * [[Image:Macro-stop.svg|32px|stop]] Stop
 * [[Image:Std_DlgMacroExecuteDirect.svg|32px|open editor]] Execute macro dialog
 * [[Image:Macro-execute.svg|32px|execute]] Execute

Menu
Besides the tools in the toolbar, the following functions are also available in the menu.
 * [[Image:Debug-start.svg|32px|start]] Debug Start
 * [[Image:Debug-stop.svg|32px|stop]] Debug Stop
 * Step over
 * Step into
 * Toggle breakpoint

Macros directory
Macros are created in a specific folder under the user's FreeCAD directory. This directory can be configured in the execute macro dialog, or in the Preferences Editor, through the menu.

External macros should also be placed in this directory.

1. Open the menu to open the Execute macro dialog.



2. Set the appropriate.
 * Linux: usually
 * Windows: usually
 * MacOS: usually



3. Navigate to that directory in your computer.
 * Linux: paste the address into your file manager, "Nautilus" or other. You may have to press + to make the hidden directory visible.
 * Windows: paste the address into your "File explorer" and confirm.
 * MacOS: locate the folder in the "Finder" or paste the address into a "File explorer"; remember the prefix in the "File explorer" for a file on disk.



4. Add macro files to this directory.
 * Linux: leave the file manager open, and bookmark the location for faster access.
 * Windows: leave open the file explorer.
 * MacOS: either leave a "Finder" window open, or bookmark the location in your "File explorer", or set up an "Alias" to point to it, or drag the folder into the "SideBar" of the "Finder" so it is there to use from other programs such as text editors.



Method 1. Copy the code to the macro editor
For macros that are small, the code can be copied and pasted directly into the macro editor to create a new macro.

We will use Macro Apothem Based Prism GUI as an example.

1. Go to the macro wiki page, which should be listed in Macros recipes. If there is a custom icon download it: click with the right mouse button and select ; place the icon in the macros directory. This icon can be used as a shortcut for the macro in a custom toolbar. The default icon is.



2. In the macro page, select the code inside the or  sections, and copy it.

3. In FreeCAD, open the menu to open the Execute macro dialog.



4. Click.



5. Enter the macro name, here, and press.



6. The macro editor opens, showing the full path of the new macro.



7. Paste the code in the editor window, and then click the cross at the bottom of the tab to close the window.



8. A window appears asking for confirmation to save the code; click on. You can also use + to save the file. Restart FreeCAD to correctly register your macro.



9. Open the menu again,, select the new macro and press.



10. The macro now runs. Fill in the fields with your values and click the button.



11. This macro should return an error if no document is active. Create a new document with, then repeat the previous steps to execute the macro again. Some macros open a new document if none exists.



12. Once an active document is available, the macro runs and creates a prism.



13. You can open the macro in the editor again to run it or modify it. Go to, select the macro and press.



14. The macro can now be run with, or by clicking on the button in the toolbar.



Method 2. Add a macro file from a compressed .zip file
Some macros are too big that they cannot be hosted on the wiki. In this case the code may be placed somewhere else, in a Github repository, or in the FreeCAD forum. Moreover it may be compressed into a file,, or other archive.

We will use Macro screw maker as an example.

1. Download the compressed code from the forum, Screw Maker.

You need to use a decompressor to get the internal files.
 * For Windows you can use and application like 7-zip or L-Zarc or quickzip.
 * For Linux you can use a command from the terminal

2. Download the compressed archive with the macro code to a local folder.



3. Decompress the file in the folder.



4. The decompressor creates a new directory with the unpacked files.



5. Go inside the new directory, and copy or cut the macro file.



6. Go to the macro directory and paste the file there.



7. In FreeCAD, open the menu to open the Execute macro dialog.



8. Select the new macro and press.



9. The macro now runs. Select the desired options, and click the button.





Indentation errors
The indentation in the python programming is very important and integral part of the code, a space or an inappropriate shift causes an indentation error ex :

 : ('expected an indented block', ('C:/Users/d/AppData/Roaming/FreeCAD/Macro_Apothem_Based_Prism_GUI.FCMacro', 21, 3, 'def priSm(self):\n'))

gives the error returned 'expected an indented block' block indentation expected to line 21, 3, normal after a class p : must be the next line an indentation at least one space.

1 : In this example, the code was stuck without any indentation and of course does not work! here definitely a programmer error when pasting the code on the page as it would have never known it to work.



2 : the code was correct indentations in the right place.



3 : we select the code, and we see that the selection is at the edge of the code, the macro must works so good



4 : Here additional space is selected (it can happen) then you need to copy the code into a word processor to remove one space all lines



5 : Here the code has been copied in a forum window with the button apparently the selection is good



6 : But the selection pasted into the FreeCAD editor gives a surprise, an indent of four spaces has been added by the system ? the code is not good



7 : You must delete all the extra space that is four spaces on each line, for Windows word processing notepad-plus-plus enables vertical selection with a combination of buttons + Mouse dragging or Menu> Edit> Indent> Decrease the indentation



8 : Here the selection also take the column numbers which will also give an error



9 : Perfect code.



No text output from the macros
Some macros display information on the screen in general they are displayed in the report view.

FreeCAD use two methods to display the information in the window view report.

1 : Commands

or

or

To see the information displayed in the console you should:

1 : Open FreeCAD



2 : Click the View menu and Views



3 : Check Report View and Python Console



4 : the windows are enabled and available commands like "App.Console.PrintMessage" is configured to the "Report View"



2 : command "print" which is a Python command.

It is possible that this command does not display the expected string.

For information to be displayed in the window do this :

1 : Click the Edit menu and then Preferences



2 : In the new window, click General, and select the Output window tab



3 : check both boxes:

Redirect internal Python output to Report view

Redirect internal Python errors to Report view

and click the button



4 : the setup is complete you should see all.



Links
Macro addons_installer.FCMacro for easy install the macro

Other easy macro installer freecad-pluginloader

The Macros recipes page