How to install additional workbenches

Description
To do

Installing additional workbenches

Installing on Windows
Recommended installation method

Use the addons-installer from Github.

During Google Summer of Code 2016 student Mandeep Singh started work on an improved

version (available here) but that version needs further work before it can be fully integrated in FreeCAD.

Alternative installation method “manual install”


 * download the workbench from github by clicking on the button “blabla” on the github page (upper right corner)
 * unpack the donwloaded archive on your local hard disk
 * within FreeCAD, locate the macro path by choosing “Edit > Preferences > General > Makro” and look for the ”Macro target path”
 * supposed your Windows-Login is “User-Name” the default macro path is “C:\User-Name\Appdata\Roaming\FreeCAD”
 * within the macro-directory create (if not already) present a folder called “Mod”
 * within the folder mod create a folder with the name of the workbench, for example “Assembly2”
 * now move the unpacked files and sub-folders of the workbench to the just created workbench-folder
 * after restart of FreeCAD you should now have an entry in the workbench-pulldown-menu

Installing on Linux (Ubuntu/Mint)
Recommended installation method

Adding the community-ppa within the ppa-manager.

Installing the workbenches via synaptic.

Alternative installation method “Installing via Git”

bla blub

Alternative installation method “manual install”


 * download the workbench from github by clicking on the button “blabla” on the github page (upper right corner)
 * unpack the donwloaded archive on your local hard disk
 * within FreeCAD, locate the macro path by choosing “Edit > Preferences > General > Makro” and look for the ”Macro target path”
 * supposed your Windows-Login is “User-Name” the default macro path is “C:\User-Name\Appdata\Roaming\FreeCAD”
 * within the macro-directory create (if not already) present a folder called “Mod”
 * within the folder mod create a folder with the name of the workbench, for example “Assembly2”
 * now move the unpacked files and sub-folders of the workbench to the just created workbench-folder
 * after restart of FreeCAD you should now have an entry in the workbench-pulldown-menu

Installing on Mac
Recommended installation method

Alternative installation method

General troubleshooting

 * Don’t use special characters (for example german umlauts) in your windows user name, otherwise FreeCAD will not recognize files and folders in the macro path
 * If you have already set up a user name with special characters either create a new user name or point the macro path to a directory not using special characters
 * Workbench still not showing up ? In FreeCAD, choose “Tools > Customize > Workbenches” and make sure it is not set to invisible