Fine-tuning
This page holds different settings and parameters that you can use to fine-tune your FreeCAD installation or overcome problems.
Option parameters
The FreeCAD Preferences Editor under menu Edit → Preferences is commonly used to set and manipulate the FreeCAD parameters table.
However, it is also possible to access, modify and create parameters manually, using the Parameter Editor found under menu Tools → Edit parameters.
The list below shows parameters that are not accessible via the preferences editor, but that you can set manually:
- Mod/Part/ParametricRefine (boolean) : Set to
false
so Part RefineShape creates an independent copy rather than a linked one. Default istrue
if value doesn't exist - Mod/PartDesign/SwitchToTask (boolean): Set to
false
to prevent the PartDesign Workbench from switching to the Task panel when starting. Default istrue
if value doesn't exist - Mod/PartDesign/SwitchToWB (boolean): Set to
false
to prevent the PartDesign Workbench to be automatically called when a PartDesign Body is activated. Default istrue
if value doesn't exist - Document/SaveThumbnailFix (boolean): Set to
true
to fix a problem with Qt5 that prevents the generation of.FCStd
file thumbnails. - TechDraw has several hidden switches documented in TechDraw Preferences.
- View/SavePicture (string): Set to FramebufferObject, PixelBuffer or CoinOffscreenRenderer for different methods to produce images from the 3D view
- View/NaviStepByTurn (integer) : Defines how many incremental steps (notches) to complete a turn when using the arrows of the NaviCube. If value isn't defined, it defaults to 8, which means each increment rotates of 360/8 = 45 deg.
- Mod/Draft/defaultCameraHeight (int) : Sets the height of the camera when Draft starts in an empty document. 0 disables, FreeCAD default is 5, good when working in millimeters, a good height for arch work is 4500
- DockWindows/TreeView/Enabled (boolean): Set to
true
to enable a Tree View dockable widget independent from the Combo View. After changing the parameter value, a FreeCAD restart is needed so the widget is available in the View/Panels list. - DockWindows/PropertyView/Enabled (boolean): Set to
true
to enable a Property View dockable widget independent from the Combo View. After changing the parameter value, a FreeCAD restart is needed so the widget is available in the View/Panels list. - DockWindows/DAGView/Enabled (boolean): Set to
true
to enable a beta DAG view dockable widget. After changing the parameter value, a FreeCAD restart is needed so the widget is available in the View/Panels list.
User documentation
- Getting started
- Installation: Download, Windows, Linux, Mac, Additional components, Docker, AppImage, Ubuntu Snap
- Basics: About FreeCAD, Interface, Mouse navigation, Selection methods, Object name, Preferences, Workbenches, Document structure, Properties, Help FreeCAD, Donate
- Help: Tutorials, Video tutorials
- Workbenches: Std Base, Arch, Assembly, CAM, Draft, FEM, Inspection, Mesh, OpenSCAD, Part, PartDesign, Points, Reverse Engineering, Robot, Sketcher, Spreadsheet, Start, Surface, TechDraw, Test Framework, Web
- Hubs: User hub, Power users hub, Developer hub