New user: Arc defaults to Circle in Debian 8.2.

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52midnight
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Mar 28, 2017 9:38 am

New user: Arc defaults to Circle in Debian 8.2.

Post by 52midnight »

OK, so I'm new and only have one post. I've been using Debian 8.2 for yonks. I've just started with FreeCAD and I'm probably using a version behind the bleeding edge (0.16?). It looks really promising, but there's a problem. First this, as requested:

OS: Debian GNU/Linux 8.2 (jessie)
Word size: 32-bit
Version: 0.14.3702 (Git)
Branch: releases/FreeCAD-0-14
Hash: b3368125c63289ec8ce9faec2b2ae4c78d436406
Python version: 2.7.8
Qt version: 4.8.6
Coin version: 4.0.0a
SoQt version: 1.6.0a
OCC version: 6.7.0

... and then I'll ask:

When I'm in the Draft Workbench with the Tasks panel open on the left, and I click on Arc, the result is the Circle panel. So I can't draw arcs.

So: Is this what should happen - if so why? Otherwise, is it a known bug, and will an upgrade to 0.16 fix it?

Thanks for any useful reply.
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saso
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Re: New user: Arc defaults to Circle in Debian 8.2.

Post by saso »

Sorry but I doubt there will be any real interest in why something is working or not in version 0.14... Try to get 0.16 or dev-0.17
Last edited by saso on Tue Mar 28, 2017 2:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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NormandC
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Re: New user: Arc defaults to Circle in Debian 8.2.

Post by NormandC »

Hello 52midnight,

Welcome to the forum.
52midnight wrote:I've just started with FreeCAD and I'm probably using a version behind the bleeding edge (0.16?).
0.16 is not the bleeding edge, it's the current stable release published almost a year ago in April 2016 and since updated a few times with bug fixes. The latest revision is 0.16.6707.

As it's explained in the "Read First" topic, 0.14.3702 is utterly obsolete. You have to understand that FreeCAD is not a mature program, and it evolves by leaps and bounds from one release to the next, which happens about once a year. 0.14.3702 is now three years old, which amounts to an eternity in FreeCAD development.

You can get FreeCAD 0.16.670x from the jessie-backports. The FreeCAD project provides an AppImage but it's 64-Bit only which is incompatible with your system (pasting the link here for other users). https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD/releases/tag/0.16
52midnight wrote:When I'm in the Draft Workbench with the Tasks panel open on the left, and I click on Arc, the result is the Circle panel. So I can't draw arcs.
Have you actually tried to complete the command? As far as I know it's perfectly normal as both circle and arcs are basically the same thing, with the exception that the arc has two more clicks to define the arc angle. I just tested on 0.16 in Windows and it works.
52midnight
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Mar 28, 2017 9:38 am

Re: New user: Arc defaults to Circle in Debian 8.2.

Post by 52midnight »

Many thanks for an informative and useful reply. Having lost patience with Inkscape's built-in stupidity, I wasted a day or so on LibreCAD before deciding that it's even more demented than Inkscape, hence my hesitation to get too involved with FreeCAD until ascertaining its viability.

I'm well aware that writing a CAD app is an enormous undertaking, and I'm most grateful to those who do so, but fundamental misconceptions at the outset result in software that's effectively unusable for serious work - in my case electronic design using the gEDA suite and a mechanical CAD for the hardware.

I'll give 0.16 a shot - and thanks especially for the details about 32/64 and the need to use a backport.
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NormandC
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Re: New user: Arc defaults to Circle in Debian 8.2.

Post by NormandC »

52midnight wrote:fundamental misconceptions at the outset result in software that's effectively unusable for serious work - in my case electronic design using the gEDA suite and a mechanical CAD for the hardware.
Well, sure Inkscape isn't designed for CAD, but as for LibreCAD, it's not so bad I thiunk...

But what do you intend to do: 3D or 2D CAD? To be honest, FreeCAD is focused on 3D modelling, so its 2D drawing tools are not as advanced as you might think. You may want to give DraftSight a try, even if it's not open source (it's free for personal use). It's a near-perfect AutoCAD clone that does 2D.

As for activating jessie-backports, I recommend looking into Debian documentation about backports repostories and make sure you know what you're getting into. :D

I believe it would just be a matter of enabling jessie-backports, updating your software list, and only update FreeCAD and its dependencies. They shouldn't rely on core system libraries. If you try to update everything in your system you might get into trouble... But I'm not a Debian user so I'm not sure.

I'll see with the guys doing the packaging if it would be possible to make a 32-Bit AppImage build.
52midnight
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Mar 28, 2017 9:38 am

Re: New user: Arc defaults to Circle in Debian 8.2.

Post by 52midnight »

> FreeCAD is focused on 3D modelling, so its 2D drawing tools ...

Yes, hence my leaving it til last. It's way overkill, but since I've played about a bit with Blender (truly amazing) I figured I wouldn't be too far out of my depth.

> You may want to give DraftSight a try

Thanks for the recommendation - I'll take a look.

> jessie-backports ... make sure you know what you're getting into. :D

Quite! I know enough to be wary, which is why I'll play with 0.14 until I feel the need ...

> I'll see with the guys doing the packaging if it would be possible to make a 32-Bit AppImage build.

Thanks. Without casting aspersions on your age (I'm a geriatric) you may recall the dire fear-mongering back in the days of the Millenium Bug that quietly collapsed amongst the cognoscenti when surveys revealed just how many people were still using DOS on 386s and were immune (many were still using 286s). I continually come across assumptions that 32-bit kit has all but disappeared, and yet ...

> Well, sure Inkscape isn't designed for CAD, but as for LibreCAD, it's not so bad I thiunk...

If I draw a rectangle 100mm x 80mm in Inkscape, what I AKtually get is one measuring 100.332mm x 80.332mm or some such, the decimal fractions being the line width, which must perforce enter into subsequent calculations. Even worse, if I copy and scale it to half size, I don't get 50.332 x 40.332 but 50.166 x 40.166, since the default is to scale line widths as well as the object. There are all sorts of exciting buttons to push, esp when you come to rescaling for print-out and image creation. BAAAAD design decisions at the outset. As to LibreCAD, nuff said.

If you enjoy the experience of immediate terminal frustration, try creating an accurate drawing of a complex object in Inkscape ... but keep your medication handy.
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