OpenCamLib (OCL) is an open source library aiming to provide computer aided manufacturing (CAM) algorithms. FreeCAD uses OCL in the experimental 3D surface path operations and other experimental features.
Note: Beginning with FreeCAD version 0.19, OCL should be included with all Windows distribution packages.
To install OCL on Windows, follow these instructions.
- Obtain the Python version of OpenCamLib (OCL).
- Navigate to your OCL build or binary folder
- Copy the ocl.pyd library file
- Proceed with one of the following four(4) options:
- Navigate to your FreeCAD\lib folder, and paste the ocl.pyd file there. (This is the preferred option.)
- Navigate to your FreeCAD\bin folder, and paste the ocl.pyd file there.
- Navigate to your FreeCAD\Mod folder. Create a new folder, OCL. Enter the OCL folder and paste the ocl.pyd file.
- Navigate to your %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\FreeCAD folder. Create a new folder, Mod. Enter the Mod folder. Create a new OCL folder. Enter the OCL folder and paste the ocl.pyd file. (This is the least preferred option.)
- Restart FreeCAD
- Verify proper installation
- Click View → Panels → Python console.
- Type "import ocl" into the Python console and press the enter key.
- If no error appears, you have correctly installed OCL
- If you receive an error:
- Check the placement and name of the ocl.pyd file as instructed above
- Verify the correct architecture type of the OCL library you installed - x86 or x64
- Verify the Python version used to build the OCL library is the same as that of your FreeCAD software - 2.7 or 3.6 currently
- If you receive an error:
The repository is here and contains basic installation instructions.
Before beginning installation, or during the installation process, you will probably find you need to install some additional packages:
sudo apt install cmake sudo apt install libboost-program-options-dev sudo apt-get install doxygen sudo apt-get install texlive-full
Note: the "libboost-program-options-dev" may be substituted with "libboost-all-dev".
If you are struggling, carefully review any error messages you get during the cmake and make phases as you may need to install additional packages.
In order to make a python 3 version you may need to upgrade to the latest version of cmake, as version 3.10 from the standard package does not make the appropriate python 3 files. Version 3.14 is known to work. (Run `cmake --version` to confirm you are on a later version).
Use these flags in the make phase:
cmake -DBUILD_PY_LIB=ON -DUSE_PY_3=ON ../src -Wno-dev
See the FreeCAD forum at, Re: How to activate openCamLib after compiling it, and a few posts following.
In case you run into difficulties, you may find additional help at these forum posts:
Thank you to Dr. Anders Wallin for providing OCL to the public.