Hello forum people! I had just installed freecad this evening and the viewport to the part view is all white! However, the appimage from FreeCAD works, I just wanted to see if anyone else had this issue and if it’s a dependency issue or not. I’ve included screenshots of the program from the repo and what it looks like on the appimage. My computer hardware hasn’t changed, but if you’d still like me to post my logs I can do so, just remind me which commands to run. Not a big deal if it’s borked, but I’d like to let the proper people know if it’s a freecad issue or an Arch Linux issue.
If it doesnt work after what @anon93652015 suggested double check you have all the dependancies needed to (you may need 1 classed as optional) i havent checked it out
For me, I didn’t install anything optional, but I may have already had something optional since I have Blender and a whole host of other art and design apps on my system.
So, like @smokey said, you may need to install an additional (optional) package or two.
Here’s my installation output as reference:
( 1/14) installing coin [----------------------------------------] 100%
Optional dependencies for coin
fontconfig: dynamic linking support [installed]
freetype2: dynamic linking support [installed]
openal: audio/dynamic linking support [installed]
zlib: dynamic linking support [installed]
( 2/14) installing med-openmpi [----------------------------------------] 100%
( 3/14) installing python-contourpy [----------------------------------------] 100%
Optional dependencies for python-contourpy
python-matplotlib: matplotlib renderer [pending]
( 4/14) installing python-cycler [----------------------------------------] 100%
( 5/14) installing python-kiwisolver [----------------------------------------] 100%
( 6/14) installing python-pyparsing [----------------------------------------] 100%
Optional dependencies for python-pyparsing
python-railroad-diagrams: for generating Railroad Diagrams
python-jinja: for generating Railroad Diagrams [installed]
( 7/14) installing qhull [----------------------------------------] 100%
( 8/14) installing python-matplotlib [----------------------------------------] 100%
Optional dependencies for python-matplotlib
tk: Tk{Agg,Cairo} backends [installed]
pyside6: alternative for Qt6{Agg,Cairo} backends [installed]
python-pyqt5: Qt5{Agg,Cairo} backends [installed]
python-pyqt6: Qt6{Agg,Cairo} backends
python-gobject: for GTK{3,4}{Agg,Cairo} backend [installed]
python-wxpython: WX{Agg,Cairo} backend
python-cairo: {GTK{3,4},Qt{5,6},Tk,WX}Cairo backends [installed]
python-cairocffi: alternative for Cairo backends
python-tornado: WebAgg backend
ffmpeg: for saving movies [installed]
imagemagick: for saving animated gifs [installed]
ghostscript: usetex dependencies [installed]
texlive-binextra: usetex dependencies
texlive-fontsrecommended: usetex dependencies
texlive-latexrecommended: usetex usage with pdflatex
python-certifi: https support [installed]
( 9/14) installing soqt [----------------------------------------] 100%
(10/14) installing python-pivy [----------------------------------------] 100%
(11/14) installing python-ply [----------------------------------------] 100%
(12/14) installing xerces-c [----------------------------------------] 100%
(13/14) installing freecad [----------------------------------------] 100%
Optional dependencies for freecad
graphviz: dependency graph support [installed]
opencamlib: CAM workbench support
openscad: OpenSCAD support
(14/14) upgrading js128
You can check for installed packages using pacman -Qi freecad
Name : freecad
Version : 1.0.0-3
Description : Feature based parametric 3D CAD modeler
Architecture : x86_64
URL : https://freecadweb.org/
Licenses : LGPL
Groups : None
Provides : None
Depends On : boost-libs coin fmt glew libspnav med-openmpi opencascade openmpi pugixml pyside6 yaml-cpp
python-markdown python-matplotlib python-pip python-pivy python-ply python-yaml qt6-svg
qt6-tools verdict xerces-c
Optional Deps : graphviz: dependency graph support [installed]
opencamlib: CAM workbench support
openscad: OpenSCAD support
Required By : None
Optional For : None
Conflicts With : None
Replaces : None
Installed Size : 295.39 MiB
Packager : Caleb Maclennan <alerque@archlinux.org>
Build Date : Fri 24 Jan 2025 04:52:23 AM EST
Install Date : Sun 26 Jan 2025 09:09:32 PM EST
Install Reason : Explicitly installed
Install Script : No
Validated By : Signature
I’ve cleared the config folder and installed the optional dependencies. It works on X11 mode, but doesn’t work under Wayland. I’ve updated my system today and still the same. It’s not an nvidia issue is it?
It could be an Nvidia issue, and most likely is, but it could also be a Wayland issue.
My GPU is also an Nvidia one, so I won’t be able to confirm fully. I will log into Wayland later and see if I also have this issue, unless someone else does before me.
I just realised that I actually tested this in Hyprland (which is Wayland).
So, no, it’s not an Nvidia issue after all. It’s either Wayland- or DE-specific.
OR it could be your user login. You could create another login and test it to be sure.
KDE was running on all the distros I mentioned (CachyOS, EndeavourOS and Manjaro).
Let’s compare:
KDE , no optional progs for freecad, freecad from repro.
Nvidia neuveau and standard kernel (EndeavourOS, Manjaro)
Nvidia prop. and optimized kernel (CachyOS)
The issue hasn’t gone away and I’m not sure what software is responsible for the viewport. I know for something like OrcaSlicer it’s the gtk webkit, but I’m not sure that’s the case for Freecad here.
Sorry for responding so late, but I’d rather not need a whole other desktop just for one program. I’m just not savvy enough to dig through what dependency is causing the 3D viewport to not render right
So it seems I’ve found a workaround. When you run QT_QPA_PLATFORM=xcb freecad it forces the use of XWayland and the 3D viewport renders fine on a wayland desktop. However, running it as it comes or using QT_QPA_PLATFORM=wayland freecad the viewport is blank. Here’s a link to the github for the same issue on freecad made by someone else https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD/issues/17491
