FreeCAD XR Workbench

A Virtual Reality (OpenXR) workbench written in Python. Aims for easier installation and more flexibility than C++ XR fork.

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Prerequisites

Software Dependencies

• FreeCAD 0.20 or later
• Python 3.11+
• an OpenXR Runtime, it can be selected manually with:

XR_RUNTIME_JSON=json_file_placement FreeCAD_executable

an example:

XR_RUNTIME_JSON=/usr/local/share/openxr/1/openxr_monado.json ./FreeCAD_1.0.0-conda-Linux-x86_64-py311.AppImage

Note: the OpenXR has to support XR_KHR_opengl_enable extension. Known runtimes that support this extension include SteamVR and Monado.

Python libraries

• pyopenxr
• PyOpenGL

Installation of the libraries:

• Linux: pip install pyopenxr
• Windows: navigate to the FreeCAD_xxx/bin directory and run: python.exe -m pip install pyopenxr

Hardware

• Any HMD supported by OpenXR (HTC Vive, Valve Index, Oculus Rift, or a Windows Mixed Reality headset)

Installation and Usage

Copy the freecad-xr-workbench directory to FreeCAD's Mod directory:

• Linux /home/username/.FreeCAD/Mod/ (can be /home/username/.local/share/FreeCAD/Mod/ in old releases)
• Windows %APPDATA%\FreeCAD\Mod\, which is usually C:\Users\username\Appdata\Roaming\FreeCAD\Mod\

See also: FreeCAD Wiki: Installing more workbenches

A new XR workbench will appear.

Movement in the 3D space

The XR workbench can use two motion controllers to introduce artificial movement on top of the room-scale (real world) movement. There are two modes (select one in Edit->Preferences->XRWorkbench):

Arch-like movement:

• analog stick/trackpad of the primary (default left) controller moves viewer up/down and left/right,
• analog stick/trackpad of the secondary (default right) controller rotates viewer around center of the HMD and moves forward/backward.

Free movement:

• analog stick/trackpad of the primary (default left) controller moves viewer forward or backward along the controller axis,
• analog stick/trackpad of the secondary (default right) controller rotates viewer around center of the controller.

Additionally, a teleport movement is available: press secondary (default right) controller trigger, a ray become visible. Release the trigger, you will be teleported to place where the ray was intersecting (indicated by a small sphere) an object.

Known issues:

Wayland/EGL support not implemented yet.

Tips and tricks:

Linux specific:

SteamVR performance can be abysmal, it is often much better with Monado. However, running Monado with libsurvive using multiple Lighthouses can cause bad tracking. Fortunately, there is a way to combine the best of both world - use Monado with SteamVR tracking:

STEAMVR_LH_ENABLE=true monado-service

License

Check LICENSE for details.