FreeCAD on ARM processors

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keithsloan52
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Re: Sue

Post by keithsloan52 »

Jotagiraldez wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 4:25 pm The Freecad team must start providing support for ARM of platform.
I know we are supposed to be nice to each other, but your posts pushes the limits. Who do the Hell do you think you are? The replacement for Donald Trump.

And you contribution to Open Source Is ?
Mallen
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Re: Sue

Post by Mallen »

Jotagiraldez wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 4:25 pm
user1234 wrote: Wed Jun 02, 2021 11:35 am Hello!
Jotagiraldez wrote: Tue Jun 01, 2021 10:45 pmFreeCAD does not even run in Surface Pro X
This is an ARM based CPU
Sorry to say but i am pretty sure that no CAD is working on a ARM (except FreeCAD on Linux), like many other programs in general. And this will be probably at least for the next 10 years so (or longer because as i understand ARM is not optimal for CAD or larger permanent calculating intensive programs, except with cooling (and then you can use amd64 also)).

ALWAYS check the CPU and GPU when you want to use it for CAD (often the have lists of compatible components, but sometimes the wont work either).

Greetings
user1234

Incorrect, Surface Pro X (Which is ARM) can run x86 programs due to internal Microsoft hardware and software emulations. I am successfully running an older version of Freecad 32 bit. But currently it is not running the latest 0.19 x64 version. The Freecad team must start providing support for ARM of platform.
The surface pro x at that time only ran 32 bit programs. With windows 11 it can run 64 bit Intel code but freecad still won't run. However, it can run Linux programs with a gui now. The arm64 linux version can be installed with apt-get install freecad. The graphics won't have full hardware acceleration until they releases wddm 3.0 compliant driver though.
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Kunda1
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Re: FreeCAD on ARM processors

Post by Kunda1 »

Mallen wrote: Sun Dec 19, 2021 3:42 am
Jotagiraldez wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 4:25 pm Incorrect, Surface Pro X (Which is ARM) can run x86 programs due to internal Microsoft hardware and software emulations. I am successfully running an older version of Freecad 32 bit. But currently it is not running the latest 0.19 x64 version.
The surface pro x at that time only ran 32 bit programs. With windows 11 it can run 64 bit Intel code but freecad still won't run. However, it can run Linux programs with a gui now. The arm64 linux version can be installed with apt-get install freecad. The graphics won't have full hardware acceleration until they releases wddm 3.0 compliant driver though.
@Mallen thanks for the follow-up. So If I understand you correctly, the Surface Pro X can also run arm64 Linux FreeCAD ?
How can one track when a 'wddm 3.0 compliant driver' that supports full hardware acceleration for this?
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Mallen
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Re: FreeCAD on ARM processors

Post by Mallen »

Well, so far no WDDM 3.0 driver. However, wslg bow reports the accelerator present and it seems to be getting accelerated graphics.
drmacro
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Re: FreeCAD on ARM processors

Post by drmacro »

I have Surface Pro 7, running Ubuntu 22.04. No Windows.
(It is not an arm processor, but there is a linux kernel for most of the surface models, but not the x)

FreeCAD 0.21 seems to run fine.

I have also successfully compiled FreeCAD on the Raspberry pi.
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Laurie Hartley
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Re: FreeCAD on ARM processors

Post by Laurie Hartley »

Draemon wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 11:42 pm Have been using freecad for a few months and really like it. My main computer went down and I got a surface pro x to replace it thinking I could just use it for projects. Installed fine but says it won't run on this device. Anyone know a work around or different version I could try? It has windows 10 64 bit so it should work but it won't open.
Draemon - would you consider creating a bootable MX LInux live usb with persistence to run on your machine? It is quite straight forward process.

FreeCAD is included in the MX packages so you can see if your machine will boot MX via the live USB. If it does you then have three options -
1.boot from the USB when you want to use FreeCAD
2. Set up dual boot for Windows and MX Linux
3. Install MX over the top of Windows which I am glad to say I did 2 years ago ;)

https://youtu.be/GaRtgw7Uv_o
keithsloan52
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Re: FreeCAD on ARM processors

Post by keithsloan52 »

Anybody tried a Jetson Nano?

Thinking ahead maybe FEM and other Physics workbenches being able to start CUDA development. i.e FreeCAD runs on the base ARM but farms physics/engineering processing out to the GPU's and communication back to FreeCAD or vtk?

A Jetson Nano Developer kit seems quite affordable for initial development.
Mallen
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Re: FreeCAD on ARM processors

Post by Mallen »

Kunda1 wrote: Tue May 10, 2022 12:35 am
Mallen wrote: Sun Dec 19, 2021 3:42 am
Jotagiraldez wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 4:25 pm Incorrect, Surface Pro X (Which is ARM) can run x86 programs due to internal Microsoft hardware and software emulations. I am successfully running an older version of Freecad 32 bit. But currently it is not running the latest 0.19 x64 version.
The surface pro x at that time only ran 32 bit programs. With windows 11 it can run 64 bit Intel code but freecad still won't run. However, it can run Linux programs with a gui now. The arm64 linux version can be installed with apt-get install freecad. The graphics won't have full hardware acceleration until they releases wddm 3.0 compliant driver though.
@Mallen thanks for the follow-up. So If I understand you correctly, the Surface Pro X can also run arm64 Linux FreeCAD ?
How can one track when a 'wddm 3.0 compliant driver' that supports full hardware acceleration for this?
I have not tried freecad yet, but my surface pro now reports that it is using adreno accelerated graphics in WSL. Other 3d programs run much faster than they did before. This is odd because the driver still reports ... Wdm 2.7 I believe. But I guess they added the necessary functionality to the driver.


I just checked the x64 Windows version. It now seems to run on arm windows 11 under the x64 emulation. Presumably you will need the opengl to directx wrapper installed too.
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onekk
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Re: FreeCAD on ARM processors

Post by onekk »

Mallen wrote: Fri Mar 31, 2023 6:56 am ..
I have not tried freecad yet, but my surface pro now reports that it is using adreno accelerated graphics in WSL. Other 3d programs run much faster than they did before. This is odd because the driver still reports ... Wdm 2.7 I believe. But I guess they added the necessary functionality to the driver.
adreno from what I remeber is a smartphone graphics processor, there are maybe some Linux version, and probably you could even try to compile yourself FreeCAD.

Sadly having had some ARM processor, they are rather picky, as for some graphics devices, there are as example decent implementation of the OpenGL stack that is probably needed to make FreeCAD work, for other not, and as FreeCAD is using the whole graphics stack, at least OpenGl must be implemented, not taking in account that maybe there are also problems with implementation of the libc due to the different instructions set from amd64 and arm64 that despite the similar name are very different processors being ARM a RISC processor, see what it means on internet.

See as example the whole problems that MacOs users have when using the new M architecture that is based on ARM with many "modifications and improvement" from the vendor (not cited to avoid advertising a brand.)

The simple fact that exist a Linux Version for a board is not telling that all Linux software will run on them, usually command line tools, compiler and interpreter have a high chance to work, but when you speak of graphics, sadly your mileage may vary, as there are chances that no one has compiled a suitable driver for the graphics stack that usually is proprietary in board that employ a processor developed for smarthphones.

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rozmansi
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Re: FreeCAD on ARM processors

Post by rozmansi »

Mallen wrote: Fri Mar 31, 2023 6:56 am I just checked the x64 Windows version. It now seems to run on arm windows 11 under the x64 emulation. Presumably you will need the opengl to directx wrapper installed too.
Thank you for your hint, it works! Finally, I can run FreeCAD x64 on my Surface Pro X on Windows 11. The trick was to install OpenCL™ and OpenGL® Compatibility Pack from Microsoft Store: https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail ... n-us&gl=us

FreeCAD runs over the XtA emulator now, nevertheless the performance is quite decent. Enough to show and discuss my FreeCAD files drawn on my x64-workstation with others.
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