Filetype stp is not supported from python script but works from freecadcmd [SOLVED]

[froz]

I am trying to import a stp file from a python script.

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sys.path.append("/usr/lib/freecad/lib") 
import FreeCAD
FreeCAD.loadFile("Test.stp")

I get an error

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"OSError: Filetype stp is not supported."

I tried exactly the same importing gdml instead and the same error occurs.

When I execute the code within the freecadcmd prompt, everything works perfectly.
I checked my sys.path which contains the freecad links

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 '/usr/lib/freecad-python3/Mod', '/usr/lib/freecad-python3/lib', '/usr/lib/freecad-python3/Ext'

I also checked the FreeCAD.getImportType() in python and in the freecadcmd.
In python I get:

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>>> FreeCAD.getImportType()
{'FCStd': 'FreeCAD'}

In freecadcmd:

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>>> FreeCAD.getImportType()
{'3ds': 'import3DS', 'FCMat': 'importFCMat', 'FCStd': 'FreeCAD', 'asc': 'Points', 'ast': 'Mesh', 'bdf': 'Fem', 'bms': 'Mesh', 'brep': 'Part', 'brp': 'Part', 'csg': 'importCSG', 'dae': 'importDAE', 'dat': ['importAirfoilDAT', 'Fem'], 'dwg': 'importDWG', 'dxf': 'importDXF', 'emn': 'Idf', 'frd': 'feminout.importCcxFrdResults', 'gcad': 'importOCA', 'ifc': 'importIFC', 'iges': 'Part', 'igs': 'Part', 'inp': 'Fem', 'json': 'feminout.importYamlJsonMesh', 'med': 'Fem', 'meshjson': 'feminout.importYamlJsonMesh', 'meshyaml': 'feminout.importYamlJsonMesh', 'obj': ['importOBJ', 'Mesh'], 'oca': 'importOCA', 'off': 'Mesh', 'pcd': 'Points', 'plmxml': 'PlmXmlParser', 'ply': ['Mesh', 'Points'], 'shp': 'importSHP', 'smf': 'Mesh', 'step': 'Import', 'stl': 'Mesh', 'stp': 'Import', 'stpZ': ['stepZ', 'stepZ'], 'stpz': ['stepZ', 'stepZ'], 'svg': 'importSVG', 'unv': 'Fem', 'vtk': ['Fem', 'feminout.importVTKResults'], 'vtu': ['Fem', 'feminout.importVTKResults'], 'xdmf': 'feminout.importFenicsMesh', 'xlsx': 'importXLSX', 'xml': 'feminout.importFenicsMesh', 'yaml': 'feminout.importYamlJsonMesh', 'z88': 'Fem', 'zip': 'importSH3D'}

I do not understand what is wrong with my python installation. I installed freecad0.19 in Ubuntu22.04 with python3.10 from the command apt-get install freecad.

Any idea of what is happening ? I checked similar topics on the forum but it is not clear to me what is the fix.

[onekk]

If you are using FreeCAD as a library, you are using FreeCAD in a different way from what is happening when you use freecadcmd.

You have to add to the python path of you interpreter the exact location of FreeCAD and associated library.

There are around some wiki pages.

Regards

Carlo D.

[froz]

Dear Onekk,
From your response, I have added the following pythonpath in my environment variable:

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export PYTHONPATH=/usr/lib/freecad:${PYTHONPATH}

That does not change the issue and I still cannot load any file. Any other idea of what is happening ?

[onekk]

Sadly I'm on mobile so no way to check.

Some extensions are set in some init files that probably are not loaded when importing FreeCAD from an external python interpreter.

There is a Wiki page listing some caveats about using an external Python interpreter.

I'm not using FreeCAD in this way so I could not help in other way than advising you to read that wiki page.

Regards

Carlo D.

[froz]

Ok I have found a solution thanks to your suggestions, onekk.
The solution is to add the following after importing freecad in python

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sys.path.append("/usr/lib/freecad/lib") 
import FreeCAD
FreeCAD.addImportType("STEP with colors (*.step *.stp)","Import")
FreeCAD.loadFile("Test.stp")

Thanks. It is now solved