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FreeCAD/FreeCAD

FreeCAD Weekly Development Builds: Updates from September 9 to September 23, 2026

FreeCAD

FreeCAD, an open-source parametric 3D CAD modeler widely used by developers and hobbyists for design and engineering projects, has released three weekly development builds in September 2026. These builds, intended for testing new features and bug fixes rather than production use, include enhancements in CAM operations, Sketcher tools, BIM support, and packaging improvements.

About FreeCAD

FreeCAD is a free and open-source parametric 3D CAD modeler that caters to a broad audience including developers, engineers, and tech enthusiasts interested in computer-aided design. It supports a modular architecture with workbenches for different functionalities such as CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing), BIM (Building Information Modeling), Part Design, and Sketcher, among others. The project is community-driven, with frequent updates and contributions from a diverse set of developers.

Weekly Development Builds

FreeCAD issues weekly development builds, which are bleeding-edge snapshots of the latest codebase. These builds are primarily intended for testing bug fixes, new features, and regressions. Users are advised not to use these versions in production environments as they may contain unstable or experimental changes.

Highlights from the Weekly Releases (September 9, 16, and 23, 2026)

Weekly-2026.09.09

This release introduced several improvements and fixes across multiple workbenches:

  • CAM Enhancements: New widgets for the Engrave tool were added, support for machine definitions was improved, and the Job dialog was fixed to prevent empty widget errors. The export of Camotics tool libraries now respects the user's units.
  • Sketcher Improvements: Multiple fixes addressed constraint errors, visibility bugs, and improved the handling of construction lines and B-spline creation tools. The Align Sketch feature can now be triggered by double-clicking the active sketch.
  • BIM and Draft Updates: Improved handling of IFC files, added Shape2DView 'Force Update' command, and fixed midpoint snap for hyperbola.
  • Packaging and Platform Support: Enhanced fault tolerance in macOS code signing and updated bundled dependencies such as Pivy for SWIG 4.5.
  • Other Fixes: Improvements in the PartDesign workbench including boolean operations for subtractive features, and fixes to prevent crashes in older Graphviz versions.

New contributors also joined the project with their first accepted contributions in this release.

Weekly-2026.09.16

This build continued the trend of incremental improvements and bug fixes. While specific changes were not detailed in the release notes, the update followed the same pattern of providing the latest development state for testing purposes.

Weekly-2026.09.23

The most recent weekly build maintains the same approach of delivering cutting-edge updates for testing. No detailed changelog was provided beyond the standard advisory that these builds are not suited for production use.

How to Use These Builds

Users interested in testing these weekly development builds can download the appropriate package for their operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux) from the FreeCAD GitHub releases page. The application can be launched directly after unpacking, with instructions varying slightly by platform:

  • Windows: Run FreeCAD.exe in the extracted directory.
  • macOS: Launch FreeCAD.app from the extracted folder.
  • Linux: Execute the provided AppImage file.

Conclusion

These weekly builds of FreeCAD provide a valuable window into the ongoing development of this versatile CAD software. They allow users and developers to test new features and fixes ahead of official stable releases, contributing to the robustness and feature set of future versions. However, due to their experimental nature, they are recommended only for testing and feedback rather than critical production work.

Sources

Sources