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Add a macOS setup section to the README - #327

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oliveroxtoby merged 1 commit into
jaheyns:devfrom
scotCW:upstream-pr-macos-docs
Aug 25, 2026
Merged

Add a macOS setup section to the README#327
oliveroxtoby merged 1 commit into
jaheyns:devfrom
scotCW:upstream-pr-macos-docs

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@scotCW scotCW commented Aug 20, 2026

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Summary

The README's macOS coverage was thin compared to Windows and Linux: the "Platforms supported" entry was three lines pointing to an external forum thread, and "Setting up the CfdOF workbench" had no macOS subsection at all, while Windows and Linux each get detailed, step-by-step instructions.

This adds a macOS subsection with the same structure as the existing Windows/Linux ones: official FreeCAD install, Addon Manager steps for CfdOF itself, and dependency installation (OpenFOAM/ParaView/cfMesh/HiSA).

Two things flagged along the way

While getting CfdOF running on macOS, I ran into two issues that aren't specific to any one setup, so I documented them rather than leaving future users to rediscover them:

  • conda-forge's FreeCAD package for macOS is missing a Qt/shiboken type converter needed to read values back from CfdOF's numeric input fields (tested across two different FreeCAD versions from that channel, same failure both times). Most CfdOF panels fail with RuntimeError: Can't find converter for 'Base::Quantity' as soon as a value is saved. This reproduces on a bare Gui::InputField widget with no CfdOF code involved, so it's a property of that build rather than something CfdOF can work around. FreeCAD's own official installer does not have this problem.
  • Two different FreeCAD installations sharing the same version-scoped profile directory (~/Library/Application Support/FreeCAD/vX-Y) can cause native crashes unrelated to either build individually or to CfdOF. Worth a one-line caution for anyone comparing builds.

I've kept these fairly brief and focused on what a user needs to know and do — happy to trim, reword, or drop either one if you'd rather keep the README leaner and handle this kind of detail elsewhere (an issue, a wiki page, etc.). Similarly, if the overall length or level of detail doesn't fit how you'd like this section to read, I'm happy to revise.

Testing

Documentation-only change, no code touched.

The 'Platforms supported' entry for macOS was three lines pointing to an
external forum thread, and 'Setting up the CfdOF workbench' had no macOS
subsection at all, unlike Windows and Linux which both have detailed,
step-by-step instructions.

Adds a macOS subsection with the same structure: official FreeCAD install,
Addon Manager steps for CfdOF itself, and dependency installation. Also
documents two gotchas found while getting CfdOF running on macOS that aren't
specific to any one setup:

- conda-forge's FreeCAD package for macOS (tested across two versions) is
  missing a Qt/shiboken type converter needed to read values back from
  CfdOF's numeric input fields, so most panels fail with RuntimeError as
  soon as a value is saved. Reproduces on a bare Gui::InputField with no
  CfdOF code involved. The official installer does not have this problem.
- Two different FreeCAD builds sharing the same version-scoped profile
  directory can cause native crashes unrelated to either build or to CfdOF.

Updates the 'Platforms supported' blurb to reflect that macOS is now
documented rather than just pointing out to a forum thread.
@oliveroxtoby
oliveroxtoby merged commit a0823e9 into jaheyns:dev Aug 25, 2026
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