Part Library browser cannot access hidden directory below "~/.local"

[wolfgangr]

• installed part library using addon manager
• called macro as instructed
• can browse file tree, but not access part library location
• opening part library in addon manager, I find the installation path:
  /home/username/.local/share/FreeCAD/Mod/parts_library
  but cannot open this location, since directory names starting with a dot are hidden in standard GUI
• don't know how the file browser of the GUI is configured, but I can't find a location to enter/show hidden directories
• workaround: create a non hidden symbolic link, e.g.
  _local_share_FreeCAD -> /home/username/.local/share/FreeCAD

system details:

OS: Debian GNU/Linux 10 (buster) (LXDE/LXDE)
Word size of FreeCAD: 64-bit
Version: 0.21.2.33771 (Git) AppImage
Build type: Release
Branch: (HEAD detached at 0.21.2)
Hash: b9bfa5c5507506e4515816414cd27f4851d00489
Python 3.10.13, Qt 5.15.8, Coin 4.0.0, Vtk 9.2.6, OCC 7.6.3
Locale: German/Germany (de_DE)
Installed mods: 
  * fasteners 0.5.12
  * slic3r-tools
  * Pyramids-and-Polyhedrons
  * A2plus 0.4.63
  * Assembly3 0.12.2
  * Assembly4 0.50.7
  * FeedsAndSpeeds 0.5.0
  * dodo 1.0.0
  * frame 0.1.1
  * freecad.gears 1.2.0
  * Manipulator 1.5.7
  * MOOC 2022.4.21
  * Help 1.0.3
  * ose-piping
  * QuickMeasure 2022.10.28
  * sheetmetal 0.4.2
  * ThreadProfile 1.89.0
  * SteelColumn
  * Estimate 0.1.2
  * DynamicData 2.60.0
  * parts_library

[k2-mirror]

The problem is that for some reason the PartsLibrary.FCMacro script is not copied when installing the Part Library. I have solved it by downloading PartsLibrary.FCMacro file from github, and copying it to /home/username/.local/share/FreeCAD/Macro

[Toutoune86]

Is there some nice solution for the same issue in windows ?

[plup]

I have the same problem with Freecad 1.0. Can't access the .local folder either enter the path manually.

[luzpaz]

Looks like the macro may need to be updated to look in more than 1 path

Anyone want to submit a PR ?

FreeCAD-library/PartsLibrary.FCMacro

Lines 80 to 95 in 03fd3ab

	param = FreeCAD.ParamGet('User parameter:Plugins/parts_library')
	s = param.GetString('destination')
	#print('User parameter:Plugins/partlib : destination : ',s)
	try:
	QtCore.QTextCodec.setCodecForTr(QTextCodec.codecForName("UTF-8"))
	except:
	pass # Will fallback to Latin-1
	if s:
	LIBRARYPATH = s
	else:
	folderDialog = QtGui.QFileDialog.getExistingDirectory(None,QtGui.QApplication.translate("PartsLibrary", "Location of your existing Parts library"))
	param.SetString('destination',folderDialog.replace("\\","/")) # forward slashes apparently work on windows too
	LIBRARYPATH = param.GetString('destination')

[luzpaz]

cc @galou
any chance you can lend your opinion here ?

[galou]

This may be due to AppImage blocking the access.

[galou]

Did you try right-clicking somewhere in the list of directories/files in the "Open file" dialog? On my system (Ubuntu with FreeCAD from PPA), this proposes the option to show hidden files.

[mpictor]

Did you try right-clicking somewhere in the list of directories/files in the "Open file" dialog? On my system (Ubuntu with FreeCAD from PPA), this proposes the option to show hidden files.

This works for me. Unfortunately, it looks like there's no way to tell the file dialog to start off showing hidden files

https://doc.qt.io/qt-6/qfiledialog.html#Option-enum

... but we could add the dir arg, so it starts at $HOME/.local.

Another solution would be to update the logic to look for App.getUserAppDataDir()+"Mod/parts_library" and use that if it exists. Seems like that'd be correct for many people.

Or even better:

• look for the dir and use it if it exists
• if not, open the dialog box, starting in the module dir.