Installation Guide

StowMind requires FreeCAD 1.1. Install FreeCAD first, then add the StowMind workbench.

Prerequisites

FreeCAD 1.1 for Windows 64-bit. Download from freecad.org.

▶ Watch the Windows installation video on YouTube
1 Download StowMind

Download the installation archive and extract it to a folder of your choice.

2 Run the Installer

Keep the extracted StowMind folder structure and make sure StowMind_Windows_Installation.cmd is located inside the StowMind folder. Double-click StowMind_Windows_Installation.cmd to run the installation.

The installer automatically detects your FreeCAD installation (e.g. C:\Program Files\FreeCAD 1.1), installs the workbench to %APPDATA%\FreeCAD\v1-1\Mod\StowMind and installs any missing Python dependencies using the FreeCAD Python.

Windows security warning: When you run the installer for the first time, Windows may display an “Open File – Security Warning” dialog because the installer is not digitally signed. The dialog shows the publisher as Unknown Publisher and offers two buttons directly: Run and Cancel.
  1. Make sure you downloaded the installer from the official StowMind website.
  2. In the warning dialog, choose Run to proceed.
  3. The installer opens a console window and performs the installation.

Important: If Microsoft Defender or another antivirus program reports a specific threat name or blocks the file outright, do not bypass that warning. Stop and contact us for assistance.

3 Restart FreeCAD

The StowMind workbench appears under Tools → Workbenches → StowMind.

Prerequisites

FreeCAD 1.1 via AppImage (recommended), package manager, or Flatpak. Download from freecad.org or install via:

sudo apt install freecad   # Ubuntu / Debian
▶ Watch the Ubuntu 24.04 installation video on YouTube
1 Download StowMind

Download and extract the installation archive. The file StowMind_Linux_installer.py must be located inside the StowMind folder.

2 Run the Installer

Open a terminal, navigate to the StowMind folder and run:

cd /path/to/StowMind-folder
python3 StowMind_Linux_installer.py

The installer copies the workbench to ~/.local/share/FreeCAD/v1-1/Mod/StowMind and installs missing Python dependencies automatically if a FreeCAD AppImage is found.

3 Options (optional) 
python3 StowMind_Linux_installer.py --no-deps          # workbench only, no dependencies
python3 StowMind_Linux_installer.py --appimage <path>   # use a specific FreeCAD AppImage
python3 StowMind_Linux_installer.py --python <path>    # use a specific Python for dependencies
4 Restart FreeCAD

The StowMind workbench appears under Tools → Workbenches → StowMind.

Prerequisites

FreeCAD 1.1 DMG for Intel or Apple Silicon. Download from freecad.org.

1 Download StowMind

Download the installation archive and extract it. The installer file StowMind_mac_installer.command must be located inside the StowMind folder.

2 Run the Installer

Simply double-click the installer file. It opens in Terminal automatically and runs the complete installation: it finds your FreeCAD installation, installs the workbench to the correct Mod folder and installs missing Python dependencies.

Gatekeeper: If macOS blocks the installer because it was downloaded from the internet, right-click the installer file and choose Open, or remove the quarantine flag in Terminal: 
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /path/to/StowMind-folder

Alternatively, run it from Terminal:

cd /path/to/StowMind-folder
chmod +x StowMind_mac_installer.command
./StowMind_mac_installer.command
3 Restart FreeCAD

The StowMind workbench appears under Tools → Workbenches → StowMind.

Troubleshooting: If the workbench does not appear, verify that FreeCAD 1.1 is installed (not an older version). Check the FreeCAD Report View for installation messages. Ensure you have write permissions to the FreeCAD Mod directory.

Windows – the installer window closes instantly: make sure the extracted folder still contains StowMind_win_installer.ps1 next to StowMind_Windows_Installation.cmd. Both files must be present. If they are, open a Command Prompt in the StowMind folder and run StowMind_Windows_Installation.cmd manually — this keeps the window open so you can read the error message.

macOS – installer opens in a text editor or is blocked: right-click the installer and choose Open, or remove the quarantine flag with xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine (see above). If the installer does not start on double-click, make it executable once from the Terminal: chmod +x StowMind_mac_installer.command.

Linux – "cannot execute: required file not found": the installer script must begin with #!/usr/bin/env python3 and use Unix line endings. If the file was edited on Windows, repair it with sed -i 's/\r$//' StowMind_Linux_installer.py and run it again.
StowMind Motion: The same installation principle applies to the StowMind Motion workbench. Its installers follow the identical pattern and naming:
  • StowMind_Motion_Windows_Installation.cmd — Windows, double-click
  • StowMind_Motion_mac_installer.command — macOS, double-click
  • StowMind_Motion_Linux_installer.py — Linux, run with python3

Each installer must be located inside its corresponding workbench folder (next to InitGui.py). The installation target is …/Mod/StowMind_Motion accordingly. FreeCAD loads all 1.x workbenches from the same v1-1/Mod directory.

Verification

After installation, open FreeCAD and switch to the StowMind workbench. You should see the StowMind toolbar with icons for Hull Import, Hydrostatics, Tanks, Weights, Deck Setup, Cargo Import, Load Condition, Lashing, GZ Curve, and Crane Operations.

If any icon is missing or greyed out, ensure a StowMind object has been created first (Tools → Create StowMind).

"It is only those who do nothing who makes no mistakes"

— Peter Kropotkin