Installation Guide

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

Prerequisites

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

1 Download RoadMind

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

2 Run the Installer

Keep the extracted RoadMind folder structure and make sure RoadMind_Windows_Installation.cmd is located inside the RoadMind folder. Double-click RoadMind_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\RoadMind and installs any missing Python dependencies using the FreeCAD Python.

# Optional: run from Command Prompt instead of double-clicking
RoadMind_Windows_Installation.cmd
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 RoadMind from the official stowmind.de 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 RoadMind workbench appears under Tools → Workbenches → RoadMind.

Prerequisites

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

sudo apt install freecad   # Ubuntu / Debian
1 Download RoadMind

Download and extract the installation archive. The file RoadMind_Linux_Installer.py must be located inside the RoadMind folder.

2 Run the Installer

Open a terminal, navigate to the extracted RoadMind folder and run the installer with Python 3:

cd /path/to/RoadMind-folder
python3 RoadMind_Linux_Installer.py

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

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

The RoadMind workbench appears under Tools → Workbenches → RoadMind.

Prerequisites

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

1 Download RoadMind

Download the installation archive and extract it. The installer file (.command) must be located inside the RoadMind 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/roadmind-folder

Alternatively, run it from Terminal:

cd /path/to/extracted-folder
chmod +x *.command
./*.command
3 Restart FreeCAD

The RoadMind workbench appears under Tools → Workbenches → RoadMind.

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 RoadMind_Windows_Installer.ps1 next to RoadMind_Windows_Installation.cmd. Both files must be present. If they are, open a Command Prompt in the RoadMind folder and run RoadMind_Windows_Installation.cmd manually — this keeps the window open so you can read the error message.

Linux: Run RoadMind_Linux_Installer.py with Python 3 from a terminal using python3 RoadMind_Linux_Installer.py. No executable permission or shell script is required.

macOS – installer opens in a text editor or is blocked: run it via double-click in Terminal (see above) or remove the quarantine flag with xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine.

Verification

After installation, open FreeCAD and switch to the RoadMind workbench. You should see the RoadMind toolbar with the SPMT configuration button and the cargo creator.

If the workbench does not appear, check the FreeCAD Report View for one of these messages:

If you see "RoadMind (Expired)" in the workbench dropdown, the trial has ended. Purchase a license at Download & Pricing to continue.

Trial & Licensing

RoadMind starts with a 28-day trial the first time FreeCAD is launched after installation. The trial includes all features, no watermarks, and no registration.

After 28 days, a license file is required. To install a license:

  1. Purchase a license via heavylift@peter-gottwald.de.
  2. You will receive a signed license.json file by e-mail.
  3. Copy it to the following location: 
    # Windows
%APPDATA%\FreeCAD\RoadMind\license.json

# Linux / macOS
~/.FreeCAD/RoadMind/license.json
  4. Restart FreeCAD. The console should show [RoadMind] Licensed to: <your name>.

If the folder does not exist yet, start FreeCAD once with RoadMind installed — the folder is created automatically when the trial begins.

Uninstallation

To remove RoadMind:

  1. Delete the folder Mod/RoadMind/ from your FreeCAD user directory: 
    # Windows
%APPDATA%\FreeCAD\v1-1\Mod\RoadMind\

# Linux
~/.local/share/FreeCAD/v1-1/Mod/RoadMind/

# macOS
~/Library/Application Support/FreeCAD/v1-1/Mod/RoadMind/
  2. Restart FreeCAD. The RoadMind entry disappears from the workbench dropdown.

The trial counter and license file are stored separately under %APPDATA%\FreeCAD\RoadMind\ (Windows) or ~/.FreeCAD/RoadMind/ (Linux/macOS). Deleting this folder resets the trial, so keep it if you have a license.

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

— Peter Kropotkin