freecad-robust-mcp-fc111/addon/FreecadRobustMCPBridge/RELEASE_NOTES.md

Robust MCP Bridge Workbench Release Notes

Version 0.6.2 (2026-01-18)

This release fixes some auto-start issues and improves the overall startup experience across all supported modes.

Added

• No new features in this release.

Changed

• Repository restructured: This addon now focuses solely on the MCP Bridge Workbench. Standalone macros have been moved to dedicated repositories for independent release cycles.
• Cleaner startup messages: Removed duplicate success messages when bridge auto-starts.

Fixed

• Auto-start not working at FreeCAD startup: Fixed bug where auto-start only worked when manually selecting the workbench. For FreeCAD workbench addons, Init.py does NOT run at startup - only InitGui.py module-level code runs. Auto-start logic has been moved to InitGui.py.
• Status bar not appearing after auto-start: The status bar widget now syncs immediately after the bridge starts, instead of on a timer that ran before the bridge was ready.
• Integration test crashes: Fixed race condition where the bridge could start before FreeCAD.GuiUp was True, causing Qt operations to run on a background thread and crash FreeCAD. Auto-start is now deferred with QTimer.singleShot() to allow the GUI to stabilize.

Note

The standalone macros (Cut Object for Magnets and Multi Export) are now maintained in separate repositories:

• freecad-macro-cut-for-magnets
• freecad-macro-3d-print-multi-export

Each macro can now be installed independently via the FreeCAD Addon Manager.

Version 0.6.1 (2026-01-12)

Release notes for changes between v0.5.0-beta and v0.6.1.

Major Change: Macro to Workbench

The MCP Bridge has been completely rewritten from a simple macro (Start MCP Bridge) to a full FreeCAD Workbench. This provides:

• Native FreeCAD Addon Manager installation
• Integrated toolbar with start/stop/status controls
• Preferences panel for configuration
• Real-time status widget showing connection state
• Proper lifecycle management with FreeCAD

Added

• FreeCAD Workbench: Full workbench with toolbar, icons, and menus
• Addon Manager support: Install directly from FreeCAD's Addon Manager
• Preferences panel: Configure ports, auto-start, and logging from Edit > Preferences
• Status widget: Real-time display of bridge status, connected clients, and uptime
• Auto-start option: Optionally start the bridge automatically when FreeCAD launches
• Start/Stop commands: Toolbar buttons and menu items to control the bridge
• Custom icons: Professional SVG icons for all commands and status indicators
• GUI mode support: Full integration with FreeCAD's 3D view for screenshots
• Headless mode support: Works with freecadcmd for automation pipelines

Changed

• Architecture: Complete rewrite from single macro to modular workbench structure
• Server code: Bridge server now lives in freecad_mcp_bridge/ package within the addon
• Configuration: Settings now stored in FreeCAD's preference system instead of environment variables
• Startup behavior: Bridge waits for GUI initialization before starting (prevents crashes)

Fixed

• GUI crash on macOS: Fixed race condition where bridge started before Qt event loop was ready
• Thread safety: All FreeCAD operations now execute on the main thread via queue processor
• Startup timeout: Increased GUI wait timeout to 60 seconds for slow FreeCAD startups
• Clean shutdown: Proper cleanup of servers and threads when FreeCAD exits

Removed

• Start MCP Bridge macro: Replaced by the workbench (macro no longer needed)

Installation

Via FreeCAD Addon Manager (Recommended):

1. Open FreeCAD
2. Go to Tools > Addon Manager
3. Search for "Robust MCP Bridge"
4. Click Install
5. Restart FreeCAD

Manual Installation:

Copy the FreecadRobustMCPBridge folder to your FreeCAD Mod directory:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/FreeCAD/Mod/
• Linux: ~/.local/share/FreeCAD/Mod/
• Windows: %APPDATA%/FreeCAD/Mod/

Upgrade Notes

• Uninstall the old macro: If you had StartMCPBridge.FCMacro, you can delete it
• Auto-start disabled by default: Enable in Preferences if you want the bridge to start automatically
• Same ports: Default ports remain 9875 (XML-RPC) and 9876 (JSON-RPC Socket)