Hi - BikeCAD is no longer loading for me so I can't access my designs. On Chrome it won't load and on IE it is too slow to do anything. Is the site down?
Bicycle Design Software
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I noticed you've been using the free version of BikeCAD which uses CheerpJ to generate a Javascript version of the app that does not require a plugin. CheerpJ was updated to version 1.2 on this site on September 7th. Theoretically, it should only work better now. I was able to open your latest model on Chrome. I also noticed it had the chain displayed. Displaying the chain and/or rear derailleur will cause a noticable slow down in performance. In case this is the issue for you, I've resaved this model to your account. It is an unpublished model, so I won't share the URL here, but you'll find it in your My Designs section.
Of course, BikeCAD Pro being a standalone application that runs on a Mac, a PC or on Linux will be much faster than the free version. I hope you will consider making the investment. The $500 Canadian price is a one time fee that includes updates for life.
Here the same problem with the free version: on chromium and firefox the cheerpJ-sign appears, after that a message "loading...", but no further action then. A few weeks ago I tested it a little and it worked well.
Thanks for the feedback. While you may be having some trouble with the free version, it is not, as far as I can tell, a widespread problem. The main point I would make is that it can take a while to load the free app. Often, after the Loading message disappears from the top of the page, the screen may just appear blank for a period of time as the app finishes loading and setting up. Patience definitely helps.
Took a few tries before it even worked and it crashed a few times, I had to reload and start again a few times. Loading time was very different each time I opened the app. It was my first time using the free version so it was a good training and I love the program, but would help if also the free version would be a bit more stable.
ive tried multiple attempts in the past two days without success. Is there something I need to modify?
Thanks
Even though I have made the free version run on the iPad, it was extremely slow, so I don't want to suggest you invest too much more time trying to run it as even if it does work for you eventually I suspect you will be disappointed with the functionality. I'd suggest trying it on a laptop or desktop computer. For a sense of how the pro version runs, I'd recommend you check out some of the videos in the user guide.
Ok. Thanks
Hi I’m new to this page and I also tried to open the free version of Bicer cad for tow days without success is it actualy working?
Yes. The free version still works both with and without the Java plugin. Running it with the Java plugin is a bit more involved. If you're having trouble running it without the Java plug-in, I'd recommend first of all giving it plenty of time to load, failing that, I'd also try a different browser. Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari and IE are all good options.
Experiencing the same problem as the person who stated this thread. Cannot run Java plugin as it is no longer supported by any reasonably modern OS X browser. The Java-free version gets stuck in "Loading...". Thankful for any advice, I just need to open a model and change a few things, and however nice the full version would be, this one-timer cannot motivate me to spend the money :) Thanks!
I have access to two MacBook Pro's for testing purposes. One is a couple years old and is running MacOS 10.14.6. It took 1:08 minutes before the free version finished loading on Safari and 55 seconds before it loaded on Chrome. In each case I did not use the Java plugin.
I also have access to a 10 year old MacBook Pro currently running MacOS 10.10.3. On that computer, I was not able to get it to launch on Safari, but it took 1:05 minutes to launch in Chrome.
I have a new laptop, and I get a completely blank screen after "cheerp loading" message. In the chrome developer panel, there is 1 wrning and 1 error logged : "Access to XMLHttpRequest at 'https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScErDRKZvSy1JAdiRSZfAsjf711VWdS...' from origin 'https://www.bikecad.ca' has been blocked by CORS policy: No 'Access-Control-Allow-Origin' header is present on the requested resource."
I haven't used it before, but I am also looking at rattleCAD, which also has a free version. To be honest, I am probably not going to spend $500 given that I have free access to onshape and fusion360 ...but just so you know that the free version is actually generating errors in the browser, its not just execution speed issue.
Thanks for the feedback. The next version of CheerpJ which is the compiler that allows BikeCAD to run in a browser will have WebAssembly support. I'm hoping this might boost performance. In the meantime, site visitors continue to save new bike designs to their accounts using the free version. I actually see the same error that you've reported, but it did not prevent the app from running perfectly well. Again, I encourage you to give it a bit more time to load.
Yes it does work after a while - even with the javascript error, very interesting. But its very slow on my computer though even after it loads. If I go to threejs.org (graphics library for javascript), all the sample scripts there run very fast (just fyi)
Yes, I actually invested a lot of time looking into Javascript graphics libraries. In fact, I spent months manually converting my code to Javascript and rendering the bike using another library called Paper.js. The image below shows how far I got. The top one is the regular BikeCAD image, and the bottom one was what I managed to render in JavaScript using Paper.js.
While all these libraries seem to be pretty impressive, what I found when I used them was that as I added more and more elements to the rendering of the bike, it got really slow. Maybe it was just the way I was going about it, but in the partially completed model above if you wanted to make a change, it took a very long time for that change to update on the screen. Ultimately, the CheerpJ version is faster and more complete. With it, I don't have to manage two separate bodies of code.
Still, it troubles me that the free version doesn't run quicker. For a better sense of what can be done with BikeCAD Pro have a look at the video tutorials in the BikeCAD user guide.
Hello y'all,
i'm trying to start the free version without success since two days. Everything worked two weeks ago. I tried it with and w/o Java enabled on MacOS with Chrome and Safari and on Windows 7 with Chrome and IE, nothing worked. CheerPJ initializes, then "Loading" and that's it...
Any ideas what could be wrong?
How were you running it two weeks ago? If you are going to try to use the Java plugin you should be aware that at this point, Internet Explorer is about the only remaining browser that still supports the Java plugin. You'd also need to add BikeCAD.ca to your Java exception site list as described at: bikecad.ca/java_1.8_security.
Of course, it is much simpler to run the free version without the Java plugin. The only downside is that it does take a very long time to load. If you were running it this way before and are having trouble now, I suspect the reason might be that I updated the program last week. You may still have some of the old files in your cache. If you clear your browser cache that should force the downloading of all new files on your next attempt which I trust will go better.
Hello Brent,
thanks for the quick reply!
I have been using it on Mac with Chrome, so i am used to loading times around 1min. Unfortunately clearing the cache didn't help. I installed the chrome extension "CheerPJ Applet Runner" for running Java applets w/o having Java installed but it didn't work either.
Doyou have any other recommendations what could help?
Cheers!
Edit: Installed Firefox, doesn't work :(
Although my main computer is a PC, when I read your comment, I went to investigate things on a Mac. I tried the quick start on Chrome and was concerned when it hung there for five minutes with no action. I then tried Safari and was relieved when it launched in just over a minute. I then retried Chrome and it too worked in about one minute.
I definitely don't advise using the CheerpJ Applet Runner extension. What that extension does is it takes a standard Java applet and converts the Java bytecode into JavaScript to run on CheerpJ's JavaScript implementation of the Java Runtime Environment. On BikeCAD.ca, when you choose to run the free version of BikeCAD without a Java plugin, we've already got the Java bytecode converted to JavaScript. Therefore, the site is already configured to run CheerpJ more efficiently than could be done with the extension.
To be clear, I recommend using the free version of BikeCAD without a Java plugin. This will employ CheerpJ to run the app. I just don't recommend using the CheerpJ Extension because it would be redundant to do so.
I am having the same experience here on November 10. The page says it is loading, but eventually the "Loading" message stops and a blank white page remains. I just discovered this site and was all excited about the possibilities.....
I tried loading the php version in Firefox, and that worked. Now on to bike design.... :)
Can you explain how to load the "php version" in Firefox? I'm experiencing the same situation you described above; the free version worked fine if not a little slow before the most recent update, and now it will not load no matter how much time I give it. Doesn't matter which browser I try on either one of my MACs (Firefox, Safari, Chrome, Opera). Thanks!
PHP is a scripting language used to generate web pages. Every page on this web site uses PHP. I assume they meant to say the CheerpJ version which would be the version that runs without a Java plugin. There is no particular trick to running the CheerpJ version. No plugin's required. You just have to be patient and let it load for quite a while even after the "Loading..." note has disappeared from the screen.
I will continue to investigate what issues might have cropped up since updating the program to version 15. However, aside from having to reload it once on a Mac, I have no other insights to share at this time.
Having the same problem. Just won't load. Doesn't matter what browser I open it with...
So since last week, not only have I been running an updated version of BikeCAD on the site, but I've also been using an updated version of CheerpJ. It's a pre-release version, but I've been excited to try it because it actually uses WebAssembly in addition to JavaScript so it should run a little quicker. Unfortunately, there was an issue with it that caused errors when certain dimensions were displayed. This shouldn't have prevented anyone from launching either the road or the mountain bike in the Quick Start section of the site, but it would have presented issues when trying to load bikes with dimensions already shown in the Design Archive. This issue has now been resolved, so I'm curious to know what people think.
Hi Brent, whatever tweaks you made must have made the difference. I'm back up and running with the free version on the first try (Firefox on MAC). Thanks for being so responsive! Cheers.
It's working!
Hi Brent
It seems to make troubles again I can't get the free version running doesn't matter which browser. Did you change something in the last time?
Thanks Patrick
Nothing has changed with the free version since November 12, 2019. Several models have been saved by other users today, so I don't think there are any issues affecting everyone.
While it's unfortunate that you are having trouble, I wouldn't have thought you'd have much interest in the free version given that you own BikeCAD Pro. I trust you are aware that you can download the latest version of the program from the files tab in your account.
free version is not loading, tried 2 different browsers
any known issue?
There are currently no known issues and people continue to successfully save new designs to their accounts on BikeCAD.ca. There were 19 new designs saved this morning. As always, I have to stress the importance of giving the free version of BikeCAD enough time to load in your browser. After the loading indicator disappears from the screen, you can expect the screen to be entirely blank for some additional time before the app finally loads. I regret that it is not quicker, but this is one of the many advantages of using BikeCAD Pro. As a standalone application, it loads quickly on a Mac, PC or Linux computer. The cost is a one time fee so all future updates will be available to you at no extra cost.
Although I use the Pro version, I am bike fitter on furlough leave during the Coronavirus pandemic with plenty of time on my hands, so I have recently been using the free version quite a bit so that I can update a review of BikeCAD on my own blog. It was intially written a few years ago, but in 2020 I can't get the Java Plugin version to work anymore on either of my Windows 10 laptops no matter how I edit the Java settings; so I've updated the blog using the new browser version. I couldn't distinguish any difference between 'Chrome','Edge' and 'Firefox'; I tried them all to see if it made any difference composing drawing two. Yes the free version does take a while to load, but when you know this is the case it's not really an issue.
In Bike CAD free not displaying the chain and derailleur made such a big difference to the speed, not uploading brand logos also cured any stability issues I had, all three drawings below composed independently of each other.
First drawing I composed with BikeCAD Pro, lots of data, very fast and stable.
Second drawing BikeCAD free, on both my laptops this proved a bit to much, slow and inclined to crash especially trying to upload brand logos, as you can see I reduced the amount of logos I was attempting to add, if logos are a must suggest saving the drawing frequently, then simply delete the older versions.
Third drawing BikeCAD free, no chain and derailleur and I did not attempt to upload brand logos, far faster clicking through each change compared to the second drawing and 100% stable with no crashes
You would expect the Pro Version to be better, it definitely is, for a professional bike fitter and frame builder it's a valuable investment. But, personally the free version using the method I used in drawing three I found to be quick enough and offer enough data to be both useful and enjoyable to use; it's brilliant.
Yesterday I had BikeCAD open for around 14hrs and it still did not load for me. I was using Chrome without the Java plugin.
I always have to emphasize the importance of waiting. I don't know if it's ever taken 10 minutes, but I think it has taken up to 5 minutes for some people, so I always encourage people to wait for at least 10 minutes. 14 hours is definitely too long though. There must be something else going on. I would try a different browser such as Edge, Firefox or Safari. You could also try reloading it after 10 minutes.
i'm trying to make my first project here on bike cad free
I'm opening a new project on chrome and edge (with or wihout java plugin), it loads for 10-20 seconds and then I've a white screen
I tried with 3 pc
What could be the issue? is it working for all of you?
You definitely need to wait longer than 10-20 seconds. Even after the screen just goes white, it is still loading. Give it time, like up to 10 minutes.
You can also try running it with the Java plugin, but doing that is much more involved than simply checking the "Use Java plugin" box. You must download and install the Java plugin. You must recognize that Internet Explorer is the only browser cabable of running the Java plugin, and you must add BikeCAD.ca to your Java Exception site list.
thank you very much, I will try to leave the pc open for a lot of time
Today I tried no more than 3-4 minutes
The program have been able to open correctly only twice (and after only 20 seconds)
I've waited for hours but it never loads. Same result on Edge and Chrome. Any troubleshooting ideas?
I trust you are not using the Java plugin. If you are using the Java plugin, there are a lot of conditions to be met and hoops to jump through to make that work. If you do not use the Java plugin, then theoretically all you need is patience for it to load. Are you trying to start with one of the two bikes on the quick start page? Those should work. If you are trying to launch one of the bikes from the design archive, it is possible that one of those designs has an issue that could be preventing it from loading in the free version. If this is the case, please let me know what design you are trying to load.
Hello,
new here and happily using the free version. It took me a lot of time to get the free online version to actually work, but the solution in my case was very simple, so I thought I'd share it here, as it might help others. TLDR: make sure the Java engine version on your sytem is newest possible.
I had the problem described by others, that the bikecad screen seemed to be loading for ever and ever. I am on Mac OS 10.14.6 ("Mojave"). I tried Firefox, Chrome, IE, Safari, even installed Opera, no luck. Then I tried from IE on a virtual Windows machine, no luck. As last I opened my other computer that has Linux on it, and bang! it just worked. Only then I realised that since all the browsers in OS X had the same problem, it must be due to some part of the system they all share. That is how I discovered that om my system at least, the Java (tm) engine is not updated automatically, and I was running a somewhat outdated version. Installed the most recent version from java.com, and there I had at last a working free BikeCad.
Thanks for making BikeCad, and making the free version available to the community!
I'm glad to hear that updating Java has helped you run the free version of BikeCAD. As a rule, I discourage anyone from using the Java plugin to run the free version of BikeCAD. Most browsers no longer support the Java plugin and if you find one that does, there are still lots of hoops to jump through before it will run. My primary advice remains to run the free version without the Java plugin and to allow the page to load. Even after the page has gone white and the loading message has disappeared, it is still loading. Give it time and it will launch.
Hi all,
Been having a few issues with loading recently, and wondered if anyone could throw any suggestions...
In the last few weeks, I have been able to load the standard templates on my laptop using FireFox without issue: https://www.bikecad.ca/quickapplet
Following that, I was able to edit, save, re-load, update and iterate the designs a few times using the same browser. The last time it worked was the middle part of last week.
Since the end of last week week, I can't seem to get anything to load at all - it's really weird.
I have tried:
- The same laptop with FireFox and Chrome; trying to load the standard templates, my saved designs, and other people's saved designs, all with no luck.
- A different machine, with FireFox, Chrome and Edge - and I even downloaded an old version of IE to try the Java route using Brent's instructions (add safety exception, etc) - again trying standard templates, my saved designs and other people's.
- I have waited 10 mins+ in allof the above combinations to make sure it has loaded fully.
Sometmes - but not always - the CheerpJ / Loading screens work through as you'd expect, then the page goes blank. From this point, the icons along the top bar only appear as and when I drag the mouse cursor over them. In some cases (but not always) I can click the icons and the popup screen will display, allowing me to carry out functions (for example remove an extra tube from the frame design). However, at no stage does the actual design appear. I've tried 'File', fit to screen' (or whatever the exact command is) to make sure I'm not being stupid!
Any tips or pointers appreciated.
Thank you for such an amazing resource.
Cheers,
Adam
Edit: Tried again to load the standard template (the MTB one) - it worked fine in Firefox and Edge. So, I closed that and tried to load one of my designs - wouldn't load. Then went back to try th standard template again, wouldn't load. Maybe this is a cache issue (or similar) at my end...?
Edit again: Well bugger me, it seems to work now!
Edit 3: Now it seems to be 'frozen', with changes being accepted by the popup screens, but the visual design not being updated (I 'split' the seat tube and nothing changed). Weird...
Edit 4: Now nothing will open at all (Firefox, tried saved designs and the template).
I'm sorry to hear about these troubles. I can still run the app without issue at my end and looking at the growing database of saved BikeCAD models, it looks like most everyone else continues to run the app successfully. From time to time, I do encounter some models that have been configured in such a way that they can be rendered by BikeCAD Pro, but not by the free version. If you launch the free app and find that only the icons across the top appear but the rest of the model does not, there could be a problem with that particular model. In this case, I'd appreciate if you could pass the URL for this model on to me so that I may investigate.
No worries at all! My right to complain is matched by the amount I've paid for the use of the software ;-)
Thanks for the heads up on that. I found tonight that my android phone (Chrome browser) was really reliable for loading 'normal' designs... and had trouble with my latest iterations with a discontinuous seat tube. So, I'm guessing that's the issue. An example is here: https://www.bikecad.ca/1633587841892
I guess I can workaround it by turning off that feature each time I save a model, and then just reactivating it when working on the design. Or I could go for the Pro version (if you can confirm that sorts the issue) since I figure 3 frame's worth of enjoyment is well worth the price tag.
Thanks again for your support and all you do!
You are right about that particular model. I have only recently come to learn that there are some elements that don't always seem to work in the free version. The discontinuous seat tube was a problem when I tried yours in the free version. I also believe the extra tubes were causing some troubles.
Fortunately, it did open fine in BikeCAD Pro. I just tested it with the export to FreeCAD option and that worked well too.
Thank you, Brent. Understandable that the free version doesn't have complete functionality!
Thanks for confirming this all works in Pro, too. Love the idea of being able to model tyre clearances properly and see how the frame looks in 3D... this will save some significant brainpower.
Made 3 designs on the free version just to ty it for my first build. Now it will not load so i can't access my latest design for set up of my Jig and seat tube length. The plan was to use the free version for my first frame build (trial/error) and then possibly invest in the Pro version. I seem to have the same issues as others in this thread. Have worked fine a couple of weeks ago
Although I will admit that despite not making any changes to the program, I've found that certain designs don't seem to load in the free version. However, that is not the case for your models, at least not at my end. I noticed you've posted 4 designs to the Design Archive and I was able to load all four of them in the free version. Are there other designs you are trying to load?
Be aware that the $500 Canadian cost of BikeCAD Pro is a one time fee. As new versions of the software are released, all owners of BikeCAD Pro receive the new version at no extra cost, so if you think you will buy BikeCAD Pro at some point, there's no time like the present.
Hi. I am not trying to load any other than my latest. Tryed again today with no luck. I also have a Edge Beta Version. It did actually load there so could this be an Edge issue? Either way i will consider the Pro version for sure. Thanks
One more question. Will my designs in the free version be available in Pro?
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