3-D model disappears after restarting KiCad

Layout 3D Models
1

After adding 3-d models to my footprints, using “e” and the “footprint properties” window, the 3-d viewer shows a complete board with all of the parts.

I save the PCB and exit kicad.

Then, I restart kicard, open the pcb editor, start the 3-d viewer, and the 3-d models that I added are now gone!

What is going on? How do I fix this?

Application: KiCad PCB Editor

Version: 6.0.11-3.fc37, release build

Libraries:
wxWidgets 3.2.1
libcurl/7.85.0 OpenSSL/3.0.8 zlib/1.2.12 brotli/1.0.9 libidn2/2.3.4 libpsl/0.21.1 (+libidn2/2.3.3) libssh/0.10.4/openssl/zlib nghttp2/1.51.0

Platform: Linux 6.2.10-200.fc37.x86_64 x86_64, 64 bit, Little endian, wxGTK, cinnamon, x11

Build Info:
Date: Feb 3 2023 00:00:00
wxWidgets: 3.2.1 (wchar_t,wx containers) GTK+ 3.24
Boost: 1.78.0
OCC: 7.6.3
Curl: 7.85.0
ngspice: 38
Compiler: GCC 12.2.1 with C++ ABI 1017

Build settings:
KICAD_USE_OCC=ON
KICAD_SPICE=ON

2

If you’re trying to add models to the default KiCAD library, it won’t work, it’s read-only.
You need to store your models in a personal/user library.

3

The symbols, footprints and 3-d models are in a subdirectory of my home directory.

4

That’s good.
Does KiCAD know they are there? Under " Preferences", library management you’ll need to add them (or at least the path).

5

I just now added them in the foot print manager. Previously I had added them only in the PCB editor.

Still, making them disappear even if only added in the PCB, seems like a bug.

Worst of all, it is an inconsistent behavior. Sometimes it deletes them and sometimes it does not.

It is extremely frustrating to find them deleted after an hour of tedious effort adding then.

6

I’ve never seen work disappear. But if you don’t tell KiCAD where it is, it’ll not be found.
Try opening a filemanager and look for your artwork. I’m sure you’ll find it.

7

KiCad PCB caches footprints in the PCB file. For size reasons, it just uses the library links for the 3D models

8

Of course, and that gives me an idea as to what may be going on.

I probably added or removed a part. KiCAD recreated the PCB file and failed to copy the references to the 3-d models to the new file.

So… that would be a bug. Maybe somebody with KiCAD7 can test it.

I understand that bug reports are now not accepted for KiCAD6. I think it is incorrect also. It should be at least one version back at least to identify the cause and ascertain that it is not carried forward.

9

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