3D Model of Part Appears Transparent from Side and Bottom

Layout 3D Models
1

Hello,
I obtained the model as .IGS When converting to .step I used FreeCAD 0.21.1 (import and then export to .step as AP214 - International Standard) In FreeCAD, the model looks normal from all sides, the surfaces are opaque and with non-zero thickness. After importing into the footprint in KiCAD 7, the model breaks strangely. From the top view or from the right, it looks normal. From the bottom, left, back or front view, the model is transparent just like a wireframe.

obrazek
obrazek1007×693 40.9 KB

obrazek
obrazek1160×644 36.7 KB

2

AT115H_BA00.ZIP (963.9 KB)
Here is that model.

3

I opened your STEP file in Solidworks and it looks OK, I exported it as STEP 2003 and pulled it into KiCad . . .

image
image692×381 38.5 KB

So I then tried exporting it from Solidworks as STEP 2014 and again pulled it into KiCad . . .

image
image713×382 37.1 KB

Looks like the FreeCAD STEP exporter may be a bit buggy . . .

AT115H_BA00.2014.zip (1.3 MB)

1 Like
4

Thank you, your model works!

I also tried exporting from FreeCAD to .wrl, but there the wrong scale was added to the display error (the model was bigger), so I had to set the scale to 0.3937 in all axes. I thought it was some sort of mils vs. mm, the numerical value correspond to it. I also tried two versions of FreeCAD 0.19.4 and 0.21.1, without any change.

That’s interesting, the .step version from FreeCAD looks completely different than your Solidworks version.

Start of file from FreeCAD:
ISO-10303-21;
HEADER;
FILE_DESCRIPTION((‘FreeCAD Model’),‘2;1’);
FILE_NAME(‘Open CASCADE Shape Model’,‘2023-11-16T09:59:18’,(‘Author’),(
‘’),‘Open CASCADE STEP processor 7.6’,‘FreeCAD’,‘Unknown’);
FILE_SCHEMA((‘AUTOMOTIVE_DESIGN { 1 0 10303 214 1 1 1 1 }’));
ENDSEC;
DATA;
#1 = APPLICATION_PROTOCOL_DEFINITION(‘international standard’,
‘automotive_design’,2000,#2);
#2 = APPLICATION_CONTEXT(
‘core data for automotive mechanical design processes’);
#3 = SHAPE_DEFINITION_REPRESENTATION(#4,#10);
#4 = PRODUCT_DEFINITION_SHAPE(‘’,‘’,#5);
#5 = PRODUCT_DEFINITION(‘design’,‘’,#6,#9);
#6 = PRODUCT_DEFINITION_FORMATION(‘’,‘’,#7);
#7 = PRODUCT(‘AT115H_BA00’,‘AT115H_BA00’,‘’,(#8));
#8 = PRODUCT_CONTEXT(‘’,#2,‘mechanical’);
#9 = PRODUCT_DEFINITION_CONTEXT(‘part definition’,#2,‘design’);
#10 = SHAPE_REPRESENTATION(‘’,(#11,#15,#62,#109,#156,#203,#250,#297,#344
,#391,#438,#485,#536,#587,#638,#689,#740,#791,#842,#893,#944,#995,
#1046,#1097,#1148,#1199,#1250,#1301,#1352,#1403,#1454,#1505,#1556,
#1607,#1658,#1709,#1751,#1793,#1835,#1877,#1924,#1998,#2045,#2087,
#2129,#2176,#2218,#2265,#2339,#2386,#2433,#2507,#2554,#2596,#2638,
#2685,#2727,#2774,#2848,#2895,#2942,#3016,#3063,#3105,#3147,#3194,
…

from Solidworks
ISO-10303-21;
HEADER;
FILE_DESCRIPTION (( ‘STEP AP214’ ),
‘1’ );
FILE_NAME (‘AT115H_BA00.2014.STEP’,
‘2023-11-16T09:55:28’,
( ‘’ ),
( ‘’ ),
‘SwSTEP 2.0’,
‘SolidWorks 2021’,
‘’ );
FILE_SCHEMA (( ‘AUTOMOTIVE_DESIGN’ ));
ENDSEC;

DATA;
#1 = EDGE_CURVE ( ‘NONE’, #30649, #62603, #34739, .T. ) ;
#2 = ORIENTED_EDGE ( ‘NONE’, *, *, #21045, .T. ) ;
#3 = B_SPLINE_CURVE_WITH_KNOTS ( ‘NONE’, 3,
( #35114, #15327, #60207, #50303 ),
.UNSPECIFIED., .F., .F.,
( 4, 4 ),
( 0.000000000000000000, 1.000000000000000000 ),
.UNSPECIFIED. ) ;
#4 = CARTESIAN_POINT ( ‘NONE’, ( -5.510159959683233133, -5.968368178329201079, 0.1499999994399999204 ) ) ;
#5 = B_SPLINE_CURVE_WITH_KNOTS ( ‘NONE’, 3,
( #16733, #61632, #36516, #51735 ),
.UNSPECIFIED., .F., .F.,
…

5

I tried all the .step formats that FreeCAD 0.21.1 offers but none of them work properly.
obrazek

I tried importing these .steps into PrusaSlicer 2.6.1 but every time I see an error message as reported here .step file import fails · Issue #10326 · prusa3d/PrusaSlicer · GitHub

The issue will probably be on the FreeCAD side. It’s not good because KiCAD offers a FreeCAD co-installation for 3D model management during installation. But it doesn’t seem to work.

I created a thread on the FreeCAD forum
https://forum.freecad.org/viewtopic.php?t=82751

2 Likes
6

I am afraid it may be a KiCAD problem, CSMark downloaded an IGES model and exported it as STEP in FreeCAD and that model opens fine in FreeCAD and SolidWorks but not in KiCAD7, I did a test trying to open it in KiCAD6 and it works fine.

KiCAD7

grafik
grafik999×722 74.6 KB

KiCAD6

grafik
grafik995×709 70.6 KB

Application: KiCad PCB Editor x64 on x64

Version: 7.0.7-105-gc7a4ea97c3, release build

Libraries:
	wxWidgets 3.2.2
	FreeType 2.12.1
	HarfBuzz 6.0.0
	FontConfig 2.14.1
	libcurl/7.88.1-DEV Schannel zlib/1.2.13

Platform: Windows 10 (build 19045), 64-bit edition, 64 bit, Little endian, wxMSW

Build Info:
	Date: Sep 11 2023 05:14:04
	wxWidgets: 3.2.2 (wchar_t,wx containers)
	Boost: 1.81.0
	OCC: 7.7.1
	Curl: 7.88.1-DEV
	ngspice: 41
	Compiler: Visual C++ 1936 without C++ ABI

Build settings:
	KICAD_SPICE=ON
2 Likes
7

I opened the AT115H_BA00.ZIP in FreeCAD 21.1, No problem.

I changed the color (for better clarity) and Exported it from FreeCAD then loaded the exported file in Kicad, no problem with the FreeCAD exported file.

But, Look at the back-end and elsewhere of the image in Kicad’s viewer - missing closures on the part!!!

Looks like a Kicad problem.

Screen Shot 2023-11-16 at 06.20.55
Screen Shot 2023-11-16 at 06.20.551710×1144 250 KB

8

Try to take a screenshot looking from the bottom or the left side (slightly from the bottom). Maybe this problem has something to do with the direction of the light…

9

Sometimes light direction does affect what we see but, not in this case… Kicad’s 3D-Viewer video below…

10

obrazek
obrazek948×625 80.4 KB

Ok, 3D graphics is not my field…
I hope we can at least agree that there is a problem and it doesn’t matter the color of the model.

11

IGES (IGS) format is almost abandoned, IGES format always brings in parts as a surface model
an old discussion here:

12

You’re correct (I overlooked it was an IGES file… I need more coffee!)

13

Just for completeness, the original IGES file seems to be this one:

AT115H-BA00.ZIP (881.3 KB)

(taken from CSMark´s post in the FreeCAD forums)

what he shared in his original post seem to be the STEP file exported from FreeCAD, that apparently opens fine in FreeCAD, SolidWorks and KiCAD6 but not in KiCAD7.

EDIT: Even the STEP file exported with StepUp doesn’t display corretly in KiCAD7

14

unfortunately not even the manufacturer is offering a step file, but only iges
here the original manufacturer download link:
https://www.attend.com.tw/data/download/file/115H-BA00.rar

15

This file exported from SolidWorks works fine in KiCAD6 and KiCAD7.

KiCAD6

grafik
grafik1000×673 66.1 KB

KiCAD7

grafik
grafik971×706 59.7 KB

16

So something must have changed in kicad 7, that is not parsing what was parsing fine in kicad 6

1 Like
17

it somebody could take a look at it in v7.99 and see if there is a problem there too, it would be helpful in case it needs reporting.

18

Today I tried today’s version of KiCAD 7.99 Rendering that .step broken down in the same way.

Issue created on GitLab

My version (https://downloads.kicad.org/kicad/windows/explore/nightlies/download/kicad-nightly-7.99.0.3676.g2604854221-x86_64.exe) info is:

Application: KiCad Footprint Editor x64 on x64

Version: 7.99.0-3676-g2604854221, release build

Libraries:
wxWidgets 3.2.4
FreeType 2.12.1
HarfBuzz 8.2.1
FontConfig 2.14.2
libcurl/8.4.0-DEV Schannel zlib/1.3

Platform: Windows 11 (build 22621), 64-bit edition, 64 bit, Little endian, wxMSW

Build Info:
Date: Nov 22 2023 06:18:17
wxWidgets: 3.2.4 (wchar_t,wx containers)
Boost: 1.83.0
OCC: 7.7.1
Curl: 8.4.0-DEV
ngspice: 41
Compiler: Visual C++ 1936 without C++ ABI

Build settings:

1 Like
19

I was about to report this in Gitlab, but @CSMark did it before, thanks!

Bug report:

Apparently it has been fixed already! The KiCad team is great!!

1 Like
20

The commit with the fix was made 54 minutes before I made the bug report, interesting :slight_smile:

1 Like