3D Model request: a ruler

Projects
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I have a simple (I guess) request for you 3D modeling gurus out there. I’ve been creating some footprint libs with associated 3D models, but some of the models I want to use don’t specify dimensions. Also, I scale the models to obtain different sizes of the component (say, a simple box-style capacitor). The X and Y dimensions of the model can be verified by the known dimensions of the silkscreen outline, but I haven’t found a way to easily check the Z (height) dimension.

Can someone perhaps make a quick 3D model of a simple ruler, just like one of the measurement scale footprints, but then in the Z-direction? Then I can add the ruler model on top of the existing model, and check the dimension. An X-Y-Z ruler would ofcourse be even more awesome.

I know this is a farfetched way of doing it, but it’s better than placing the component, rotating it 90 degrees so it’s in the plane of the pcb, adding the aforementioned measurement scale and tinkering away. With the ruler model, I can do it all in the footprint editor.

I just thought I’d ask :wink: Now that I think of it, I could use one of those generic 1x1x1 box models that were discussed here somewhere and scale those to the desired height. Hmm, that’s something to try tomorrow…

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Yep, that’s the best way forward.

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Although a 3D model of a ruler could be useful in a rendering to show the size

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Hi, if you need to check mechanical constrains, you may consider to try FreeCAD and kicad StepUp

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There is grid for this in the 3D viewer:

For a 3D ruler in renderings… should be plenty available on the usual suspect 3d CAD model hosters.

1 Like
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I was thinking more about a reference for non-engineers - marketing purposes.
Something like a coin, but coins are a poor choice as they are often unknown overseas

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@davidsrsb that’s a nice idea!
something like that? (images from grabcad)

826×789 379 KB

964×580 234 KB

or may be a battery (more universal known)

1148×564 82.8 KB

or an usb pen disk

960×414 36.4 KB

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Thanks for all the input :slight_smile: I’ve gone the way of scaling the 1x1x1 mm box and using that as a reference. Got about 75 components correctly scaled within 2 hours.

The ruler models that I found were too cumbersome to use quickly, and the grid (which I turned off, doh) isn’t that handy for my purpose. I haven’t really looked into FreeCAD (other than using it to convert step/iges to wrl) or the StepUp tools, but that’s something for the future. Those coin models - especially the dollar - look gorgeous though, great idea for non-engineers indeed!