3D model won't load

[kunlun121]

There are plenty of posts on this forum about members getting no 3D models visible in the 3D viewer. That’s not my problem. 3D models work just fine on my machine. There is just one, a model that I made in FreeCAD, that I can’t get to show. I don’t know how to ask for help, because there is no error message or crash or anything. The 3D model just won’t load.

All my components are showing. Most of them are models that I made myself in FreeCAD. I had no difficulties making the models, importing them into KiCAD, and positioning them to perfect alignment with the footprint on my PCB.

The problematic one is even visible in the footprint editor’s properties dialog. When I click the folder icon to point to the location of the model, KiCAD shows a preview window gloriously displaying my model. When I click OK, the footprint remains unpopulated.

I looked at the path and path settings and can’t see anything that looks wrong to me.

The model is uploaded along with this message.

SW_Rotary_2x6_ELMA_08-1264.step (239.6 KB)

[jmk]

@kunlun121

3D models work just fine on my machine

These are models from the Kicad libraries?

@kunlun121

There is just one, a model that I made in FreeCAD, that I can’t get to show

You placed this model in a personal 3D library?
You set up the 3D section of the Footprint editor, including configuring the path?

[kunlun121]

@jmk

These are models from the Kicad libraries?

It’s like I wrote: they are models I made in FreeCAD. So no, these particular models are not models from the Kicad libraries. But the 3D models provided along with KiCAD also work just fine.

@jmk

You placed this model in a personal 3D library?

I placed them in the Kicad folder where all the 3D models from Kicad live.

@jmk

You set up the 3D section of the Footprint editor, including configuring the path?

Yes. Yes.

[kunlun121]

The strangest thing just happened. After checking my project again, the 3D model all of a sudden appeared. I changed nothing to the settings since I posted my message here. Reopening the project made the model appear. So, I suppose this topic can be closed.

It’s weird. After importing my model previously (when it refused to appear), I had saved the footprind, closed Kicad, and reopened Kicad a number of time. Just when I got tired of doing so I posted my topic here. I suppose Kicad needed a little more time…

[RaptorUK]

@kunlun121

When I click the folder icon to point to the location of the model, KiCAD shows a preview window gloriously displaying my model.

What version of KiCAD is this ? you cannot save over the default libraries, if you are adding the 3D model you should add it to a new footprint in a personal library . . . unless you never ever update the footprints from the default libraries.

[kunlun121]

@RaptorUK

What version of KiCAD is this ? you cannot save over the default libraries, if you are adding the 3D model you should add it to a new footprint in a personal library . . . unless you never ever update the footprints from the default libraries.

thanks for this. i will bring my 3D models into a safe folder then.

[jmk]

There is a FAQ about Personal libraries here in case you are not familiar with these yet.
A 3D library is built similarly. The Kicad 3D library structure is worth copying.
Just remember the library structure you create you are stuck with because it is a lot of trouble altering paths to old projects sometime in the future.