A simple 45 degree chamfer on pin 1 would be adequate to be visible and might model more easily
Hi guys
sorry for the incomplete question. Ill try to clarify now 
in the image below you can see a screenshot of a scripted QFN model.
the Red line is the “Distance to edge” and the Green line is the “Pin 1 Radius”.
These parameters are (often) not in the datasheet of a package, therefore these are guestimated.
I would like to make an option to have the script gestimate these parameters, so they should simply be decent looking.
does this make sense?
I know alot of people think im overcomplicating things but I do prefer to have the script handle as much unknown as possible
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I am happy with a guess, even if the real value is actually known. This is just a cosmetic feature and has no consequence on “Will it fit?”
I know it’s a cosmetic feature, but a bad guess can easily look really bad. For this reason it can easily mean I have to regenerate the specific model multiple times to get it right. And with currently like 200 QFN/QFP models there is time to save
i don’t know if it works and looks good - you could try to use the distance from the first pin to the edge.
and check/implement some minimal values. (my guess as minimal is: distance to edge = radius of circle; circle radius >= 0,2mm so it is visible enough)
Looks interesting but how do you use all that work? and how many fund will it take t get the software to something that is something like altium?
You use it in the 3D viewer and for export step and Wrl boards?
Atm Altium has around 400 employees, that’s pretty many money. Kicad has 2 (I believe)
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BTW, thanks to a fix by @SchrodingersGat, the KiCad nightly (from Nov. 7 on at least) is now also able to export a step model of a board that only references the .wrl models (provided that the step models with the same names are present alongside the .wrl model), just like StepUp is able to do it from FreeCad. Before this fix, it was required to reference the step models. I keep being amazed how responsive the KiCad developers are to bug reports.
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No I mean how do you assign them to the footprint automatically…
Also it’s about quality not quantity for that kind though how much would it take to make development of kicad a full time job for it’s developers?
Just a side question here:
when I use the stepup tool in free cad to import a PCB there some of the models I actually assigned are always missing as well as the models for the DF13C connector(Also missing in the kicad 3d viewer for the DF13C) no idea how to assign them back to be able to see them in FreeCad,
Also when I try to export the same pcb from kicad it show me this error:
Running the lates nightly versino of kicad.
Thanks for answering,
By defining it in the footprint settings and by setting the environment variables for both kicad and stepup to look up the right places.
120 Swiss francs per two man hours according to cern:
wow that comes to more than the salary of 5 average software engineers…
Freelancers would be even more expensive. Especially in europe. They need to pay taxes (both the taxes normally paid by the worker and the taxes payed by the company), insurance, …
And they also need to include some off time. (And time needed to find new work.)
(After taxes and the other stuff they hope they are left with a normal pay.)
And about the assignment how’d you do that in stepup and why’d the conversion not work in kicad , well I know we’ve talked about it before but couldn’t find an answer sins then.
and I’m pretty sure taxes are not around 100%+
Kicad stable does not support step.
This is why stepup is needed.
(Stepup has some other features but they are not relevant here)
Assigning a 3d model for stepup is done in the same way as for assigning it for the internal 3d viewer. Only thing you need to do is to tell kicad where your 3d model libs are located.
I found the following explanation of why paying for workers is so expensive using the Austrian taxation system (In german). There the worker gets 9,2€ when the customer needs to pay 59,8€ per hour. (So the 60 francs might result in about 10 francs for the guy who does the programming.)
And yes not everything is used for taxes. (Some stuff is used to pay for the infrastructure needed.)
http://www.tischlerdienst.at/der-preis-einer-arbeitsstunde/
To let StepUp knowing where are your 3D models, you need to configure your ‘ksu-config.ini’ file.
At the first page of StepUp Cheat Sheet the environment variables are described.
You can have 2 environment variables to configure the 3D paths.
You may find useful this thread:
updated PLCCs and added the MELFs…
Maui - thanks for the FC macro… was really helpful in getting this automated.
Here is my modification/upgrade of it:
KiCADinfo_FreeCAD_STEPtoVRML.py (10.6 KB)
Maybe you (or others) can use it or take bits from it.
The script checks a folder for stp files and works with them (add info, convert to vrml) if they are not in a hashfile yet. then a new hashfile is written so only new/changed files have to go through this again.
I still have to add something that adds license info to the vrml files.
Cherry on top would be if the stp file name is of the form “blahblah_T.stp” that the script would stop after setting shaded view and scaling and let me set the transparency for the part that needs it and would then go on it’s merry way… working on that over in the FC forums:
http:allicdata.com
I am just learning KiCAD but would be very interested in the footprint files for the Arduino Micro board. Can you make these available? I have done a Google search but have not turned up anything…
Regards,
Bob W7OV
Hi Bob,
i have attached the files form ~2015 as zip…
(Schematics / Footprints / 3D)
all that i did back then…
but be warned - i have not used theme since then… so i don’t know if they work in the current KiCad version.
and they definitely do not comply to the KLC
have fun
sunny greetings
stefan
arduino_parts_2015_schematics.zip (6.2 KB)
arduino_parts_2015_footprints.zip (2.2 MB)
arduino_parts_2015_3dshapes.zip (2.0 MB)
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Hi, where can I get the 3d model for that enclosure?
Thanks, I will give this a try and post back with the results.