Another minor observation is that all copper, like mounting hole plating is missing from the rendering. This may or may not be related to this problem.
Any idea why this necessary mounting feature is missing from the PCB STEP Export? This omission is giving our mechanical CAD guy fits while he looks for other mechanical issues!
Step files/models are excellent but, user(s) need to understand how to work with them with respect to implementation in different Software. And, the STEP’s have different characteristics depending on the Exporter-Code and how/what’s selected for Export.
Best to do a Boolean operation on them such as Fuse or Compound.
I Compounded your STEP file (using FreeCAD). Result image below and here’s the componded STEP file… I did Not bother to Color it.
Short version, false alarm, KiCad is doing what it’s supposed to, though I still wonder abut missing copper features.
I liked your idea of checking STEP files using other tools, wasted most of my morning trying to track this down. Every other tool I used showed a good STEP file.
Then I received this sheepish message, “Thanks for pointing out the tripod – it DOES exist in the STEP file. It’s missing in my Solidworks-part because I accidentally deleted that feature while removing all the caps and resistors.”
I think we have our answer, -not- KiCad’s fault, problem lies elsewhere.
Solidworks is unique in that it deduplicates STEP imports using logic as simple as “these two solids have the same label, they clearly must be the same part, just erase one”
Hey BlackCoffee, i’ve got more! where can i send it to you?
what do you use to do the coloring? is FreeCad enough? i’m getting fed up with gray stuff popping up on my boards and sooner or later i want to get some paint bucket and start decorating my libraries…
Usually I use FreeCAD. For Kicad specific parts, I created Resistors, Cap, Wires and use my Colorizer App.
At that YouTube video above, Click the “more…” in description to see the link to the App. Near the end of it, I demo how to use a non-user created STEP file and color it.
