3D viewer - Save config or edit default rendering options

Layout 3D Models
1

Hi,
I’ll start out with saying I’m on a computer without admin rights and cannot install Kicad, so I use version 4.0.6 becuase it’s the one I found as a true portable version. If there are changes done to the 3D viewer in newer versions, then sorry but I do not know about them, and please spare my soul for asking :slight_smile:

Each time I re-open pcbnew and launch the 3D viewer, the rendering options inside 3D viewer is reverted to default, which is not to my liking. I would like to either:
1* Edit the default rendering options so it always opens with my preferred config.
2* Be able to save my rendering options so I can easily load it after re-opening pcbnew/3D viewer.

Is it possible?
Thanks for all your help.

2

It might be a problem with your portable version. Even my stable (4.0.6) version remembers how i setup the 3d viewer between sessions.

To make sure i tested switching between realistic rendering on and off. This seems to be remembered even if i open a different project after i restart kicad. Which would mean this is somehow stored in a global config file. I would guess one of the files normally stored in ~/.config/kicad under linux.

3

Darn, I was hoping it had nothing to do with the portable version. Okay thanks, I will do some research.

4

Does your portable version remember things like layer colors in pcb_new?

5

Yes, that it remembered. I changed top copper layer from red to blue and it remembered after a full shutdown.

6

So the 3d settings must be in a different config file than the one used for pcb_new.

To be honest i can’t find a file in my normal config folder that would fit the requirements. (This might be the reason why your portable version has trouble. The creators might have simply forgotten to include whatever config stuff the 3d viewer needs.)

7

Thanks again Rene. I did a walktrough of my portable install and could not find anything relevant my self. This is no biggie, just a minor hassle. Hopefully I will be able to do a full install at some time…

8

3d viewer settings appear to be in $APPDATA/kicad/pcbnew, at least on Windows, Kicad 4.0.6

1 Like
9

Why is recent version not so portable? On which way?

10

I guess because nobody bothered to package it as a portable app.

11

A portable install is an install that is not dependant on any global parts of the computer to launch executables, store settings or configure behavior. Like the system registry, PATH variables or external dependencies like a separate python install or runtime environment. A portable install is completely contained inside a folder, the executable inside you can run from a USB disk if you’d like, and you bring all your settings and configurations with you even if you launch the program on a different PC.

I use a portable install mainly because I don’t have admin rights and hence cannot install software as I’d like.

Thanks! Is that a folder containing more files or what is it really?

12

It’s a text file, mine has stuff like this

Pos_x=245
Pos_y=199
Size_x=1166
Size_y=1054
Maximized=0
Perspective=layout2|name=m_mainToolBar;caption=;state=140144;dir=1;layer=10;row=0;pos=0;prop=100000;bestw=692;besth=36;minw=-1;minh=-1;maxw=-1;maxh=-1;floatx=-1;floaty=-1;floatw=-1;floath=-1|name=DrawFrame;caption=;state=768;dir=5;layer=0;row=0;pos=0;prop=100000;bestw=20;besth=20;minw=-1;minh=-1;maxw=-1;maxh=-1;floatx=-1;floaty=-1;floatw=-1;floath=-1|dock_size(1,10,0)=38|dock_size(5,0,0)=22|
BgColor_Red=0.25098
BgColor_Green=0.501961
BgColor_Blue=0.501961
BgColor_Red_Top=0
BgColor_Green_Top=0.501961
BgColor_Blue_Top=0.25098
ShowRealisticMode=1
Render_Shadows=0
Render_RemoveHoles=1
Render_Textures=0
Render_Smooth=1
Render_Material=0
ShowAxis=1
ShowGrid3D=0
Grid3DSize=1
ShowFootprints=1
ShowCopperThickness=1
ShowZones=1
ShowAdhesiveLayers=0
ShowSilkScreenLayers=1
ShowSolderMasLayers=1
ShowSolderPasteLayers=1
ShowCommentsLayers=1
ShowEcoLayers=1
ShowBoardBody=1
PcbFramePos_x=5
PcbFramePos_y=17
PcbFrameSize_x=1932
PcbFrameSize_y=1057

13

Thanks again. I cannot find a file like this anywhere, and I did not find a thing trying to search file contants similar to what you showed. These settings must be tucked in good somewhere.

14

AFAIK, standard KiCad stores all settings in the text files in the kicad folder (e.g. C:\Users\bob\AppData\Roaming\kicad), there is no other place.

If the settings files do not exist, I guess values are probably set to defaults hard coded inside KiCad source code.

15

It may be possible that you can install it on an external machine and then copy the KiCad folder and see if it works…

16

It could work. I see in the portable-configs some paths to different settings-folders, but I’m not sure how much time I will spend trying to figure it out. I appreciate all your feedback.