I have a design that has multiple simple resistors with the same footprint, but not all of the show in the 3-d viewer.
The silk shows the resistors with the correct designations (R2, R3, etc) but only one of them shows physically on the 3-d view. I’ve checked multiple times, and the footprint is verified as the same for all the components in question, but still only one shows up.
I did notice that the resistors are R2-9, and R1 doesn’r exist, so that’s the only thing I can see that’s unusual in any way.
I re-annotated the schematic, and when I read the resultant new list into the pcb, the result would have forced me to completely re-do the pcb…so I didn’t do it.
The behavior of the re-annotate isn’t very logical, specifically since all I wanted to do was resequence the resistor numbers…guess I don’t know how to do that correctly.
I am a bit lost with your explanation but basically you just need to go to pcbnew and Edit footprint option and see whats different on the 3D footprint comparing with the one that is right…
It seems some of your footprints in the board are old. I mean, it is the same footprint but before you added the 3D module.
Edit one of the identical footprints with and without the 3D model with Edit parameters (or footprint properties depending on the version, but the window is the same).
If the one without the 3D model doesn’t show the 3D model, then exchange the footprint for this component.
If now the footprint shows correctly the 3D module, repeat the process but this time using the options to change more than one footprint at a time.
It is a matter of updating the footprints of the board.
Really? I never noticed that (unless it’s a recent bug). I frequently edit the footprint to add a 3D model then replace all instances of the footprint on the PCB layout.
Well maybe it’s only in my nightly build version i use. (Its half a year old. There is no new version for fedora. I should probably either compile it myself or switch to arch)
When you editing a footprint: If I understand correctly, for me that is the correct and desired behavior.
That will be the case when you are editing a specific footprint, in that case, that footprint will be copied (as a new copy) into your schematic.
The proper way would be to edit the library and request a footprint update (by reading the netlist… and update the modules)
Well done. If the footprints are already placed in the layout, re-annotate is a suicide unless you mark the keep existing annotation option. But redoing the netlist and import the new one into the layout is something we do every day.
It may be the case that you changed something on schematic (re-annotated?) and then when importing it back to pcbnew it didn’t apply the changes on the existent footprints (there are rules/options for this operation)
I only have 1 library…the resistors are THT Horizontal RM10.
I tried a net list generate and I set the replace footprints option, and it removed a bunch of things it shouldn’t have, BUT the resistors showed in 3d…
This code has more bugs than most…I’m surprised it works as well as it does.
All these gotcha’s are why KiCad isn’t as accepted as some other packages. I personally like the SW, but it really is a PITA to use.
The documentation is a complete joke, and doesn’t help doing most things. For instance, I finally was able to get the push router to work by chance when I was searching for answers about something completely different. Most operations are like that. And don’t even ask about how libraries are handled…that’s a complete joke, primarily because the details of how it all works isn’t available at the level needed to really understand the nuances.
The suggestions I’ve gotten about this raise more questions than they answer, specifically asking me to edit the footprint with and without 3d…I have no idea what that means, and I’ve been a system level engineer in both HW & SW for 40 years.
I’m giving up on this particular problem…I just don’t care enough about the components not showing up to play any more…
You now that we are just other users who try to help one another?
Yes sometimes it takes time for everyone involved to understand the problem that is presented.
Especially remember that not everyone here is a native english speaker.
Open 3d viewer and note which component shows and which doesn’t show.
Open the footprint settings of one of the components that shows (press e) and make a screenshot of the 3d settings part of this dialog.
Repeat this for one that does not show.
Show us both of these screenshots. Maybe there is a difference you do not see.
I understand, but the frustration level is rediculous…if I do something that appears to make sense but doesn’t work logically, and the result is non-reversible, that’s really not OK.
The interaction of the options, say in the net list creation process, is not even slightly defined anywhere, and is the source of much of my frustration, along with the library crap.
Well feel free to help out. It is after all open source
For your information: version 5 (or version 6) will have a new symbol library system that is more consistent with the pcb new library system.
Everyone here knows that not everything is ideal. We can only work with what we currently have. (But yes one can dream of a magical world where every software is perfect for everyone.)
(We also understand that sometimes one needs to vent ones frustration. But try to keep it civilized.)
@crusader27529 KiCad is mostly an opensource software project, on the opposite comparison side, it is not a product developed by a company that sells it to its customers and work to improve it to make them happy… because they paid for it.
Some of the big improvements made to KiCad (speaking from my self) was made by frustrated people that decides to contribute and improve it.
If you are an experienced engineer with lots of 10x years in the area, used to pro software product packages, I understand that maybe KiCad is not the right tool for you
AAMOF, I got the resistors to show up…the properties did NOT show that the footprints were the ones I had chosen, so I deleted them one at a time, and re-read the net list each time, until I had deleted all the ones that didn’t show…they now show.
