Hello,
I want to ask about application for creating PCB overview. By exporting from KiCad.
I have seen many picture like this on user manual of inverter, development modules, etc.
It is like 3D view, only in 2D, top view, with only outline of component with some description text, and some leader arrow.
About KiRec3d, it is good plugin. But not best option for manual. It usually printed b/w, so 3d snapshot is not a good option.
I have used blender before. Using freestyle rendering is good for making ‘sketch-like’ image. But it take every corner. So imagine you export arduino board from kicad to vrml board. And import using blender (supposed the import is successful). Then using freestyle render from top view. You still need to delete so many lines: most chip pins, resistor and cap bands which separate body and solderable pin, etc. So many detail that need to be reduced if using blender.
Thanks, actually I came up with the idea. Using User.1 layer, I need to create an outline for each component. Then view the board from top with only layer User.1 active.
That IKEA style manual can be used for isometric view.
From your first post I didn’t understood what you exactly need.
In 2017 finding how to get such picture was my first task with KiCad (before I started designing first PCB). I decided to use for it Courtyard layers as there are no User layer pair (pair = swapping top/bottom with footprint). Because of this decision I have Ref and Value in my footprints at Courtyard layer.
Here I showed how my pictures look like:
With V4 and V5 I couldn’t get those pictured directly from KiCad so I exported to svg the copper layer and Courtyard layer (once with Values and once with References) and then mixed them using inkscape changing copper layer to gray 10%.
With V6 I don’t know, but with V7 I recently found that now I can get my pictured directly from KiCad using for it color themes.
My personal workflow for highlighting something in pictures (manuals): save board as extra file, delete all unnecessary footprints, change Silkscreen textsize to some bigger values. This leaves the board outline and only the footprints which are important for the customer. This is mostly used for position of connectors and jumpers and removes distraction from “unnecessary” footprints.
Same here.
You can export in a few 2D drawing formats, and post process them in some external graphical program. You can also use PCB Editor / View / 3D Viewer [Alt + 3] and then make a screenshot of the top (or any other orientation) of the PCB.
There are a handful of Tools and Approaches but, as other’s have said, we don’t know just what you want…
Here’s two examples to consider…
In Kicad, Create a Report and BOM and take Screenshots or Export PNG, then in Text-Editor, open the file and add Images (and/or Movie) to it (and text as desired)
In FreeCAD, Add the Exploded-Assembly Workbench and the StepUp WorkBench
In StepUp Workbench, Load the PCB (and Traces/Pad, if desired)
Use the Exploded-Assembly and Play it (make a screen recording if desired)
Can use other FreeCAD Workbenches (TechDraw…etc) to create 2D-line drawings with text… [ADDED Screenshot of Exploded Drawing…] … Just an Example…
Video example of Exploded-Assembly (I did not bother to set distances…etc)
After Exploding (or, Not Exploding, your choice) can add Text and some other things.
TechDraw Workbench is Not for Drawing like a drawing program. It’s for Technical/Engineering drawn needs but, for Simple Text with Arrows and Bubbles/Boxes/etc, it’s usable without the need for spending time hiding/deleting (can simply Toggle the Visibility of desired items…)
Naturally, a user could edit result in favorite Drawing program…