Custom 3D footprints not wokring Kicad 4.0.0-stable

Hello

I have searched around but found no solution to this: When I try to add a 3D footprint (.wrl) to my own project-specific library under the Footprint Editor, nothing shows in the 3D viewer. Same goes if I try to add afterwards via Pcbnew editor.

Other 3D models DO show up in the 3D PCB view for footprints which Kicad team have kindly made available under the program folder, but any manually selected 3D model do not show.

I understand there could be an issue with paths/environment variables, but I have tried a plethora of combinations and program restarts and made a reasonable effort to resolve this on my own to no avail. RC1 release had the same issue so was hoping a new install would help, but no.

What could be going wrong? Is there a clear step-by-step checklist to add custom 3D models? Why would it be any more difficult than clicking ā€œAdd 3d Shapeā€ in the edit footprint dialog?

Edit: this is running under Windows 7 OS

couple of reasonsā€¦

  1. does the 3d shape work at all? Can you attach it here or upload it somewhere so that others can check it?

  2. how does your KISYS3DMOD path look like? (KiCAD main window, >Preferences>Configure Paths

  3. I can load 3d shapes from anywhere on my machine when I use the ā€˜absoluteā€™ path option (rejecting relative path) after adding a new shape in the footprint editor via [footprint properties] dialog (thatā€™s in BZR6097 though)

Relative paths should work as well. The filename resolution scheme is:

a. if the name begins with ā€œ${ā€ assume that an environment variable was specified as a root; expand the variable and proceed to (b).
b. check if the given path exists. Yes = done, No = Ā©. This works for paths relative to the project dir as well
c. if the path is relative, since it was not found in (b) assume it is relative to the packages3d directory specified by the environment variable KISYS3DMOD.

Anyway, the 3D filename resolution is abysmal; hopefully there will be changes soon which make the selection and use of 3D models much easier, but those changes are for the next stable release and there are no plans to backport them to the current stable version.

@cbernardo
ā€œThis works for paths relative to the project dir as wellā€

This relative path does not work under windows (it used to)

Here is a link to the 3D file I am trying to add. It was converted from a step file using FreeCad and at least shows up fine in FreeCad.

My KISYS3DMOD path is ā€œC:\Program Files (x86)\KiCad\share\modules\packages3dā€. I found Kicad installs with the default directory as something bogus (a bug in the windows version perhaps?) so had to change it to this to get the supplied 3d packages to work.

I canā€™t get 3d shapes to work using an absolute path. I even tried placing the file in C:\ root folder in case something was up with the long folder names but it made no differenceā€¦

Well, the file loads in FreeCAD, but you canā€™t really see it in KiCAD becauseā€¦ drumroll ā€¦ itā€™s way off track for being at the centre of the footprint.
This is a model I made myself (JST SH, 1mm pitch 4 pole side entry) which sits ā€˜dead centreā€™ at the origin, flat on the pcb without any positioning needed and yours is back there somewhere and also needs rotationā€¦

Thatā€™s why I make my own modelsā€¦ takes forever to align that piece of vertices and itā€™s not even nice to look at as itā€™s in one color - has got details though.

To get it to the origin I had to adjust the position data in freecad:
X = -220 mm
Y = +10 mm
Z = +19 mm
Then I exported it as wrl, to get those ā€˜bakedā€™ into the model.
Importing the saved version and another set of modifications:
Angle = -90ā€™
Axis:
x = 0
y = +1
z = 0
position:
x = +0.05mm
y = 0
z = +2.05 mm

I attached all 3 versions, zipped up:
FH12-12S-0.5SH.zip (107.8 KB)

So, now imagine you have to do this for all versions of that model they makeā€¦ by the time you aligned each of them, you have it modeled 3 times in FreeCAD or Wings3D at the correct position and rotation and be done - also with different colors for the several pieces itā€™s being made of :wink:

Oh wow. What an exhaustive process!

Many thanks for the detail on adjusting the origin etc. I suspected this would be an issue that I would have to tackle but havenā€™t got that far yet :wink:

Unfortunately though, I still cannot view either of the files you kindly modified for me. That is, Kicad will not show either shape after assigning one in the footprint editor, so Iā€™m left with the same problemā€¦Argh! I also tried copying them to the KISYS3DMOD folder for relative referencing but no luck there. A close/restart doesnā€™t seem to help either!

Ups, I made the move/rotate stuff in FreeCAD, but didnā€™t check that part of the problem. Sorry.
And itā€™s not showing for me tooā€¦ well, at least youā€™re not alone :grinning:
Exporting it as STEP and opening in Inventor doesnā€™t help eitherā€¦ nothing getā€™s imported.

You know that the scale is off as well?
I imported the moved+rotated model into a file with a 15 pole TE 0.5mm pitch FPC connectorā€¦ the 12 pin model of yours has got the same width (for the pins) as the 15 pins of mineā€¦

Okā€¦ have a look here, should be synched pretty soon:

Checked them against a 14P TE with same pitchā€¦ came out well.
The datasheet wasnā€™t specific where the FPC ends, so I assumed 3.3mm from the entry (where the 4.6mm are measured towards the end of the housing).
This means, if you draw your footprint (or adjust it) to get the model positioned easily take a look at this example for the TE connector - the FPC ends at the centre of the footprint:

Forgot the VRML files in first uploadā€¦ now included.

Hi @mikaels
what are you using to model your part?

http://www.hirose-connectors.com/connectors/H204ProductListSearch.aspx?sn=FH12&cat=09 is my guess.
Dang, the hoops one has to jump through to get a frickin collection of vertices and faces is insaneā€¦ Iā€™m now at the 3rd level of confimration and still donā€™t have any model on my side of the internetā€¦ LOL

And one has to repeat that 3rd confimation step for evry bit of info one wants to see from themā€¦ datasheet? step model? spec sheet? drawing?
Theyā€™re as insane as that other company that makes connectorsā€¦ LTW. Paranoid Info grabbers.

Annyhow, had to work from a badly scanned pdf yesterday which didnā€™t contain the inside of that connector for the model up there, this pdf has got a view of it:

Hirose_FH12-0.5mm_EDC-153024-55-51.pdf (283.3 KB)
Yay! - the FPC ends 3.4mm (2.1+1.3mm) from the entry faceā€¦ so my 3.3mm are pretty close and good enough. :sunglasses:

The STEP model one can download looks like the one @mikaels had converted to VRML.
I loaded it into FreeCAD with the 12 pin variant I did and see what we get:

Conclusio - use my models - case closed.

@Joan_Sparky
I agree that manufacturers have not really nice modelsā€¦ :smile:
for that reason I started to build the 3D MCAD library :wink:
Anyway @mikaels , if you follow these steps you shouldnā€™t have any prob:
1. download the STEP model
2. open it in FreeCAD
3. center your model to footprint using kicad StepUp aligner tool (*)
4. export to VRML using kicad StepUp exporter tool

here the wrl model as viewable in kicad


sometimes if you download a VRML or IGES model, the result will not be ā€˜cleanā€™
(*)

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