Stepup allows for copper to be imported into freecad (and then exported to step). It even allows silk to be imported. However i would first ask the mechanical engineers if it is a good idea to have such a detailed model (it will slow down their software without adding any benefit to their workflow).
If the intention is to make pretty pictures then both step and fusion are the wrong choice. For that one would use wrl (with nice material properties) and a renderer like blender, rhino, …
Thanks Nickm, I didn’t think of the STEP route. I was looking at the ‘native’ import features and when I saw the Eagle option my brain just stuck in a loop LOL
I don’t need the tracks displayed I just need reference to the boards geometry - mounting holes, components heights etc.
I certainly know what I do with Mechanical CAD and CAM, that’s how I make my living. I took everybody’s word that KiCAD rocks, since I’m new to EDA software, so I decided to learn to use it. But take my word, FreeCAD is barely usable comparable to every parametric CAD I’ve used, it certainly doesn’t rock… I’m hoping it will get there, because the idea of a collaboration between too good open-source programs sounds great, but for now I make all the 3D models for my custom libraries at work.
The idea is not to use freecad for your product design but as the communication layer between your cad software and kicad (communication with your cad software using step). This will yield the best possible results until somebody writes an equally powerful direct communication plugin for your preferred cad tool.
Of course you are free not to go via freecad. After all it is your time.
Of course you may disagree and everybody can use whatever s/w suits him. I have a colleague who started learning FreeCAD as his first CAD and is happy with it because he hasn’t used anything better. Which programs can you compare it to?
I didn’t say you can’t make a 3D model in FreeCAD, I’m just saying most parametric CAD apps are better at it.
You don’t have to convince me, I’d love to be able to use bidirectional collaboration. When FreeCAD has evolved enough I will.
@maui you have done us all a major service with the STEPUP tool set. I, for one, would be in trouble without the ability to match board and plastic designs. FreeCAD is an very nice open source implementation of a CAD package and I use it without trouble with the tools you have created for us. But, I do use it for STEP conversions only. All my cad work is done in F360 (or SolidWorks if I have to). FreeCAD is just not (yet) up to a level of complexity (i.e. ability) F360 or SolidWorks offers. The link to AirBus is interesting but does not show how FreeCAD is actually used throughout the company. I once worked for a sub supplier to AirBus working on the auxilary power system located in the tail section and never saw anything but SolidWorks and Mentor Graphics from AirBus.
The FreeCAD go-in-between with your tool set works well and as I said I am very appreciative of your efforts. I do hope that all the functionality you provide at some point makes it into KiCAD itself though.
@Nikolas_A it might not be the one-click button you had in mind to transfer your board into your CAD but the STEPUP tools and FreeCAD do work well and give you the opportunity to continue to use the pleasures that KiCAD give you. It sure is a world better than having a nice smooth transition from Eagle to F360 but then having to do all your work in (the pain called) Eagle!
This one click button exists. Simply export to step directly from kicad. stepup just adds a bit more features to the workflow that might not be needed by everyone.
Fitting the 3d model of a part to the footprint is indeed easier in freecad + stepup but it is not required to go via this toolchain. One can easily align the step model (or original model) in fusion (or any other MCAD tool) to the coordinate system as expected by kicad. Or one can directly use the step file as is and use the kicad alignment properties (offset and rotation).
The link shows that AirBus is organizing stages allowing the use of Catia or FreeCAD… that is already quite self explaining.
Moreover, @FreeCAD forum you can find AirBus subcontractors using FC for their daily job.
Thanks for your appreciation.
Regarding having all the functionality into KiCAD I don’t think it will ever happen… and that is correct in my opinion… Neither other ECADs follow this approach… what they do is a connection between ECAD and MCAD, not moving MCAD inside ECAD.
And that connection is already possible through some push-pull tools of StepUp you don’t know/use.
I really doubt that a commercial MCAD software would ever offer a similar collaboration with an open source ECAD like KiCAD is…
The professional workflow is explained in some links I have already pointed out in other threads…
A main worldwide acknowledged link is the following: http://www.ecad-mcad.org/
Moreover, what I can agree with you is that the leaning curve to efficiently use FreeCAD is steep.
And I can agree that using an already known package is easier than learn a new one.
But regarding FC functionality, you should have a closer look at some tutorial posted by a professional engineer used to stream only on SolidWorks (with 10K subscribers), but that recently started a channel for FreeCAD:
I think this should fulfil an ECAD designer’s needs.
The link shows that AirBus is organizing stages allowing the use of Catia or FreeCAD… that is already quite self explaining.
Moreover, @FreeCAD forum you can find AirBus subcontractors using FC for their daily job.
Power to them then with FreeCAD. In my world making molds is done with SolidWorks (sadly, I don’t like working with it). If a mould needs to change, which is frequently the case during initial stages, the manufacturer often asks for the project files and SolidWorks is the only acceptable software. If one does not have SolidWorks, they make mods on the mold itself which I hate because it is not controlled and hard to trace. I’ve dealt with manufacturers in the USA and quite a few in China - none use anything else but solidworks. I don’t like this myself but it is understandable from their perspective; they can’t occupy their time with all sorts of software.
Regarding having all the functionality into KiCAD I don’t think it will ever happen… and that is correct in my opinion… Neither other ECADs follow this approach… what they do is a connection between ECAD and MCAD, not moving MCAD inside ECAD.
So just to be clear what I meant; I would prefer it if KiCAD would accept STEP files as 3d models for the components (as it does now) but also to make any orientation corrections. I did not mean for KiCAD to create the STEP/CAD files also. Some Fusion360 plugins offer BOM component creation from STEP imports which I think is a totally bad idea, so I am fine with pushing output to Fusion360 manually and no further “automation/integration”.
Thanks for sharing the vids on FreeCAD, it probably makes sense to play with FreeCAD from time to time to follow how its abilities increase. Notice that a SolidWorks engineer now also streaming FreeCAD training does not mean he states FreeCAD is on par with SolidWorks - but I guess it does show FreeCAD is not just toy software.
Anyway, I don’t want to come across as anti-FreeCAD nor as a SolidWorks sales guy. KiCAD is great, this community is nice too and the future looks bright!
In my experience, instead, the manufacturers only accept STEP models… but I know that some of them are asking for SolidWorks source… and then the game starts because you need to have the same software version of the manufacturer (having different releases may lead to issues even with the same sw brand)…
Not trying to suggest that FreeCAD is on par with SW just because a streamer decided to add FC to his channel… but probably you missed to follow the videos I linked… definitely not a simple tutorial for a basic shape, as you should notice because of you work with molds.
