hello
its great, that KiCAD exports the layout as .step-file. my problem is: from a 4-copper-layer only get the top-layer.
has any one a hint what i could try?
Without knowing anything more about the situation than what you have told here, I can only give this hint: update your KiCad to the latest version. If that doesn’t help you have to give more information, maybe show some screenshots and even attach the project here.
i tried also a different PCB with 6 layers, and it seems that the inner layers are missing. thats ok for rendering, but not for simulations…
i tried, it works a bit, but dont import the hole PCB. some tracks are missing. maybe the fileformat of KiCAD v8.0.1 is to new…
it seems to me, that there is no working solution available now. and it would be interesting for anybody that want to simulate the board in a EM-simulator.
to export the signal-layers, the work needed shouldn’t be that big, because its similar like the top and bottom-layer. but what is needed to do for the power planes?
In theory, the ability to export IPC-2581 files would be a solution, as several cad systems allow importing this format. However, if I recall correctly, the export does not include everything needed.
An interim (not free) solution may be ZofzPCB https://www.zofzpcb.com/. You need the premium version to export STEP, but the free version will at least give you an evaluation period.
John
I haven’t done an EM analysis but I have done Thermal analysis in FreeCAD. The same/similar scenario may b useful…
In Kicad, export the inner layers and then, import them into FreeCAD (I used StepUp Workbench). Then, set their ‘Z’ height to the dimension wanted (naturally, would want to parrot what they’re set to in Kicad). I’ve also created custom PCB-Board Materials
Image(s) shows them after Z-setting…
