You don’t. @mangelozzi, StepUp relies on STEP models of every VRML model that KiCAD uses. StepUp can’t convert anything… it ‘just’ takes the information from KiCAD where and what stuff is and creates a STEP assembly from the STEP models afaik. @maui is currently building up a STEP/VRML library for this purpose and the final goal of getting rid of the VRML stuff some day, together with @cbernardo and @kammutierspule (and probably others) … years away though.
So yeah, wait for @maui and maybe search on the forums for StepUp related threads as he tutored a couple of people through the setup process and got them running.
With the 3D work that Mario and I are doing you can now view STEP files within KiCad. Once our work is merged with the main branch I expect VRML to go the way of the Dodo. However, anyone who wants to export STEP will need to use Maurice’s kicad StepUp. The MCAD export (except for the existing IDF export) is at least 1 year away. There’s an enormous code refactoring to be done on pcbnew. Even this 3D stuff required so much rework; I originally thought it would be a matter of weeks but it took over 8 months so far.
For the KiCad StepUp script to work, you need identical 3D models of each footprint - in .wrl format and in .step format - with both having exactly the same name.
@Anool
thank you for sharing your nice artwork
I’m happy to see that also breaking holes (mouse bites) are created correctly on the pcb board in MCAD (as they will be if there were castellated pads)
thanks a lot to @Joan_Sparky for having shared his board with me, that I tested to improve my StepUp tools
@mangelozzi
with kicad StepUp it is also possible to export the STEP ( stp ) and VRML of the full assembly pcb and parts to have a 3D mechanical model to be used in a multi boards project, for mechanical collisions and interference checking as in the following example (main board plus add-on daughterboard)
there is no way to convert VRML model to STEP with a clean result…
the only way is to have a STEP 3D library and from that do the conversion to VRML
I made already some out of the box libraries to be used just as a substitute of official 3D vrml libraries
But once you set up your equivalent Step models, you can then put your PCB assemblies together in MCAD packages and from there do rendering to end up with some pretty realistic looking things
No problem - whatever little I can give back to the help I get on here, it’s more than worth it!
The only thing I’d like to figure out how to do is improve the silkscreen layer. Although you can see it debossed, it’s still the same colour as the PCB and I cannot assign it a different one (easily) because the debossing is “part of the PCB” and doesn’t come across as a different entity allowing colour / materials to be assigned to it.
Maybe I could somehow have an export of the silkscreen layer as a graphic (bitmap) and then stick it back on as a label. That would produce the best looking results I think.
there are two options:
The first one is to add a texture to your board
a) export the Front Silk gerber file with pcbnew (you can replicate it also for front Cu)
b) convert gerber to png with gerbv (https://sourceforge.net/projects/gerbv/files/gerbv/gerbv-beta/)
c) set transparent background for the png
d) use the png as texture for your board (this works in FreeCAD)
The second one is more tricky
a) set pcb thickness to 0.1 (design rules-> layer setup-> board thickness)
b) export VRML from pcbnew
c) remove your shapes3D folder or move the file to a different place
d) import this VRML (pcb, tracks, silk) in your MCAD and put it over the board (this works in FreeCAD) @xavierw please let me know if one of these can work for you
@xavierw those look stunning, well Done! @maui thanks for your amazing work with KiCAD step up! That is so great!
I will have to have a second try with KiCAD stepup this weekend. I have downloaded the kicad step library… I really hope theres primitive shapes in it (but can them with FreeCAD I hope).
Hi @mangelozzi
there are no simple primitive shapes in the libraries I’ve done…
It is quite easy do i.e. a cube in FC, even more simpler with a script to assign it dimensions and export to STEP and VRML… but why are you looking for that?
If you are worried about a fully populated MCAD board, you may consider to configure kicad StepUp tools to create a STEP board and parts applying bounding boxes to i.e. small volume parts (that will calculate the bounding box of your STEP model automatically) or just export board and i.e. connectors or even a more brutal approach: put only STEP models of the desired parts (i.e. connectors) in the wrl folder, then you will get only pcb and those STEP in your conversion
Here an example of a board with small volume parts discarded, bounding boxes on internal parts, and connector as real STEP models
@kammutierspule, ProE (or Pro Engineer) has been around for years and one of the industry’s main CAD packages. It’s now called Creo (but uses the same file types as ProE).
Also, just to clarify the questions earlier up:
the modelling is done in ProE - I’ve designed the mechanical chassis, mounting points, etc, in Pro/E. Whilst there is rendering in Pro/E, I don’t use it.
Rendering (as you see in the screenshot above) is done in a separate package called Keyshot. Very easy to use and produces some unbelievably realistic renders given the right source material and some patience tweaking. I recently updated my licence to use the latest version and it’s very quick - I probably spent 15-20 minutes creating that render from the exported model in Pro/E.
@maui: thanks, I’ll try the options some time soon and report how I get on.
