KiCad StepUp: The Sketcher for Footprint generation

JSt · November 30, 2019, 10:04am

Hi @maui, great work.
I will try to create this footprint myself again to better understand the possibilities of the KiCadTools.

Thanks Juergen

Jules · December 10, 2019, 10:54am

Is it possible that offset pads are not (yet) supported by StepUp, or should this be considered a bug? Attached picture shows an offset pad/drill in KiCad, which doesn’t render properly in FC with the latest StepUp.

maui · December 10, 2019, 1:01pm

StepUp should support correctly offset pads when importing a footprint into FreeCAD…
Does it work for you opening your footprint in FreeCAD?

A different case is when you import the tracks inside FreeCAD (still using StepUp)…
This is a completely different parser and it is not fully tested (particularly by me) because it is a much less used tool compared to the one used to align 3D model to its footprint.

Would you mind to upload the footprint here (in zipped format because the forum doesn’t support well .kicad_mod files)?
Would you please open an issue at StepUp repo, after having checked which part of StepUp is failing with the fp?
Maurice

josexavier · September 11, 2020, 10:54am

Hi,

I tried to create this NPTH for a USB Type C connector but it looks like KiCadStepUp doesn’t support it. Can you confirm?

maui · September 11, 2020, 1:18pm

@josexavier
would you please add the FC file?

Russ · September 11, 2020, 3:39pm

@maui thank you for making the video showing the 7-step process of integrating a manufacturer’s .stp model into Kicad.

Does the manufacturer provide different .zip files of these models for different operating system – one
for MS-Windows, one for linux, one for MAC, etc.-- or are all these different versions included in the .zip file?
Will these work with freecad 0.18 ?
I see your method requires StepUp WB. What is this software and is it available for linux?

josexavier · September 11, 2020, 5:12pm

Feel to free to check it npth.FCStd (102.2 KB)

maui · September 12, 2020, 6:37am

KiCAD doesn’t support a drill like the one of the pad in your example… there are two options:

create a polyline pad and add and edge-cuts inside (not fully supported in kicad stable)
create a polyline pad and add two overlapping oval drills, approximating the slot

Both solutions should be doable with StepUp

maui · September 12, 2020, 6:40am

the STEP format is independent from the OS

yes

StepUp Workbench is a FreeCAD workbench that can be installed through the FreeCAD Addons installer, available for all the platforms

Russ · September 12, 2020, 6:23pm

When from freecad 0.18 I clicked Tools…Addon manager, an “Addon manager” viewport pops up and displays “CfdOF”. Then the program appears to get stuck in an infinite loop. Is there something else I needed to do first ?
Is FreeCAD Addons installer a separate program ?

BlackCoffee · September 12, 2020, 8:16pm

It seems the FreeCad folks change enough such that links often get broken between versions. If the Addon Mgr doesn’t work for you, the alternate is to put the unzipped folder into the Mod folder (I usually just do it this way).

Before trying it, see if the Addon Mgr will work via these steps:
Turn OFF any internet blocking software
Run the Addon Mgr and WAIT a few minutes while it links up and searches.
(look at the panel/tab as needed)
If it fails, try the Alternate approach…

But, where is the correct Mod folder? You’ll need to find the one that holds currently installed FreeCad plugins. There are a couple of locations, depends on your system and how you install FreeCad. And, they be duplicated but, only one is correctly linked.

Image below shows correct location for my system/setup…

maui · September 12, 2020, 9:00pm

FC0.18 has some issues with driver video … I would suggest to move to FC0.19 wich is near to be the next stable release, already with many issues patched… There you shouldn’t have any issue with the addons manager

edouardreg · January 13, 2021, 1:26pm

Hello, new to Kicad StepUp, i succeded to make a footprint from scratch (thanks for the tutorial).
Now I want to modify an existing footprint.
So I load the .mod file and then I have “_module_fp” group in FC and I can’t figure how modify it ?
Have you a tutorial for this ?

Thanks !

maui · January 18, 2021, 9:00am

@edouardreg ATM the tool is aimed only to push the FC sketch model to KC and it cannot reload the fp to change it further… the only way is to keep your FC file and make the changes in there; after your changes are made, push the new fp to KC.

edouardreg · January 19, 2021, 8:32am

Thanks for your answer ! Got it now : I succeeded in modifying FC files…

martin123 · April 14, 2021, 5:56pm

Hi,

is there a maximum footprint size?
Trying to create a footprint that is 180mm from a dxf.

Used a simple arc “box” and followed the tutorial. Footprint exports but I am not able to import it to either Kicad or Freecad.
Get this message in freecad when importing a .kicad_mod

Blockquote19:48:03 PoM not present
19:48:03 using ‘Part’ container
19:48:03 FC Version 019-24276
19:48:03 kicad StepUp version 9.7.3.8
19:48:03 tolerance on vertex applied
19:48:03 applying Materials to Shapes
19:48:03 your home path is …………
19:48:03 kicadStepUp docked
19:48:03 KISYS3DMOD=/
module_3D_dir=//…/
19:48:10 FC Version 019
19:48:10 VBO status False
19:48:10 FootPrint Loader Cmotor_winding_pcb/fgnnfg.kicad_mod
19:48:10 _module_fp001
19:48:10 ViewProviderExt.cpp(1340): Cannot compute Inventor representation for the shape of motorWindingPcbConnectorTest#Shape012002
19:48:10 ViewProviderExt.cpp(1340): Cannot compute Inventor representation for the shape of motorWindingPcbConnectorTest#Shape012002
19:48:10 Running the Python command ‘ksuToolsLoadFootprint’ failed:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “FreeCAD\Mod\kicadStepUpMod\kicadStepUpCMD.py”, line 757, in Activated
kicadStepUptools.onLoadFootprint()
File “FreeCAD\Mod\kicadStepUpMod\kicadStepUptools.py”, line 7156, in onLoadFootprint
routineDrawFootPrint(content,name)
File “FreeCAD\Mod\kicadStepUpMod\kicadStepUptools.py”, line 11506, in routineDrawFootPrint
createSolidBBox2(obj)
File “FreeCAD\Mod\kicadStepUpMod\kicadStepUptools.py”, line 9265, in createSolidBBox2
obj.Shape=Part.makeBox(boundBoxLX, boundBoxLY, boundBoxLZ, FreeCAD.Vector(oripl_X,oripl_Y,oripl_Z), FreeCAD.Vector(0,0,1))
length of box too small

This is a simpler version of what I’m trying to make.

This was made with circles in solidworks and imported to kicad footprint and I used “Create pad from selected shape”.

Would like to make outline of pads in solidworks so that I know there would be enough space between traces.

motorWindingPcbConnectorTest.DXF (23.7 KB)

maui · April 14, 2021, 7:56pm

You can refer to the demo menu of the FC wb… there are some fp examples…

you need to create a sketch for each pad
then create a circle inside the sketch of each pad
then you can export your design as kicad_mod footprint

motorWinding-fp.FCStd (10.9 KB) motorWinding-fp.kicad_mod (75.8 KB)

martin123 · April 20, 2021, 1:16pm

Thanks maui for the help and a great plugin.

Got another error when trying to create thermal vias.

Exported 3d model to step from Solidoworks. Did not work with dxf since it segmented the circle into multiple lines.

maui · April 20, 2021, 1:44pm

@martin123
would you mid to post the dxf & FC file?

martin123 · April 20, 2021, 1:59pm

Used a step file and converted to sketch

via.FCStd (101.3 KB) via2.STEP (428.0 KB)