I use the latest 6 rc nightly. I want to export a 3D model, but when I export a step file, I only get the bare PCB without components.
Excerpt from the log:
Read file: ‘/home/zenseidk/Kicad6/respirator_controller/respirator_controller.kicad_pcb’
Build STEP data
Add component D3.
Cannot add a VRML model to a STEP file.
Add component R13.
Cannot add a VRML model to a STEP file.
Could not add 3D model to F2.
File not found: ${KICAD6_3DMODEL_DIR}/Fuse.3dshapes/Fuse_Littelfuse_395Series.wrl
…
As )I read that, it seems that the problem is an incompatible format (VRML) of the components 3D models, which cannot work with .step ?
I just learned that if you have the STEP file and the VRML file in the same folder and with the same name, one will now need to tick on the “Substitute similarly named models” option in the STEP export, it was not ticked on by default. I am not sure if this helps or if you have a different problem. One definitely need STEP files in addition to to VRML files used by the 3D viewer.
As far as I know, all models in the official KiCad 3D library have or at least should have both vrml and step versions. If the wrl file is not found, that’s a different problem.
So, probably these are two separate problems. It’s not anything new that some of the footprints in the official library don’t have the corresponding 3D models (see Why a footprint points to a 3D model but the model file doesn't exist?). But IMO not having a STEP file for the model which exists as a vrml model shouldn’t happen in the official libraries. It’s of course possible that you have components from libraries which are not the official KiCad libraries, but we can’t tell if that’s the case unless you attach the whole project folder in a zip file here and tell what’s in the external libraries.
Nice to learn something new. The last time I exported a board to STEP was with v5.1 and it didn’t have that option, probably it chose the STEP files automatically.
