I have created a small pcb to get up to speed with KiCad. Then I tried to import the pcb into Freecad using stepup. The board including tracks were shown, but no 3D models. The message said that it could not find the 3Dmodels, although everything was there in kicad’s 3Dview
When you export to STEP (I’m assuming you are) make sure you tick the box . . .
you may need to configure StepUp in FreeCAD preference page
To use StepUp tools for converting a kicad_pcb Board to a mechanical STEP model you just need to configure your 3D prefix path(s) like your KISYS3DMOD value into the FreeCAD StepUp preferences page, located in the preferences system of FreeCAD (Edit menu → Preferences).
please refer to StepUp cheatsheet
he is using kicadStepUp to directly load kicad pcb into FreeCAD
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the problem is in FreeCad/Stepup WB. I open “ACS712.kicad_pcb” and get the message
missing module(s) '.step or stp or iges or igs.
Indeed the folder that holds the “ACS712.kicad_pcb” does not contain any of these filetypes. I guess that kiCAD does not put the modules in the folder of the project when saving. How can this be achieved. Does that have to be done manually?
you can use the GitHub - MitjaNemec/Archive3DModels plugin to save your projects 3d models local. it is also available via PCM.
thanks for all your inputs. I use them, but currently I have some basic problems like how to add a 3D model to the footprint and how to work with the libraries.
You have to create your personal 3D libraries exactly the same way as you create symbol and footprint libraries.
Read this FAQ.
After you have created a/some 3D libraries for ALL modified and imported 3D models, you then open the properties on any footprint to find this:
Select “3D models”… see red arrow.
Click the grey banner… green arrow, to change or select models from libraries.
Steer to, add and configure paths to any created 3D libraries with the boxes pointed to with the magenta arrows. This section works exactly the same way as the personal symbol and footprint libraries referred to in the FAQ link.
thanks, with this info I move ahead trying to understand how to work with kicad
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The Kicad 7 Beginners Guide helped me a lot, allthough my version 7.0 seems to be a bit different to what is shown in this guide.
It is explained that checking and unchecking the active and visible box will display or not display libraries. I could neither in the schematic nor in the footprint editor hide libraries by unchecking them in manage symbol or footprint library. How can I use this functionality
For “Manage Symbol Libraries”
The “Active” removes the library from both the Symbol and Schematic Editors lists.
The “Visible” removes the library from the Schematic Editor list only.
You say yours seems to be a bit different. How different?
You did click the OK button in the bottom RH corner of that window?
It is hidden on your screen shot.
thanks, stupid mistake!!!
Thanks for the screen shot. I will edit the diagram I have shown in the FAQ to include the whole window so the OK button shows.
I hadn’t thought about other Operating Systems and took it for granted the whole window would show.
My mistake.
Do you have any other comments to make on this FAQ?
I get deeper into it. However, I can not access the 3D models on Fritz NAS. Maybe it’s because of the ‘\’ (picture ‘CB NAS’)
. The entire project, however, is on the FritzNas and runs without a problem so far.
There also seems to be a problem with the path line (picture ‘CB 3D’)
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