Thanks for that info.
If the path is not the right one, it is inexplicable because I have never changed anything manually, this configuration is the result of the automatic installation of the latest version of Kicad (5.1.9).
When in doubt, I had reinstalled an older version, but the result was exactly the same.
I will try what you explain and keep you informed.
Thank you for these tips.
Please confirm that it contain .wrl and .stp files.
Your variable paths look OK, did you ckeck their contents to make sure that they contain the right files ? Windows is sometimes strangely behaving, I have two program files directories, one is labelled with (x86) at the end, the other not !
As said by @gkeeth you have added a path pointing to a footprint.
Navigate to a 3D model instead and add it.
I also confirm that as part of my libraries, I don’t have the 3D models you’re talking about, instead I have the same ones as @gkeeth.
Normally, the 3D models are in …\kicad\share\kicad\modules\package3d
I doubt that the 3Dmodel installation path is protected by Windows but just in case, you might try the following:
Copy some of them (stp and wrl) to a temporary directory.
Navigate to it from the “propriétés de l’empreinte”, try to add them to the flist. Are they showing ?
Back to the grey paths, did you investigate this way ? That seems peculiar for me.
The path substitutions (and other settings) are stored in the KiCad preferences. These are not reset when you reinstall Kicad so reinstalling will not help you.
Not every footprint has a model. There are good reasons for this arrangement (it makes it easier for devs to add a model without having to update the footprint too). Make life easier by testing with a known good model - a 0805 SMD resistor would be a good choice.
Are you absolutely sure that the KISYS3DMOD is correct. I would have thought that it should be C:\Program Files\KiCad\share\kicad\packages3d (You seem to have it in kicad\ modules \packages3d and you also have an unnecessary trailing ’ \’.
For what it’s worth, on my Windows 5.1 install, I have share\kicad\modules\packages3d\, so I think it’s correct.
But I agree with you, it’s weird that it’s inside the modules directory; that’s not the case on Linux.
If I remember correctly, you will grayed out paths if you declared the paths as environment variables (it is even one of the steps in the setup but it is not recommended, because it makes it more “difficult” to change)
You can verify this in Windows in the Control Panel -> System -> Advanced system -> Extended -> Environment variables (sorry, my OS is in German, but you should be able to find the panel)
If you have the different KICAD variables defined there you could delete them and defined inside of kicad to make them easier to edit.
In the screen shot you have a path to a “.wrl” file, that is a 3D Model that may or may not exists (KiCAD footprints define the path to the 3d model even if it still doen’t exists, not all footprints have 3d models yet), however, the path that you selected, is to a “.kicad_mod” file, that is a footprint file and not a 3D model, therefore it doesn’t show anything.
Petra and gkeeth have already pointed this out and gave you a hint on how the correct path should look like.
Hello,
Yes, the extensions of the folder grouped two by two in the 3Dshapes folder are indeed “* .wrl” and “*.stp”
For exemple, the folder “package3d” contains a lot of folders. The first of them is “Battery3d.shapes” which contains “Battery_CR1225.step” and “Battery_CR1225.wrl”.
I guess these files are in good condition, but I cannot verify this since I am not getting a 3D image.
For this example, they weight 10Kb and 48Kb respectively.
Are we making progress?
Thanks
Hello and thank you for your response.
Yes, I know that not all footprints have a corresponding 3D model. I did the test with the 0805SMD, the result is identical.
What is inexplicable is that with the first version of KiCad installed, I was getting the 3D views without a problem.
If reinstalling doesn’t change these settings, then I shouldn’t have a problem, and yet!
To finish, I copied the full path of “kisys3dmod” (displayed in the preferences), in the windows10 file explorer.
The opening of each directory is done correctly and by opening the last one: “packages.3d”, I arrive of course on the files classified in alphabetical order, of which the first “Battery3d.shapes” contains “Battery_CR1225.wrl” and "Battery_CR1225 .step ".
I therefore deduce that the path is OK. Am I wrong ?
But again, I never changed the paths offered after installation.
(Image attached)
Thank you.
Hello and thank you.
No, I have absolutely nothing grayed out! This is a configuration that I found as it is. Moreover, today, nothing is grayed out., But it doesn’t work any better!
Thank you
Trying to summarize the open points:
1- Were variables duplicated ?
2- What did you find or change to get black paths ?
3- For your information, I’m using View3Dscene from https://castle-engine.io/view3dscene.php to view the .wrl files. Freecad directly opens .stp files.*
Quoting a previous reply:
4- Now if you do the reverse: you copy the complete path from this explorer window and if you paste it into the “propriétés de l’empreinte” do you get it ?
5- Back to my yesterday suggestion, and just to verify if program files are protected, did you try to copy a 3D model outside of program files and navigate to it then paste it into the propriétés de l’empreinte" ?
6- Check for Remnants:
and
Somewhere on the disk you should have some kicad configuration files, probably into your user profile. Search for kicad_common, it’s a text file containing useful pieces of information, normally not modified when a new installation is made. Check it to see if its contents are relevant with the current configuration and if there are no remnants from an older config. (note that the directory separator is \, except for github URL), post it.
7- Did you check for a blank character at the end of the paths or files, especially in the kicad variables ?
8- Did you remove the trailing \ at the end of Kisys3dmod variable ? What’s the effect ?
9- Did you try @gkeeth suggestions made 17 h ago ? What did you end with ?
10- Did you check if a step file is showing in the propriétés de l’empreinte" window ?
11- Just a last random question (I don’t know its bearing yet): Do you open pcbnew in standalone mode or do you open it from the kicad pro GUI ?
A table !
No more ideas at the moment !
Good evening,
First of all, I didn’t add anything, I just got the path in the preferences.
I confirm that the 3D object exists since I had it in 3D view before installing 5.1.9.
In addition, the specified folder points to the directory in which the *.step and *.wrl files are located.
Thank you for all.
Small additional information: I also use FreeCad and the good news, (I admit not having thought about it), is that I visualize without problem all the 3D objects contained in the “shapes” of Kicad (Github manufactures both software seems to me?)
The files are therefore OK, but it is with KiCad that the problem exists.
Good evening.
Please use windows explorer to go to C:\Program Files\KiCad\share\kicad\modules\packages3d\Connectors_Molex.3dshapes\ and see if there is a file Molex_KK-6410-04_04x2.54mm_Straight.wrl in that folder.
You will find that that file doesn’t exist.
The issue is that this design was done with the version 4 libraries, but when you installed 5.1.9 you installed the version 5 libraries, which are organized differently. For the part you show, the library was renamed (Connectors_Molex -> Connector_Molex, note the ‘s’), and the part was also renamed (Molex_KK-6410-04_04x2.54mm_Straight -> Molex_KK-254_AE-6410-04A_1x04_P2.54mm_Vertical)
There is no file at the specified location for kicad to display.
You will either have to adjust your paths to point to an old 3d model library from version 4, or you will have to update your design to specify models that actually exist in the version 5 library.
Hello and thank you for your feedback.
I just tried to do a search with the path you indicate. Indeed, the exactl model does not exist. (or no more).
On the other hand, if I type: Connector_Molex_3d.shapes\Molex_KK-254_AE-6410-04A_1x04_P2.54mm_Vertical, I get the 3D “*.wrl” component that I used previously.
By clicking on it, it offers me the opening with FreeCad and I obtain the coponant (attached image).
What to deduce?
Just for information, my previous version of Kicad was never in 4 …, but only kicad-5.0.2_1-x86_64.
But by reloading this version, it doesn’t work either!
That the access to the libraries, OUTSIDE kicad seems OK but for some reasons, the links appear to be broken in kicad. This also confirms that Freecad is working from the directory you currently are in, whatever it is, even an ouloook sub-folder ! Nothing says that the directory containing Connector_Molex_3d.shapes\Molex_KK-254_AE-6410-04A_1x04_P2.54mm_Vertical belongs to YOUR kicad installation. It could be a remnant directory.
Are you sure that you installed the complete 5.1.9 kicad package, INCLUDING the libraries or only the light version ? Did you download the package from kicad site or from somewhere else ? This makes a huge difference.
I suggested some ways for troubleshooting your problem in a logical way but if you don’t investigate questions correctly and don’t report the results, I can do nothing more for you.
Please refer to the open point summary and report. FORGET your previous kicad installations and what they were behaving. You may have some remnants from these old installations. Again, refer to the open point list. Also, follow thoroughly @gkeeth 's advice.
Last, you may get a portable version of kicad from portable apps and put it on an USB key without altering anything on your computer. As far as I remember, the portable version is a light one, you’ll have to get and add the libraries and the 3D packages. Of course it’s only an option for troubleshooting and understanding how kicad is internally organized.
Good luck
Yes, I can understand that it annoys you, but I do it as quickly as possible when I have a few minutes in front of me.
I will go into the point-by-point verification when I have a little more time.
I downloaded from https://kcad.org site, I think there is nothing more official and besides I did not have the choice between a full or light version.
For your information, I uninstalled and cleaned everything (as I already said), I checked before reinstalling 5.1.9 that there was nothing left on the computer including the Kikad directory created by the installer, everything is gone.
Obviously, there may still be invisible traces (in the windows registry for example).
But since I did a thorough cleaning of the registry before the new installation, it would be really bad luck.
Anyway, I’ll try the installation on a USB key, it seems a good idea, I’ll keep you posted.
The kicad configuration file is kicad_common, not kicad.common as written above. I corrected all occurrences. Hope I didn’t miss any
It’s not annoying but it’s a very peculiar issue. If not logically investigated it could be quite impossible to find the reason.
Because the obvious reasons have already been explored, a doubt remains now on the way they have been processed. Take a log of your investigations for yourself. Wordpad is easy to use, pictures can be pasted in it.
Back to the summary, here is the rationale:
1 & 2: redundant variables might exist. Internal ones are active only within kicad, System ones are active elsewhere within a windows session.
3- is a piece of information.
4- using kisys3dmod is not the same as putting the complete path of the 3D model. This step consists to identify the full name of a 3D model, including its absolute path. Pasting the it into “propriétés de l’empreinte” would definitely remove any doubt. Should the part show on the picture, the 3Dmodel path including kisys3Dmod is wrong. If it doesn’t show, I don’t know for the moment
5- Normally program files is a protected directory and without admin rights you shouldn’t be able to write anything in it but you should be able to read the files. Windows being a well known collection of bugs, nobody knows what might have happened to this directory. Copying a 3D model outside of it, in a temporary directory and accessing it the same way as described in bullet4, with the absolute path first, then through a new internal variable for instance “user_temp-3d_dir” should remove a doubt concerning a faulty protection of the program files directory and confirm that internal variable is working for 3D models. Note that it should be unlikely, nevertheless it’s important to check it since normal troubleshooting hasn’t been successful yet.
6- Regarding what @gkeeth and @John_Pateman said, your library contents & organization is not in line with the 5.1.9 standard library (from kicad site). You might have a corrupted file or some remnants from an old kicad configuration and providing a copy of kicad_common file may help to understand, syntax and contents.
There is a very useful utility allowing to search anything on your disk. I use it all the time, it is called “everything” from http://www.voidtools.com download the portable version and give it a try. With it, you will easily find any redundancy between libraries if any exist.
7 & 8- An undesirable character within a path may break it, especially the already pointed " \ " or a space.
9- ask @gkeeth !
10- Sometimes wrl files are not showing, especially the custom ones that don’t fully follow the standards. Freecad StepUp workbench exports well formed wrl files. IMHO, it’s worth to check if with your current kisys3dmod variable pointing to a known step file correctly shows in the “propriétée de l’empreinte”
11- In standalone mode, default properties are not loaded. As far as I think, but this needs to be confirmed by a specialist, kicad_common is not loaded. At the contrary, when a .pro project is loaded, kicad_common is loaded.
In addition, I’m still confused by the greyed variables.
github doesn’t manufacture any software. It is a repository.
kicad.org site is perfect for downloading.
Freecad and kicad are from different origins and have in common a workbench developed by @maui (@easyw on github) that installs on Freecad, easing the transfers between Freecad and Kicad, both ways.
Avoid any registry cleaner ! You don’t know what it’s doing. This is the best way to get problems. Since my first install. of WIndows 95, I never ever did it neither I reinstalled any OS !
I simply use ERUNT with a command line automatically running at every boot to save everyday the registry files for 8 consecutive days. In case of problem the registry can easily be recovered in DOS mode after BIOS test and before normal boot.
As an additional word: 3D Model libraries are not working the same as symbols and footprints ones. For symbols and footprints, you MUST declare a relative path otherwise they won’t be found. 3D models can be anywhere on your disk or on your network, provided that for pre-configured footprints KiSys3Dmod is pointing to them.
For custom 3D Models, whatever KiSys3Dmod is pointing to, you can define an User variable containing a relative path or nothing; in this case the only thing you have to do is to navigate to the 3D model and load it in “propriétés de l’empreinte”, so it will get an absolute path.
The “invisible traces” of the old kicad installation are in your design files. The footprints from your old installation are embedded in your PCB file, and they still point to the old 3dmodels that no longer exist on your computer. Does this point make sense to you? If not, nothing I write below will make sense.
I think that if you make a new project, and add new footprints to it, the 3d models will show up just fine.
I see several options to fix this, none of which are easy. Maybe others have advice as well. Make sure you back up your project before doing anything!
Connectors_Molex:Molex_KK-6410-04_04x2.54mm_Straight.kicad_mod in your current design, you are going to want to switch it to Connector_Molex:Molex_KK-254_AE-6410-04A_1x04_P2.54mm_Vertical.kicad_mod. Right click on one of those footprints, click “Change Footprint…”, Select “Change footprints with identifier”, and input the new footprint identifier. This will fix all footprints of that type. You’ll have to do it once per type of footprint on your board.Hello,
During this weekend, I did a lot of research and testing according to the information that was given to me.
I will provide an answer to each point raised, in bold letters.
The “invisible traces” of the old kicad installation are in your design files. The footprints from your old installation are embedded in your PCB file, and they still point to the old 3dmodels that no longer exist on your computer. OK, but it wasn’t easy at first time, because an update should logically put everything back in working order.
*Does this point make sense to you? If not, nothing I write below will make sense.*Yes, of course.
I think that if you make a new project, and add new footprints to it, the 3d models will show up just fine.No, sorry, it’s exactly the same problem with à new project.
I see several options to fix this, none of which are easy. Maybe others have advice as well. Make sure you back up your project before doing anything!. Yes, yes, it has been done for a long time.
Exchange each footprint in your design with the the equivalent footprint from the updated library. The newer footprints will point to the right 3d models. This is probably the most correct and robust option, but it has the risk that the new footprints could be slightly different than the ones you used originally, so you may have to make some adjustments to your layout. Back up your project first!! I tried to do this exchange of printsfoots, but I don’t have the ones you indicate, they don’t exist in my library! it is clear that I do not have the right libraries>
To do this, first identify the equivalent footprint in the new library. To use the example above, for the footprint Connectors_Molex:Molex_KK-6410-04_04x2.54mm_Straight.kicad_mod in your current design, you are going to want to switch it to Connector_Molex:Molex_KK-254_AE-6410-04A_1x04_P2.54mm_Vertical.kicad_mod. Right click on one of those footprints, click “Change Footprint…”, Select “Change footprints with identifier”, and input the new footprint identifier. This will fix all footprints of that type. You’ll have to do it once per type of footprint on your board.**Once again, the reference "****Molex_KK-254_AE-6410-04A_1x04_P2.54mm_Vertical.kicad_mod "**you indicate does not exist with me!
Edit every footprint in your board so that the 3d model path points to a model that exists. You will have to figure out which “new” models are equivalent to the “old” models. This is slow and painful, but only affects the 3d models, not your layout, which could be an advantage. You will have to do this for every footprint on the board.**>
Forget about the 3d models for this project. As I said above, I think when you start a new project everything will just work, because you will be using the up-to-date footprints which point to valid models. If it’s not important to have 3d models for this project, then it may not be worth the effort to fix.
Thank you for your screenshots, but I can do it all without any problem. the problem is that I don’t have the right libraries !
And I don’t understand why the new ones (those of version 5.1.9) refuse to install.
Then, I want to forget, but I still remember a time when it worked perfectly.
For example, I find it hard to admit that a simple update can disrupt the operation of software to such an extent.
I remain convinced that there must be some flaws in the design because the least thing would be to inform the user that they may lose data while updating.
Otherwise, I would never have done it!
But it is also true that the software being “Open Source”, we cannot ask for the moon for free!
I also did an installation on a USB key (very long) and there too, no 3D.
Finally, I did the installation from the same file downloaded from 5.1.9 on my wife’s PC (win10), and there I have well the 3D.
So what to conclude ?
There are still things on my computer that are preventing new libraries from updating and I should be able to destroy them.
In conclusion, I don’t want to waste your time or mine.
3D is not essential, it’s a shame, that’s all!
Thank you for your patience.
GREAT AND GOOD NEWS it’s finally working!
I once again uninstalled 5.1.9. then searched for all possible Kicad links on my computer (search string search function).
This search led me to a number of “traces” of various files in the “Roaming” directory for example.
I erased manually as much as possible these traces, some being however impossible to destroy (the explorer indicated that the files did not exist any more).
Then I reinstalled 5.1.9 and this time, I checked the “environment variables” box while monitoring the scrolling of the 3D models during the installation process, which lengthened the duration of the operation.
Finally, visualization was obtained after replacing all the footprints one by one as shown. Great !
I explain what I did, it may be useful for others!
Thanks
I don’t fully understand what was broken, but I’m glad you got it working!
