Worflow for Committing 3D-Models

Layout 3D Models
1

Hi there,
can someone please point me to a good summary or tutorial how one would commit his/her 3D-Models to the KiCAD ‘‘resources’’?

I have no clue how the whole git thing works ^^ and are asking myself what i had to do if i wanted to share a newly created Footprint Model. Say for exampel the attached one.

QFN-32.step (1.0 MB)
QFN-32.FCStd (426.0 KB)

2

The guidelines are in github.
You must commit your libraries under the license and give credit details.

If you are not able to follow the Contributing instructions then you may want to try to contact some of other contributors that will commit the files for you.

I strongly suggest that it is time to learn how to use GIT. There are multiple ways of using (with some GUI or with command line). More and more people are using it, not only developers but also content creators.

1 Like
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also before modelling, please have a look at the latest 3D repo


to check if your model is already there :smiley:
Housings_DFN_QFN.3dshapes
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@kammutierspule
Thank you!

@maui,
the Model was thought just as an exercise to me to get used to FreeCAD. I hadn’t thought of committing until it was done :wink:

5

Also always check in the script repo if something similar is already scripted. (Hint: IC packages and connectors are mostly scripted.)

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:scream: i just had a look at the QFN32 from within the Git-Repo. That looks so much nicer than my clumsy try! :disappointed_relieved:
May I ask who made these and if they were made with FreeCAD? If so how would one avoid the Fusion of the Die into the Pads as happened in my exampel above? And how to get such “clean” Pads withou these crappy interecting lines?

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As i mentioned above they are (python) script generated. (This workflow does use FreeCad plus CadQuery)
I think these are made by @maui and @Shack

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Oh ok i now get it. Skript-Things are not part of my comfort zone :wink: so i rather thought of a useful hint of yours than the answer to my question.

Would one be able to generate equaly nice Footprint without a Skript? It shure makes sense to use a Skript generating a bunch of similiar parts but does it offer other benefits than this compared to the GUI?

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@Detzi
If you simply want to generate a QFN package you can enter the parameters here and run the script:

It is definitely possibly to make as pretty models in Freecad manually, but not worth the time for similar packages :slight_smile: (remember to use StepUp for export!)

In case you need some of the scripted stuff Ill be happy to generate them for you, if you instead will spend some time on the nonscriptable 3D models :wink: Buttons, Special connectors etc :slight_smile:

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10

All the models have been done in FC :smiley:

Union (fusion) of objects needs some trick sometime… particularly when they are co-planar…
The simpler solution it is often to have an overlap of objects… moreover FC 0.17 have many improvements in creating 3d objects and boolean operation because of the new engine and OCC release …
It is more than a year that I don’t use FC0.16 and I’m really pleased with the dev release :smiley:

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Thank you all for your input!

@Shack
Thanks for posting your Skript, i will use it to get an idea how the whole cadquery thing works :wink: But i have no need of any footprint at the time. But if so i come back to your offer.
Nevertheless i really would like to contribute!
My shedule is however tightly packed the only option i see is committing the parts i have to create anyways. Which i will willingly do!

@maui
So do you recommend to youse FC0.17?

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the simplest script is the one to build SMD capacitors, so you can get a first look at there

yes, IMO FC0.17 is much more powerful than FC0.16 in many features…
The only slight unstable part is PartDesign WB, which is changing very fast; so sometimes you can have some issue in modeling complex parts. But for STEP generation and managing, FC0.17 is the best ATM.
M

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