Wrl file vs step file for 3D model of part

When I add a footprint from the standard library it appears to include the corresponding 3D model as a .wrl file. But the 3D model doesn’t show up unless I go add a second file point to the step file. Is this normal?

double check the names! one of them has the library name as plural.


Ah yes, I see. So this is a bug in V5. Gotcha

No it is not a bug! The libraries where re organized such that all libraries now use singluar names for libraries. You just have a mixed library setup because your old v4 fp lib table survived (read the link provided)


hmm, I never used version 4, or at least I didn’t think I had. I’ll have to install v5 on a fresh mac and see if it reproduces.

Alternatively: this is a design that was made in v4 but you are now viewing it in v5. 3d models are not cached so you would need the v4 3d model lib to view old designs


The only thing i can for certain is that the wrl library name looks like it is from the version 4 library

Nope, I just created this project over the weekend in v5 so it is fresh.

Are you sure you never had version 4 installed on this pc? Or a nightly build from before version 5? (It could be years ago)

Wouldn’t stake my life on it. :-). Going to grab another mac that I know hasn’t had Kicad on it and see what happens

Check the library table as instructed in the linked FAQ article. If you have any entry pointing to github (plugin type github instead of legacy) then you use v4 libs.


Also: I am one of the two persons who made the decision to rename this library so i am quite certain that you use either the version 4 library or a library that is not shipped with kicad.

Or rather: i am one of the two people who are mainly responsible for it. Others gave input (there was a rather large discussion on github before we started with the version 5 library reorganization.)

fresh install on another Mac causes the WRL file link to be correct and the 3D model automatically shows. Woohoo. Now I just need to work through getting this fixed on my work Mac. Unfortunately the FAQ only addresses Windows and Linux but I’m sure Mac will be close to Linux

Library management in KiCad version 5 section reset to default (everything else is operating system independent)

Also Where are the configuration files (settings, library tables)?

all fixed, thanks @Rene_Poschl for the help! :slight_smile:

Hello Rene,
I also stumbled upon the problem with the changed library names (plural / singular expression). My first installation was 5.1.1 or 5.1.2 (Win7-64). I can not remember exactly. After an update to the following version, this problem also cropped up for me. I quickly discovered that library names had changed. To fix this problem, there are two possibilities: Either edit the fp-lib-table and remove the plural-s by hand or download the appropriate fp-lib-table from GIT and copy it into the user directory.

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Version 5 never ce with plural names. You must have had a pre version 5 installed.
We started from scratch. The plural named libs never existed in the new library repos.

Or you manually added the old libs somehow. (Maybe the deprecated library wizard is not hidden well enough)

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