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kicad StepUp starter guide

:Author Initials: MEW

:website: http://sourceforge.net/projects/kicadstepup/
:docname: readme-kicadStepUp.adoc

kicad StepUp: a new approach to export kicad board and modules in STEP AP214 (with colors).
With kicad StepUp it is possible to export the 3D board and modules in STEP
for MCAD interchange and create the 3D wrl libraries.

kicadStepUp at sourceforge
http://sourceforge.net/projects/kicadstepup/
YouTube Kicad StepUp demo video
https://youtu.be/h6wMU3lE_sA

StepUp Cheat Sheet

Please refer to StepUp Cheat Sheet which is the UP TO DATE help document
https://sourceforge.net/projects/kicadstepup/files/kicadStepUp-cheat-sheet.pdf/download

all the following are here only as OLD reference

OverView

to run the demo:

in Linux:
change dir to the folder in which you have extracted the demo
./launch-kicad_StepUp-Tools.sh

in windows:
change dir to the folder in which you have extracted the demo
launch-kicad_StepUp-Tools.bat

the demo comes with a kicad project, along with all needed STEP and wrl modules, just to be used just out of the box
(NB use the script from inside the dir)
to see the kicad board, change dir to the folder in which you have extracted the demo
in windows:
launch-kicad-demo-project.bat
in linux:
./launch-kicad-demo-project.bat

requirements:
kicad 2015 stable or latest dev release, freecad 0.15 or later

Introduction

Kicad StepUp allows the user to modeling the 3D modules starting from FreeCAD
(instead of using Wings3D), creating models in STEP AP214 and rendering the
pcb board and components in native STEP AP214.

Designing in kicad native 3d-viewer will produce a fully aligned STEP version
with the same view of kicad 3d render.
Now you will have the two words with the same appearance; one can design in kicad EDA and transfer the artwork to MCAD (FreeCAD) smoothly

WYSIWYG from EDA to MCAD

kicad StepUp in Kicad 3d-viewer vs kicad StepUp in MCAD Catia

Basic How To '(using kicad StepUp the easiest way)'

(not changing the way you use kicad)

1. just copy the STEP 3d models in the same folder in which there are your wrl 3d models and
use the same name of the wrl model name (e.g. r_0603.wrl => r_0603.step)
2. go to your board folder and copy the script kicad_StepUp.FCMacro and the config file ksu-config.cfg
inside that folder, edit the config file ksu-config.cfg with e.g. notepad changing your model prefix to your KISYS3DMOD path
3. export from kicad pcbnew the IDF model of the board
4. run the script from command line or from a bash/batch file
<path to Freecad executable file>/freecad <kicad_pcb_name.emn> ksu-config.cfg kicad_StepUp.FCMacro
'(e.g. freecad mypcb.emn ksu-config.cfg kicad_StepUp.FCMacro)'
just watch the script assembly your 3D board with 3D models :)

How To '(using kicad StepUp the best way)'

(getting the best from STEP models)

1. just copy the STEP 3d models in the same folder in which there are your wrl 3d models
2. export the STEP models, scaled 1/2.54 to wrl with the same name of the STEP model
(e.g. r_0603.wrl => r_0603.step); in this way your 3D board in kicad pcbnew 3d-viewer and in FreeCAD workbench will look perfectly aligned
3. go to your board folder and copy the script kicad_StepUp.FCMacro and the config file ksu-config.cfg
inside that folder, edit the config file ksu-config.cfg with e.g. notepad changing your model prefix to your KISYS3DMOD path
4. export from kicad pcbnew the IDF model of the board
5. run the script from command line or from a bash/batch file
<path to="" freecad="" executable="" file="">/freecad <kicad_pcb_name.emn> ksu-config.cfg kicad_StepUp.FCMacro +
'(e.g. freecad mypcb.emn ksu-config.cfg kicad_StepUp.FCMacro)' +
just watch the script assembly your 3D board with 3D models :)</kicad_pcb_name.emn></path>

Create your own Library

The way to build a STEP models library to be easily used by the script is:

  1. start modeling your 3d object in scale 1:1 in mm
    (which is the way in which mechanical stuff are used to be)
  2. convert your model to STEP in scale 1:1
  3. assure that your STEP module is fused to just one solid object
  4. convert the model to wrl in scale 1/2.54 (0.3937001)
    (which is the scale used by kicad 3d-viewer or maintain 1:1 scale in exporting and apply
    the scale 1/2.54 to the wrl model in 3d-viewer)
  5. use the same name to wrl and STEP model
  6. put the STEP model and VRML model in the same place
  7. check if your vrml model is aligned to the kicad pcb footprint in pcbnew 3d-viewer
  8. launch the script and check if the FreeCAD model and the kicad 3D viewer are aligned
  9. in case of misalignment just verify your model

TIP:

import the https://raw.githubusercontent.com/easyw/kicad-3d-models-in-freecad/master/reference-block.step in your FC doc
beside the model you are designing to check the correct orientation
(NB Import Ctrl+I, 'not Open Ctrl+O')

reference block imported

Note: here http://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?t=8451#p69489 FreeCAD forum fusion howto some tips to fuse correctly objects in FreeCAD

STEP AP214 and VRML FreeCAD scripted repository ready to kicad StepUp

Repo of 3D STEP models
https://github.com/easyw/kicad-3d-models-in-freecad
there is a repository of many electronic components STEP AP214 models, with a nice script to build parametric models for
'SOIC, SSOP, TSSOP, SOT, QFP' ICs, DIP ICs, Chip Resistors, Chip Capacitors, Pin Headers just compiling a parametric text file with dimensions from component data sheet
3D-script-generator and 3D models
https://github.com/easyw/kicad-3d-models-in-freecad/tree/master/cadquery/FCAD_script_generator
'more is coming ...'

credits

'kicad StepUp' script author is Maurice easyw@launchpad

kicad EDA

  • IDF export for kicad (Cirilo Bernardo)

FreeCAD

IDF import for FreeCAD

  • Milos Koutny (milos.koutny@gmail.com)

CadQuery module

  • CadQuery FreeCAD module

hyOzd freecad macros

  • hyOzd parametric script

FreeCAD-PCB

This document and kicad StepUp scripts are Copyright © 2015 by Maurice.
Kicad STEPUP (TM) is a TradeMark and cannot be freely useable
You may distribute it and/or modify it under the terms of either the GNU Affero General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation to ensure cooperation with the community in the case of network server software;
for detail see the LICENCE text file
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.en.html
Moreover you have to include the original author copyright kicad StepUP made by Maurice easyw@katamail.com

All trademarks within this guide belong to their legitimate owners.

Risk disclaimer

USE 3D CAD DATA AT YOUR OWN RISK +
DO NOT RELY UPON ANY INFORMATION FOUND HERE WITHOUT INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION.

Project Members: