cflin wrote: ↑Fri Feb 09, 2018 7:19 pm
Impressive!
Now, KiCAD has its own global adjustments about solder masks, etc. Can you define a solder mask while working in FreeCAD? How would/could interact with KiCAD's adjustments?
In StepUp it is possible to define:
- Silks, Fab, CrtYd, Edge outline, assigning also thickness to these technical layers
- TH, NPTH, SMD, Round Rect pads and Drills assigning size and type
- Poly line Pads using the sketcher to easily define the outline as i.e. importing a DXF and converting it to footprint module.
Solder Masks and other refinements can be done directly under the KiCad footprint editor, after having exported the model from FC.
The StepUp Footprint generator is aimed to cover some specific user cases, where the user needs to build and check in a power environment (FreeCAd Sketcher) complex footprints (i.e. KiCad Librarians would ask for a tool like that since a lot of time).
A very useful example is, IMO, the ability to create RF antennas directly from a DXF outline, instead of the need to recreate it manually inside the KiCad footprint editor (ATM DXF in KiCad cannot be converted into a filled pad as it is required for antennas) or convert it to svg and then to kicad fp.
An other user case is the ability to have a footprint for the board outline (not allowed inside the KiCad native fp editor), letting the user to modify the Edge as per the update in the project requirements.
Moreover in FC it is much easier to check dimensions and create mechanical constrains, features missing inside KiCad.
With these tools KiCAD EDA and FreeCAD MCAD are even closer than before
Maurice
),
FreeCAD