kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Show off your FreeCAD projects here!
Forum rules
Be nice to others! Respect the FreeCAD code of conduct!
User avatar
easyw-fc
Veteran
Posts: 3630
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2015 9:34 am

Re: kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Post by easyw-fc »

Szymix13 wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 8:04 am I have added Kicad Stepup Workbench to my FreeCAD. I am trying to open a .kicad_pcb file, which is project created entirely in Kicad. After i hit open, first message i see is the one i quoted:
... missing
/home/*****/.var/app/org.freecadweb.FreeCAD/config/FreeCAD/user.kicad_mod
... missing
/home/*****/.var/app/org.freecadweb.FreeCAD/config/FreeCAD/user.conf.kicad_pcb
Never seen these messages.. moreover these text shouldn't even be inside a kicad_pcb file...
Would you mind to share the kicad_pcb file?
Szymix13 wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 8:04 am I press ok, and i can see a board model, the main body, but nothing else, no detalis, no connector etc.
Have you configured your 3D paths for StepUp?
please have a look at the kicadStepUp-cheat-sheet.pdf page 1 tips 4 & 5.

Would you mind to add also FC and StepUp release version information?
Szymix13
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 10:41 am

Re: kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Post by Szymix13 »

easyw-fc wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 9:05 am
Szymix13 wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 8:04 am I have added Kicad Stepup Workbench to my FreeCAD. I am trying to open a .kicad_pcb file, which is project created entirely in Kicad. After i hit open, first message i see is the one i quoted:
... missing
/home/*****/.var/app/org.freecadweb.FreeCAD/config/FreeCAD/user.kicad_mod
... missing
/home/*****/.var/app/org.freecadweb.FreeCAD/config/FreeCAD/user.conf.kicad_pcb
Never seen these messages.. moreover these text shouldn't even be inside a kicad_pcb file...
Would you mind to share the kicad_pcb file?
Szymix13 wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 8:04 am I press ok, and i can see a board model, the main body, but nothing else, no detalis, no connector etc.
Have you configured your 3D paths for StepUp?
please have a look at the kicadStepUp-cheat-sheet.pdf page 1 tips 4 & 5.

Would you mind to add also FC and StepUp release version information?
My path for KISYS3DMOD is: /usr/share/kicad/modules/packages3d
I have no path in ALT3DMOD

Freecad ver. 0.17 (Rev nr 5235 Git shallow)
KiCad ver. 5.0.2+dfsg1-1
User avatar
easyw-fc
Veteran
Posts: 3630
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2015 9:34 am

Re: kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Post by easyw-fc »

Szymix13 wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 9:26 am My path for KISYS3DMOD is: /usr/share/kicad/modules/packages3d
I have no path in ALT3DMOD

Freecad ver. 0.17 (Rev nr 5235 Git shallow)
KiCad ver. 5.0.2+dfsg1-1
1) do you have your 3D models used in your board in /usr/share/kicad/modules/packages3d ?
2) if you enable Report View Panel in FC which messages do you get?

Still if you could share your kicad_pcb file would be easier to find your issue...
Szymix13
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 10:41 am

Re: kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Post by Szymix13 »

easyw-fc wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 9:34 am
Szymix13 wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 9:26 am My path for KISYS3DMOD is: /usr/share/kicad/modules/packages3d
I have no path in ALT3DMOD

Freecad ver. 0.17 (Rev nr 5235 Git shallow)
KiCad ver. 5.0.2+dfsg1-1
1) do you have your 3D models used in your board in /usr/share/kicad/modules/packages3d ?
2) if you enable Report View Panel in FC which messages do you get?

Still if you could share your kicad_pcb file would be easier to find your issue...
Yes, the paths are the same in Kicad and Freecad for KISYS3DMOD.
We tried it on few computer, and we find out, that when FreeCAD is instaled from Debian repo, its working almost perfecty.
My FreeCAD is downloaded from Flatpak, because Debian verions was crashing, when trying to open/create anything.
Maybe there is some problem with code.
1. He is not loading file, that is in correct path:
FC error: "error missing /usr/share/kicad/modules/packages3d/Connector_PinSocket_2.54mm.3dshapes/PinSocket_2x20_P2.54mm_Vertical.step"
I can find this file in terminal.

2. Same goes with error when starting FC:
/home/**********/.var/app/org.freecadweb.FreeCAD/config/FreeCAD/user.conf.kicad_pcb
/home/**********/.var/app/org.freecadweb.FreeCAD/config/FreeCAD/user.kicad_mod

Both files can be found when using terminal.

We will try tomorrow setting it up, or trying to run Debian version.
Also, maybe i should try running macro instead of addon WB?

Do you have any idea, what is causing this problems?

As for the Kicad project, we tried our own but we also used Templates from Kicad such as RaspberryPi and Arduino.
User avatar
PrzemoF
Veteran
Posts: 3520
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2014 4:52 pm
Contact:

Re: kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Post by PrzemoF »

Shot in the dark: make sure you don't use any funny characters in your user name, like łóżć. Also check access rights to the "missing" files.
User avatar
easyw-fc
Veteran
Posts: 3630
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2015 9:34 am

Re: kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Post by easyw-fc »

Szymix13 wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 2:58 pm Yes, the paths are the same in Kicad and Freecad for KISYS3DMOD.
We tried it on few computer, and we find out, that when FreeCAD is instaled from Debian repo, its working almost perfecty.
good :)
Szymix13 wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 2:58 pm My FreeCAD is downloaded from Flatpak, because Debian verions was crashing, when trying to open/create anything.
Maybe there is some problem with code.
1. He is not loading file, that is in correct path:
FC error: "error missing /usr/share/kicad/modules/packages3d/Connector_PinSocket_2.54mm.3dshapes/PinSocket_2x20_P2.54mm_Vertical.step"
I can find this file in terminal.

2. Same goes with error when starting FC:
/home/**********/.var/app/org.freecadweb.FreeCAD/config/FreeCAD/user.conf.kicad_pcb
/home/**********/.var/app/org.freecadweb.FreeCAD/config/FreeCAD/user.kicad_mod

Both files can be found when using terminal.
never tried with Flatpack... anyway it seems something related to file access permissions...
the folder '/usr/share/kicad/modules/packages3d/' unfortunately is on high privilegies

Szymix13 wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 2:58 pm We will try tomorrow setting it up, or trying to run Debian version.
Also, maybe i should try running macro instead of addon WB?

Do you have any idea, what is causing this problems?

As for the Kicad project, we tried our own but we also used Templates from Kicad such as RaspberryPi and Arduino.
I don't know your OS, but have you tried with the App image? it is self containing...
https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD/rele ... 4.AppImage
Szymix13
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 10:41 am

Re: kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Post by Szymix13 »

easyw-fc wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 3:13 pm
Szymix13 wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 2:58 pm Yes, the paths are the same in Kicad and Freecad for KISYS3DMOD.
We tried it on few computer, and we find out, that when FreeCAD is instaled from Debian repo, its working almost perfecty.
good :)
Szymix13 wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 2:58 pm My FreeCAD is downloaded from Flatpak, because Debian verions was crashing, when trying to open/create anything.
Maybe there is some problem with code.
1. He is not loading file, that is in correct path:
FC error: "error missing /usr/share/kicad/modules/packages3d/Connector_PinSocket_2.54mm.3dshapes/PinSocket_2x20_P2.54mm_Vertical.step"
I can find this file in terminal.

2. Same goes with error when starting FC:
/home/**********/.var/app/org.freecadweb.FreeCAD/config/FreeCAD/user.conf.kicad_pcb
/home/**********/.var/app/org.freecadweb.FreeCAD/config/FreeCAD/user.kicad_mod

Both files can be found when using terminal.
never tried with Flatpack... anyway it seems something related to file access permissions...
the folder '/usr/share/kicad/modules/packages3d/' unfortunately is on high privilegies

Szymix13 wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 2:58 pm We will try tomorrow setting it up, or trying to run Debian version.
Also, maybe i should try running macro instead of addon WB?

Do you have any idea, what is causing this problems?

As for the Kicad project, we tried our own but we also used Templates from Kicad such as RaspberryPi and Arduino.
I don't know your OS, but have you tried with the App image? it is self containing...
https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD/rele ... 4.AppImage
Ok, so here is what we find out about it:

Looks like most of those issues are related to sand-boxing of flatpak apps - FreeCAD has access to strictly defined resources and kicad 3d packages were not one of them. I mitigated this problem by manually copying 3d packages to a path available to sandboxed FreeCAD.

-The first issue with user.conf.kicad_pcb and user.kicad_mod is still there but the import works despite that.
-When defining path, I had to add '/' at the end of KISYS3DMOD, otherwise it joined the path incorrectly. What is funny, on the other PC we had to remove "/", because otherwise there was "//" shown in pop up error message.
-Also what we find out, that WB have problem importing files, that were not in the official Kicad library. Even creating one of Aruindo's template, some files were missing. Not sure if its still our local problem, or you have to correct something.

But in the end it is working, and i hope gonna help us a lot so thanks for creating such WB.
Cheers!
User avatar
easyw-fc
Veteran
Posts: 3630
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2015 9:34 am

Re: kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Post by easyw-fc »

Szymix13 wrote: Thu Jan 10, 2019 11:10 am Ok, so here is what we find out about it:

Looks like most of those issues are related to sand-boxing of flatpak apps - FreeCAD has access to strictly defined resources and kicad 3d packages were not one of them. I mitigated this problem by manually copying 3d packages to a path available to sandboxed FreeCAD.
Good to know
Szymix13 wrote: Thu Jan 10, 2019 11:10 am -The first issue with user.conf.kicad_pcb and user.kicad_mod is still there but the import works despite that.
-When defining path, I had to add '/' at the end of KISYS3DMOD, otherwise it joined the path incorrectly. What is funny, on the other PC we had to remove "/", because otherwise there was "//" shown in pop up error message.
This is happening only with flatpack... never had this isdue reported
Szymix13 wrote: Thu Jan 10, 2019 11:10 am-Also what we find out, that WB have problem importing files, that were not in the official Kicad library. Even creating one of Aruindo's template, some files were missing. Not sure if its still our local problem, or you have to correct something.
When using 3d models in an alternate location, you need to map the rooth of your model path to the kicad StepUp fc preferences...
That will allow you to map an extra 3d library location easily.
User avatar
easyw-fc
Veteran
Posts: 3630
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2015 9:34 am

Re: kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Post by easyw-fc »

Deleted doubled post
cb88
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2019 6:40 pm

Re: kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Post by cb88 »

STP and STEP are used for the file extension of STEP files... but the StepUp ignores those that use .step

Untill now I have been able to work around this but some of the official part libraries now how .step in them.
Post Reply