kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

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Murmele
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Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2017 1:24 pm

Re: kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Post by Murmele »

Is there a way to define multiple paths, where stepup searches for the 3D model? In the pcb file is the information where KiCad find the 3D model.
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easyw-fc
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Re: kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Post by easyw-fc »

Murmele wrote: Mon Aug 13, 2018 8:26 pm Is there a way to define multiple paths, where stepup searches for the 3D model? In the pcb file is the information where KiCad find the 3D model.
please have a look at kicadStepUp-cheat-sheet.pdf
you can configure up to two searching paths in the 'ksu-config.ini' file

Code: Select all

[prefix3D]
;; put here your kisys3dmod path or 3d model prefix path or 3d alias
;; only two prefixs are allowed; must finish with slash or backslash
prefix3d_1 = C:\Program Files\KiCad\share\kicad\modules\packages3d\
prefix3d_2 = D:\extra3Dpackages
the second one can be assigned as an internal Environment Variable i.e. My3DMods in KiCAD
paths searched:
* KISYS3DMOD assigned to prefix3d_1
* KIPRJMOD
* an assigned KiCAD environment Var assigned to prefix3d_2
M
some tips here:
https://forum.kicad.info/t/kicad-stepup ... ias/3049/8
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easyw-fc
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Re: kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Post by easyw-fc »

KiCAD StepUp is now adding a Seamless ECAD/MCAD PCB Data Integration :)
  • Push/Pull 3D model placement from/to KiCAD board
    to/from FreeCAD mechanical design.
  • It is possible to move 3D packages around on the 3D
    PCB mechanical sw, via both the X and Y axis.
  • Tracks will not be touched by the placements done in
    the MCAD sw. All the routing will remain in KiCAD.
The syncing process can be done even if the board is (fully) routed (i.e. when a new release requires some mechanical reviews).
  1. Pull KiCAD board inside FreeCAD
  2. Move and Align the 3D model to the new placement in the
    enclosure
  3. Arrange the components nearby the new placement
  4. Move and Align the mounting holes to the enclosure
    support
  5. Sync the kicad_pcb board file within the new design
  6. Check the result inside KiCAD and reroute the tracks
    that are affected by the new placement
This ECAD / MCAD process is a bi-directional PCB Data Integration with the ability to propose, accept or reject changes synchronously or asynchronously as seen on most powerful commercial CADs.

here a small demo:
phpBB [video]
mlampert
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Re: kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Post by mlampert »

wow - this is way cool!
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nemesis
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Location: France, Lyon

Re: kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Post by nemesis »

looks impressive, even if it is absolutely not my field of knowledge, but is this comparable to what you can do we "professional software" ? (if it exists)
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easyw-fc
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Re: kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Post by easyw-fc »

nemesis wrote: Sun Sep 02, 2018 12:28 pm looks impressive, even if it is absolutely not my field of knowledge, but is this comparable to what you can do we "professional software" ? (if it exists)
Thanks for the appreciation! :D
Regarding commercial sw you can have a look at the common method with a simple G search
https://www.google.com/search?q=ecad+mcad+synchronize
Most of well known brands are using a similar way of collaboration...
The relative origin doc is here
ProSTEP-iViP_Use-Case_ECAD-MCAD-Collaboration_1.0.pdf
It is mainly based on an extension of IDF format plus an XML for recording the diffs.
Obviously they invested a lot on the plugins Gui and usability...

Anyway, the diff approach could be easily achieved just comparing the placement of all objects in two source files.

Moreover the nice thing with my approach is that can be handled just using a plain STEP file, so only the ECAD designer would require to play with FreeCAD. The MCAD designer could use his/her preferred (commercial) CAD sw without even the need of a plugin.

Moreover the process could be even automated as a plugins, if the process would be improved for using the generated placement diff file.
:)
Maurice
Last edited by easyw-fc on Tue Oct 23, 2018 3:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
antoniovazquezblanco
Posts: 48
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 12:42 pm

Re: kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Post by antoniovazquezblanco »

Hi, as instructed in other threads I have used the addon macro to update my step up WB installtion but I still have some issues with it:

Code: Select all

FreeCAD 0.18, Libs: 0.18R14996 (Git)
© Juergen Riegel, Werner Mayer, Yorik van Havre 2001-2018
  #####                 ####  ###   ####  
  #                    #      # #   #   # 
  #     ##  #### ####  #     #   #  #   # 
  ####  # # #  # #  #  #     #####  #   # 
  #     #   #### ####  #    #     # #   # 
  #     #   #    #     #    #     # #   #  ##  ##  ##
  #     #   #### ####   ### #     # ####   ##  ##  ##

A3 not available
Cannot find icon: /home/anton/.FreeCAD/Mod/kicadStepUpMod/Resources/icons/Tracks.svg
ksuWB.Activated(v 7.8.1)
No module named 'git'
GitPython not found. Using standard download instead.
Downloading https://github.com/easyw/kicadStepUpMod/archive/master.zip
PoM not present
FC Version 018-14996
no Links support
kicad StepUp version 8.1.0.9
tolerance on vertex applied
applying Materials to Shapes
your home path is /home/anton
export to STEP False
Tabified done !
done!
KISYS3DMOD=/
module_3D_dir=//../
FC Version 018
VBO status False
FootPrint Loader /home/anton/Projects/KiCad/kicad-footprints/Button_Switch_SMD.pretty/SW_SPST_KMR2.kicad_mod
SW_SPST_KMR2_fp
import3DModel

ReadShapeCompoundMode status False
Running the Python command 'ksuToolsImport3DStep' failed:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/anton/.FreeCAD/Mod/kicadStepUpMod/kicadStepUpCMD.py", line 359, in Activated
    kicadStepUptools.Import3DModelF()
  File "/home/anton/.FreeCAD/Mod/kicadStepUpMod/kicadStepUptools.py", line 14923, in Import3DModelF
    ImportGui.insert(name, doc.Name)

cannot read STEP file
The log corresponds to an attempt to add a step file to an already opened FP.

Thanks!
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easyw-fc
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Re: kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Post by easyw-fc »

antoniovazquezblanco wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 2:26 pm Hi, as instructed in other threads I have used the addon macro to update my step up WB installtion but I still have some issues with it:

Code: Select all

FreeCAD 0.18, Libs: 0.18R14996 (Git)
© Juergen Riegel, Werner Mayer, Yorik van Havre 2001-2018
  #####                 ####  ###   ####  
  #                    #      # #   #   # 
  #     ##  #### ####  #     #   #  #   # 
  ####  # # #  # #  #  #     #####  #   # 
  #     #   #### ####  #    #     # #   # 
  #     #   #    #     #    #     # #   #  ##  ##  ##
  #     #   #### ####   ### #     # ####   ##  ##  ##

A3 not available
Cannot find icon: /home/anton/.FreeCAD/Mod/kicadStepUpMod/Resources/icons/Tracks.svg
ksuWB.Activated(v 7.8.1)
No module named 'git'
GitPython not found. Using standard download instead.
Downloading https://github.com/easyw/kicadStepUpMod/archive/master.zip
PoM not present
FC Version 018-14996
no Links support
kicad StepUp version 8.1.0.9
tolerance on vertex applied
applying Materials to Shapes
your home path is /home/anton
export to STEP False
Tabified done !
done!
KISYS3DMOD=/
module_3D_dir=//../
FC Version 018
VBO status False
FootPrint Loader /home/anton/Projects/KiCad/kicad-footprints/Button_Switch_SMD.pretty/SW_SPST_KMR2.kicad_mod
SW_SPST_KMR2_fp
import3DModel

ReadShapeCompoundMode status False
Running the Python command 'ksuToolsImport3DStep' failed:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/anton/.FreeCAD/Mod/kicadStepUpMod/kicadStepUpCMD.py", line 359, in Activated
    kicadStepUptools.Import3DModelF()
  File "/home/anton/.FreeCAD/Mod/kicadStepUpMod/kicadStepUptools.py", line 14923, in Import3DModelF
    ImportGui.insert(name, doc.Name)

cannot read STEP file
The log corresponds to an attempt to add a step file to an already opened FP.

Thanks!
After an update of the WB you need to restart FreeCAD.
restart-after-update.png
restart-after-update.png (16.19 KiB) Viewed 4106 times

From your log it is clear you didn't.
Please retry after closing and restarting FreeCAD.
antoniovazquezblanco
Posts: 48
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 12:42 pm

Re: kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Post by antoniovazquezblanco »

easyw-fc wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 3:23 pm After an update of the WB you need to restart FreeCAD.
From your log it is clear you didn't.
Please retry after closing and restarting FreeCAD.
Sorry, I've copied the log of an attempt in which I didn't restart but in others I did restart without success. I have another log showing the same error:

Code: Select all

⇢ ./FreeCAD_0.18.14996_Conda_Py3Qt5_glibc2.12-x86_64.AppImage
/tmp/.mount_FreeCA8xwxZL
FreeCAD 0.18, Libs: 0.18R14996 (Git)
© Juergen Riegel, Werner Mayer, Yorik van Havre 2001-2018
  #####                 ####  ###   ####  
  #                    #      # #   #   # 
  #     ##  #### ####  #     #   #  #   # 
  ####  # # #  # #  #  #     #####  #   # 
  #     #   #### ####  #    #     # #   # 
  #     #   #    #     #    #     # #   #  ##  ##  ##
  #     #   #### ####   ### #     # ####   ##  ##  ##

A3 not available
ksuWB.Activated(v 7.8.1)
PoM not present
FC Version 018-14996
no Links support
kicad StepUp version 8.1.0.9
tolerance on vertex applied
applying Materials to Shapes
your home path is /home/anton
export to STEP False
Tabified done !
done!
KISYS3DMOD=/
module_3D_dir=//../
FC Version 018
VBO status False
FootPrint Loader /home/anton/Projects/KiCad/kicad-footprints/Button_Switch_SMD.pretty/SW_SPST_KMR2.kicad_mod
SW_SPST_KMR2_fp
import3DModel

ReadShapeCompoundMode status False
Running the Python command 'ksuToolsImport3DStep' failed:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/anton/.FreeCAD/Mod/kicadStepUpMod/kicadStepUpCMD.py", line 359, in Activated
    kicadStepUptools.Import3DModelF()
  File "/home/anton/.FreeCAD/Mod/kicadStepUpMod/kicadStepUptools.py", line 14923, in Import3DModelF
    ImportGui.insert(name, doc.Name)

cannot read STEP file
How can I improve the logging I have provided? Thanks!
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easyw-fc
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Re: kicad StepUp: ECAD MCAD bidirectional collaboration

Post by easyw-fc »

antoniovazquezblanco wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 3:45 pm How can I improve the logging I have provided? Thanks!
that's weird...
I've tested StepUp on
FreeCAD_0.18.14996_Conda_Py3Qt5_glibc2.12-x86_64.AppImage
and Ubuntu 18.04
I can load the fp you tested without any issue...
appimage.gif
appimage.gif (368.15 KiB) Viewed 4089 times
here my log

Code: Select all

PoM not present
FC Version 018-14996
no Links support
kicad StepUp version 8.1.0.9
tolerance on vertex applied
applying Materials to Shapes
your home path is /home/user
export to STEP False
Tabified done !
done!
KISYS3DMOD=/
module_3D_dir=//../
FC Version 018
VBO status False
FootPrint Loader /home/user/Downloads/SW_SPST_KMR2.kicad_mod
SW_SPST_KMR2_fp
You may try to delete the WB and re-install it... but still this is a very strange issue I never found...
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