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Re: 3D models: custom VRML export vs FreeCAD (OCE/Coin3D) VRML export

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Hi Mario,

I think it is subtended that Cirilo was comparing that with original FreeCAD VRML exporter
me too ... if you use FreeCAD i.e. 0.14 (two years old) you cannot compare results as you couldn't from kicad revision 4022 and kicad now... if you don't export the VRML file with the right representation in FreeCAD you cannot compare results (i.e. at least you need to display the model shaded before export it) ... etc... Moreover there is also kicad StepUp VRML exporter which is optimized for kicad and blender, with smaller size and easily parsing... but this is another story :) 
Looks like Cirilo is trying to develop a 3d plugin for KiCad, this is a different process and it is ok to have different processes and they all coexist.

I will be very happy to see import and export STEP format in kicad...
if you look at kicad mailing list, yahoo etc. I've been in contact with Cirilo from about 4 years now :) and I was asking exactly this feature... but that was so in very low priority (years!!!) then I developed kicad StepUp externally of kicad for the reasons I already explained .... if you see the mailing list a guy already suggested to export STEP using his code in 2013, giving also a STEP file as an example, offering to share it, but he was ignored 
https://lists.launchpad.net/kicad-developers/msg11409.html
file stp model
https://lists.launchpad.net/kicad-developers/zipw8JoR_StIy.zip


Maybe you can propose a STEP file to Cirilo to test instead? So you can both compare your results?

you may have forgotten the files I already shared with you ...
https://sourceforge.net/projects/kicadstepup/files/prjs/HACK-master-R2.7z/download
and that you tested with your 3d-viewer branch
https://lists.launchpad.net/kicad-developers/pngF6QWCF3eDp.png
https://lists.launchpad.net/kicad-developers/msg23622.html
this is a fully portable project with all STEP models coming from FreeCAD (manually or parametric/script generated) and all VRML models exported with kicad StepUp macro for a better file size and Blender compatibility 


so I see nothing wrong with that and it does not do in any way an attack competition to your StepUP converter.
me either, but I cannot understand why there is a trend against FreeCAD which is the only opensource MCAD sw robust and featured that can managed STEP import and export without any issues I think that FreeCAD is the only alternative to commercial MCAD that can be used for MCAD designing, MCAD model creation in opensource environment 

Maurice


On 08/03/2016 10.48, Mário Luzeiro wrote:

Hi Maurice,

I think it is subtended that Cirilo was comparing that with original FreeCAD VRML exporter, so I see nothing wrong with that and it does not do in any way an attack competition to your StepUP converter.
Looks like Cirilo is trying to develop a 3d plugin for KiCad, this is a different process and it is ok to have different processes and they all coexist.

Maybe you can propose a STEP file to Cirilo to test instead? So you can both compare your results?
I could also suggest some very small VRML file output so you can share (with me!) and really have a look on its content.

Mario

________________________________________
From: Kicad-developers [kicad-developers-bounces+mrluzeiro=ua.pt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] on behalf of easyw [easyw@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: 08 March 2016 09:29
To: Cirilo Bernardo
Cc: KiCad Developers
Subject: Re: [Kicad-developers] 3D models: custom VRML export vs FreeCAD (OCE/Coin3D) VRML export

the problem with your comparison is a wrong way to export from FreeCAD...
if you use kicad in wrong way you could also say kicad is useless for
creating pcbs ...
if you share a STEP model you have made, or just with public license I
will make a comparison with that...
I have many STEP models for a real comparison, I did MCAD libraries for
MCAD collaboration with STEP and VRML models for kicad and they will not
give any warnings, or bad lighting model for VRML .... but that would be
on my point of view :)
I would show you what can be done with FreeCAD and kicad StepUP on your
side :)
Maurice

On 08/03/2016 10.14, Cirilo Bernardo wrote:

Unfortunately I can't share the STEP file since it is someone else's
proprietary data. But if you have a STEP assembly which we can all use
for a comparison of the different translators then we can do a test.

- Cirilo

On Tue, Mar 8, 2016 at 7:17 PM, easyw <easyw@xxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:easyw@xxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:

     would you mind to share the step file for a real comparison?


     On 08/03/2016 09.04, Cirilo Bernardo wrote:

         Hi folks,

            I'd just like to share a comparison of the OCE VRML export
         from my
         visualization experiments vs the FreeCAD VRML exporter.

         FreeCAD: file size ~28MB, >800 warnings about defects in the model,
            bad lighting model for VRML:

         https://drive.google.com/open?id=0By_XTJN-s8aXNF8xZnZvRGU0amM


         Custom OCE export (via the scenegraph library from kicad 3D work):
         ~14MB, no warnings, default lighting as per VRML2 specification.

         https://drive.google.com/open?id=0By_XTJN-s8aXVmRiSVFwYnNqZ1k

         Original STEP file size: ~15MB

         - Cirilo



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