kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Mário Luzeiro <mrluzeiro@xxxxx>]

Hi Maurice,

Thanks for the video and screenshots, they are a good demonstration what you can do with (new) KiCad 3D-Viewer and with external tools.

I don't need to be convinced. I have no doubts that is it possible to do anything with other tools, special, as they are all open source.
Your process looks a good process to me and you should announce it and ask for have it noticed in the right places.

You can do what you show us with your process using KiCad + FreeCAD + your scripts.

On other way, is KiCad software it self and what you can do with it.
What you did is not possible to do with just KiCad alone.

I think KiCad project should give you support and promote your tool for FreeCAD (eg: on webpage.. as a 3rd part tools.. etc),
another matter is if the KiCad software application can give similar results with an integrated solution.

They are two different things, they both can co-exist, both are valid processes that users could have as a choice.

Mario
________________________________________
From: easyw [easyw@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: 08 March 2016 22:18
To: Mário Luzeiro; KiCad Developers
Subject: Re: [Kicad-developers] 3D models: custom VRML export vs FreeCAD (OCE/Coin3D) VRML export

Hi Mario,
just to show you facts, not only words here some links
3d rendering of the crazyflie kicad board with all models in *VRML with
Material Properties* coming from my MCAD scripted libraries that I've
done with FreeCAD
here a video in which you can see Material Properties in action
https://youtu.be/DLLHttAPn3A
and some screenshots
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/easyw/kicad-3d-models-in-freecad/master/exportVRMLwColors/crazyflie-electronics-materials-vrml-no-warnings-kicad-OpenGL.png
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/easyw/kicad-3d-models-in-freecad/master/exportVRMLwColors/crazyflie-electronics-materials-vrml-no-warnings-kicad-OpenGL-bot.png
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/easyw/kicad-3d-models-in-freecad/master/exportVRMLwColors/crazyflie-electronics-materials-vrml-no-warnings-kicad-Raytracing.png
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/easyw/kicad-3d-models-in-freecad/master/exportVRMLwColors/crazyflie-electronics-materials-vrml-no-warnings-view3dscene.png
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/easyw/kicad-3d-models-in-freecad/master/exportVRMLwColors/crazyflie-electronics-materials-vrml-no-warnings.png
particularly you can see there are no warnings at all in view3dscene

And, just to pointed out what can be done in FreeCAD, as I said so many
times, kicad board and parts exported from FreeCAD as STEP model will
give you a MCAD model without any geometry issues...
just to remember, if needed again, what an user said 7 months ago when I
started kicad StepUp
https://lists.launchpad.net/kicad-developers/msg19243.html
> I was able to open the resulting file with following programs: Catia V5,
> PTC Creo Parametrics V2, Solid Edge ST7, Siemens NX10 and Solid Works.
>
> Thank you.
> Thomas

Cheers
Maurice

On 08/03/2016 14.42, easyw wrote:
> Hi Mario,
>> Probably Cirilo got the wrong movie room or it was not an IMAX
>> cinema... but in any case.. I think he is looking for an "home theater
>> cinema" solution.
> I will be one of the most happy fan of a direct integration of STEP in
> kicad, but I just don't want that a wrong message would pass
> FreeCAD developers are very nice and their effort is very strong... they
> are also on Google Summer Code ...
> for me FreeCAD solved many mechanical problems, as kicad did for ECAD
> environment, but you need to spend some time in learning how to use an
> instrument before saying that is good or bad IMO...
> If I would catch someone giving a bad reputation to kicad in i.e.
> eevblog forum, I would reply giving my point of view (as in fact I did) :)
>> .. aaand back to work..
> good-oh
>
> Maurice
>
> On 08/03/2016 13.22, Mário Luzeiro wrote:
>> Hi Maurice,
>>
>> In any case, Cirilo is looking for a solution for KiCad. No matter if
>> we like it or not. That are separated things.
>> Even if the quality is good or bad, he have to compare with something
>> and one thing would be a (good or bad) 3d plugin for (integration
>> with) kicad other will be a 3rd part tool (good or bad).
>>
>> So even if FreeCAD was perfect, it was not a KiCad software part.
>>
>> If you want watch a movie, you can go to the cinema or watch it at
>> home (if you have a home cinema player or something to play it).
>> At moment it is still not possible to watch a movie at home with
>> KiCad... if that becomes possible, people are still free to go to the
>> cinema.. because that are two different ways of watch a movie.
>>
>> Probably Cirilo got the wrong movie room or it was not an IMAX
>> cinema... but in any case.. I think he is looking for an "home theater
>> cinema" solution.
>>
>> Do not miss the scenes of the next episode... :) .. aaand back to work..
>>
>> MRL
>>
>> ________________________________________
>> From: easyw [easyw@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
>> Sent: 08 March 2016 11:48
>> To: Mário Luzeiro; Cirilo Bernardo; KiCad Developers
>> Subject: Re: [Kicad-developers] 3D models: custom VRML export vs
>> FreeCAD (OCE/Coin3D) VRML export
>>
>> Hi,
>>>   Why do you say that is anyone (where?) against FreeCAD?
>> you don't see anything against FreeCAD quality here?
>>> 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:
>> or there?
>>> cbernardo
>>> Jan 20
>>> xavierw
>>> Thanks for pointing out the problem with FreeCAD bloating the STEP
>>> files. For me that means that I'll have to go create a lightweight
>>> STEP library for kicad some time in the future. I already have an
>>> IGES library which is capable of creating PCB mechanical assembly
>>> models but (a) I need to make some large changes to kicad so that
>>> Export functions can be implemented by plugins and (b) my library has
>>> no provisions to actually display a model. Since I only work on the
>>> code in what little spare time I have, it will be a year or more
>>> before we see any such features in kicad. At least for now there's
>>> FreeCAD, even if it bloats the models by a ridiculous amount.
>> https://forum.kicad.info/t/3d-new-library-for-mechanical-cad-exporting-and-enclosure-design/1763/94
>>
>>> Anyway, I guess this is the right place if there are technical
>>> discussions or technical help need!
>> and I'm giving just technical help on what I consider not correct
>> information on FreeCAD comparison to help people not following wrong
>> advices...
>>
>>> https://lists.launchpad.net/kicad-developers/msg11411.html
>>> Probably now a good time to recall it since the kicad stable is out
>>> and I believe we can add new features...
>> that would nice, but I suspect that he won't reply this mailing list
>> anymore ...
>>
>> Maurice
>>
>>
>> On 08/03/2016 12.17, Mário Luzeiro wrote:
>>>> 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!!!)
>>>
>>> Damn it! You mean Cirilo took 4 years!! to attend your requests?!
>>> That guy must be very lazy!.. :D
>>> I'm used to ask something and get it for free, impeccable, by the
>>> next day! (free shipping too!)
>>>
>>>
>>>> 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
>>>
>>> I had a look and it was not ignored, Wayne reply and he was happy:
>>> https://lists.launchpad.net/kicad-developers/msg11411.html
>>> I don't know why it didn't follow
>>> Probably now a good time to recall it since the kicad stable is out
>>> and I believe we can add new features...
>>>
>>>
>>>> you may have forgotten the files I already shared with you ...
>>>> https://sourceforge.net/projects/kicadstepup/files/prjs/HACK-master-R2.7z/download
>>>>
>>>
>>> Maybe Cirilo would like to have a look and compare, I dont have the
>>> plugin he is developing...
>>>
>>>
>>>>> 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
>>>
>>> Why do you say that is anyone (where?) against FreeCAD?
>>>
>>> When you do some work, you have the main software (i.e: KiCad) and
>>> you can have multiple 3rd part softwares that can help you doing the
>>> job, special for open source softwares, it is natural to use multiple
>>> tools.
>>>
>>> The thing is, here is the KiCad (software) developers mailing list :)
>>> So it is natural that we are more focused on KiCad development as the
>>> software. (On other side, the KiCad libraries have another mailing
>>> list... )
>>> I dont know which department should be responsible for promote 3rd
>>> part tools (ok I know it is a bit mixed here on this mailing list)
>>> but maybe someone related with webpage and community should give more
>>> visibility to 3rd part tools.
>>> Anyway, I guess this is the right place if there are technical
>>> discussions or technical help need!
>>>
>>> Cheers!
>>> Mario Luzeiro
>>>