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Quality on current 3D models and MCAD formats on KiCad

To: "kicad-lib-committers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <kicad-lib-committers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Mário Luzeiro <mrluzeiro@xxxxx>
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 2016 10:36:39 +0000
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Thread-topic: Quality on current 3D models and MCAD formats on KiCad

Hello all,

Thanks for Carl Poirier to add me here to the mailing list.

I am Mario Luzeiro, I am contributing in last years to the KiCad 3D-Viewer.
I am recently working in the 3D-Viewer refactor with Cirilo (3D plugins for load 3d files)
https://code.launchpad.net/~mrluzeiro/kicad/kicad_new3d-viewer

There are two points I was looking to discuss hopping that we can have a better 3d (default) library on Kicad.

The first point is about the "quality" of the 3d model files (VRML models)

One of the most important are the (bad) materials that are assigned in the VRML files.
I made recently a tutorial where I explain some of this issues in the models and how to assigned proper material values:
https://forum.kicad.info/t/tutorial-and-guidelines-for-better-materials-on-3d-models/2321
Basically, they have improper values for "emissive", "shininess", etc.. Some also may have a bad normals in the models and would be better that kicad calculate it the normals by itself.

The second point is that I found an increase for the use of MCAD (eg: STEP format) models that can be used later for mechanical validation.
I know that there are some authors that are develop some models in STEP and then export for the VRML format that kicad can support.
They have interest in add their contributions for the kicad library:
https://github.com/KiCad/kicad-library/issues/186
So this proposal would be to accept still the VRML file but with other (other than WINGs) formats that can be used for MCAD proposes.

This two points together could contribute for a better quality and support of the kicad 3D default library,
so it could be used with 3rd part softwars for mechanical validation (the VRML format is not proper for mechanical validation since there are no units )

Are you open to discuss some of this points and if we can do something to improve the 3D model library of KiCad ?

I am available to give some help or guidance in order to see this points improved on KiCad.
Since I am working in a new 3D-Viewer render, the quality of models will have a high importance to get good looking renders. So in order to see my work to shine, the models have to be shining too! ;)

Regards,
Mario Luzeiro