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Iain Wilkie
United Kingdom
1015 Posts |
 Posted - 17 Feb 2018 : 21:10:04
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Folks, you might want to check out www.ecad.io if you want to convert your PCB layout to 3D step files.
I am very impressed with it. It’s free and web based so you can use it on any platform.
Give it a go, I’m sure you’ll be amazed once you get the hang of it !
You will need the IDF output add-on.
Iain |
Edited by - Iain Wilkie on 18 Feb 2018 17:06:27 |
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toni9999
United Kingdom
39 Posts |
Posted - 19 Feb 2018 : 14:10:24
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You can also do it using RS designspark mechanical which has a built in library for replacing components with manufacture step models.
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Iain Wilkie
United Kingdom
1015 Posts |
Posted - 19 Feb 2018 : 20:06:19
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Toni,
Just had a quick look at this and looks very interesting. I’m worried about ecad.io as there seems to be very little activity from the developers and the forum is stagnant and even crashes.
So Designspark Mechanical looks a great alternative.
If you upload an IDF, how easy is it to say, select a part on the board and replace it with its 3D equivalent ?
Iain |
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toni9999
United Kingdom
39 Posts |
Posted - 26 Feb 2018 : 14:30:19
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With my limited playing it is quite easy.
On the IDF export make sure you select designspark format.
Then create a new design in designspark click import PCB and select the idb file.
Once it has imported you expand the board you imported find the component you want to replace and right click source replace component.
Select the step file you have downloaded and it will replace the block with the step model.
You may have to realign the step file component as its origin is unlikely to be the same.
It may be possible to make it work using the download 3d model function but i had issues with java on my machine
Regards,
Antoni |
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Iain Wilkie
United Kingdom
1015 Posts |
Posted - 26 Feb 2018 : 19:46:04
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Hi Toni,
I did fiddle with this, the import if fine but altering/replacing with 3D components is not as elegant as with the ecad.io
However I suppose you can't have everything, at least this has the RS brand behind it so it longevity is hopefully guaranteed, I don't get any responses from ecad.io
However I did have another query I posted on the RS Designspark Mechanical forum but go no reply .... so it seems pretty dead as well !!
Just in case you can answer, my query was as how you can alter the height of a component block ... at the moment I can use PULL or MOVE but they only seem to work deferentially, only giving the distance as a displacement from the original. I would like to be able to click a clock and type its height.
Iain
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toni9999
United Kingdom
39 Posts |
Posted - 27 Feb 2018 : 13:53:24
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The way i found to do it was place a dimension from where you want it to where it needs to be then click move then select the block (usually easier from the tree) or the other way round.
Then click the arrow in the direction you want to move and on the dimension you should see a white star (or something like that) then you can type in the value you want the dimension to be and it will move the part to that point.
Think you can also click move then select the block (usually easier from the tree) or the other way round Then click the arrow in the direction you want to move then just type how far you want it to move.
you can also do stuff with anchor points and move to function
https://designspark.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/211825825-Easy-way-to-mate-parts-
Hope that makes sense and helps.
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IDF to 3D STEP