EEVblog Electronics Community Forum
General => General Technical Chat => Topic started by: matrixofdynamism on May 16, 2023, 11:28:40 am
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I have dowloaded electronic component 3D CAD models from "3D Control Central", "Snap EDA" and "Ultra Librarian". I use them in the Altium Designer.
I curious to know what are the free relatively simple tools that can be used to create these 3D CAD models? I usually download a .STEP file of the model and then put it into Altium Designer using the 3D Body Placement feature.
On the 3D content central, the models are available in a lot of different formats. These are IFC 2x3 (*.ifc), IGES (*.igs), Inventor (*.sat), IronCAD (*.sat), JPEG Files (*.jpg), Mechanical Desktop (*.sat),
Parasolid Binary (*.x_b), Parasolid Text (*.x_t), Pro/E Part/Assembly (*.prt), Revit (*.sat), SDRC I-DEAS (*.step), SolidEdge (*.x_t), STEP (*.step), STL (*.stl), TIFF (*.tif), Unigraphics (*.x_t), VDA (*.vda), VRML (*.wrl) and Edrawing Part/Assembly (*.eprt). These are very numerous.
What I often need to do is to change some aspect of a 3D model downloaded from these websites. This could be required to create a new component's model or to make correction to an existing model.
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I've used FreeCAD a few times to change stuff in .step files for use in Altium.
But unless you are familiar with how cad software works it can be a bit of a steep learning curve to figure out how to change/edit stuff in FreeCAD.
If you can find a way to get Sketchup exports into .step files that is probably the easiest way to generate your own Altium models. It's doable but from memory you need some extra tool to convert from STL to STEP.
Actually, I think i used FreeCAD to do that once.
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If you use the footprint wizard, Altium can create STEP file for many different component types.
I use FreeCAD as well, mostly just to recolor things, when someone decides to upload their (usually terrible connector) model in bright pink or orange.
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I use freecad too. the learning curve is not trivial, but once you're used to it it's very powerful
and there are tons of tutorials on the net.
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I also use Freecad, at least for simple shapes. The most complicated one so far is a castellated GPS module. But first I search the usual sources for 3D models. I maintain my own KiCad library, and all my parts have a 3D model.
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https://www.eevblog.com/forum/3d-printing/recommendation-for-offline-windows-3d-modeling-program/ (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/3d-printing/recommendation-for-offline-windows-3d-modeling-program/)
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/what-software-do-you-use-for-3d-design-simulation-and-sketching/ (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/what-software-do-you-use-for-3d-design-simulation-and-sketching/)
https://grabcad.com/library?page=1&time=all_time&sort=popular&categories=electrical (https://grabcad.com/library?page=1&time=all_time&sort=popular&categories=electrical)
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TinkerCad might be an option. It is online and has some limitations, most noticeably with beveling but if that is not an important feature it's great. I've done very complex designs in it.
Because it has a limited toolbox it is also easy to learn.
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It would be great if you could export from free version of sketchup to a step file, but sadly you can't.
Maybe if you can find a tool to quickly turn a STL into STEP that might work. Command line would be ideal.
SketchUp can export STL, I use it all the time for 3D printing.
For creating 3D objects SketchUp is by far the quickest to learn
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You could give Fusion360 'free hobby licence' or even the 'new startup licence' (also free) a go one of the huge features linked into it is 3D models from a lot of Electronic and Mechanical suppliers from a lot of the bigger suppliers. There is a bunch of YouTube tutorials out there for Fusion.
This physical model I made was to design an enclosure around, it does contain more detail than strictly required for that but it is how I tend to do them. Most of the components were library ones and a couple were tweaked as you described as no model of the specific one was easy to find. Feel free to click the link below and or download the model for a play with Fusion or most CAD software packages.
(https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1040242609626554408/1134750875760472084/image.png)
https://a360.co/43UtFyM