Author Topic: KiCAD and Vacuum Tubes (Valve)  (Read 7822 times)

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Offline kd4e

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Re: KiCAD and Vacuum Tubes (Valve)
« Reply #25 on: December 06, 2024, 04:43:01 pm »
Thanks!

I printed your instructions and picture and will see what I can make of it.

It's fun to learn new things, especially useful tools like this.
 

Offline langwadt

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Re: KiCAD and Vacuum Tubes (Valve)
« Reply #26 on: December 06, 2024, 05:04:32 pm »
Now the VRML

afaik the prefer format is now step files because they can be exported with the step file for the whole board 
 

Offline CatalinaWOWTopic starter

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Re: KiCAD and Vacuum Tubes (Valve)
« Reply #27 on: December 06, 2024, 07:19:52 pm »
Now the VRML

afaik the prefer format is now step files because they can be exported with the step file for the whole board

I am learning KiCad.  And a tutorial I used to learn how to incorporate 3D models said that vrml was preferred.  I don't have a dog in the fight, so I included both.  For reasons I don't understand I have had problems with one or the other formats on some models.  This is a hobby, not a career for me, so I may or may not ever get to the bottom of the reasons why one might choose one or the other.
 

Offline langwadt

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Re: KiCAD and Vacuum Tubes (Valve)
« Reply #28 on: December 07, 2024, 03:45:34 pm »
Now the VRML

afaik the prefer format is now step files because they can be exported with the step file for the whole board

I am learning KiCad.  And a tutorial I used to learn how to incorporate 3D models said that vrml was preferred.  I don't have a dog in the fight, so I included both.  For reasons I don't understand I have had problems with one or the other formats on some models.  This is a hobby, not a career for me, so I may or may not ever get to the bottom of the reasons why one might choose one or the other.

vrml is for when you want to render pretty pictures, if you want to export the complete board and component as step to mechanical cad you need step

the export function has an option to replace vrml with step for export if you have both files

 

Offline CatalinaWOWTopic starter

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Re: KiCAD and Vacuum Tubes (Valve)
« Reply #29 on: December 07, 2024, 05:11:58 pm »
So for you STEP is the preferred format because you use that feature.  I was unaware that KiCad cannot export entire boards as VRML.  It does seem to render boards on screen in this format.  While the step files are sufficient for designing enclosures and verifying board to board clearances I submit that "pretty pictures" also have value and if this limitation of KiCad is true then it is a real deficiency.
 

Offline langwadt

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Re: KiCAD and Vacuum Tubes (Valve)
« Reply #30 on: December 07, 2024, 07:00:26 pm »
So for you STEP is the preferred format because you use that feature.  I was unaware that KiCad cannot export entire boards as VRML.  It does seem to render boards on screen in this format.  While the step files are sufficient for designing enclosures and verifying board to board clearances I submit that "pretty pictures" also have value and if this limitation of KiCad is true then it is a real deficiency.

kicad can export the entire board as VRML, but most mechanical cad wants a step file

and afaik VRML is sorta obsoleted or at-least superseded by something else
 

Offline kd4e

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Re: KiCAD and Vacuum Tubes (Valve)
« Reply #31 on: December 15, 2024, 06:23:34 pm »
Is VMRL obsoleted by KiCAD or the industry in general?

Are you aware of a document that explains the reasoning and timing of that, please?

Can STEP also render attractive looking layouts for web page display, printing, teaching tools, etc?

I'm also new to KiCAD and am trying to understand some of the why's, for's, when's, and how's.  :-)

Thanks.
 

Offline Doctorandus_P

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Re: KiCAD and Vacuum Tubes (Valve)
« Reply #32 on: December 15, 2024, 11:18:49 pm »
One problem with VRML is that it does not have a standardized size for what a "unit" is. And as of both metric and banana units are not bad enough, I can miss another ambiguous unit size as toothache. That alone is enough reason for me to avoid VRML wherever possible.
 

Offline CatalinaWOWTopic starter

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Re: KiCAD and Vacuum Tubes (Valve)
« Reply #33 on: December 15, 2024, 11:34:47 pm »
I am only a little ahead of you, but can provide a little information.  Current .step files do not provide all of the information required for photorealistic rendering.  But can store color information which is attractive enough for some. 

KiCad's commitment to photorealistic rendering does not seem solid.  I guess if you want photorealistic you can export .step, import it into Blender or other graphics program and define materials yourself.
 

Offline uniquecreativeusername

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Re: KiCAD and Vacuum Tubes (Valve)
« Reply #34 on: December 24, 2024, 09:14:04 am »
I've run into a bit of a snag using this library -- Many of the symbols are not present, and there doesn't seem to be a specific column for them in the spreadsheet. Does one of the columns ("test" maybe?) provide information to convert from the tube name to a specific symbol, or is there another step needed to get the appropriate symbol for a specific tube?
 

Offline CatalinaWOWTopic starter

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Re: KiCAD and Vacuum Tubes (Valve)
« Reply #35 on: December 24, 2024, 04:31:04 pm »
As mentioned in the opening post I just got tired of creating symbols and left the rest as an exercise for the user.   I only completed about a third of the symbols.  Maybe I will return to this during the cold winter months, but I make no promises.   I will attach a modified version of the Excel file which identifies whether a particular tube type has a symbol in the existing database.  The terminal diagram column identifies the correct base diagram symbol for each tube.  There are .jpg files for all of the tubes I included in the base diagram .zip file.

I find it easiest to generate another symbol by finding a reasonably good match in one of the existing symbols (pentode, dual triode - something that is a good starting point) and then opening that symbol and saving as the new symbol name.  Then import the .jpg image and modify the symbol as required.

When you have all the ones you need complete, perhaps you could post them here as an aid to others.
 
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