When you create a parametric model in FreeCAD. The model will look very bland. You can add different colors to your 3d model face and you can even make your model transparent to help view the underneath wireframes.
But when you have to present the work to a more general audience you can’t really show a dull-colored 3D object. You need to have the 3D model in some rendering environment which will add colors, shadows, lights, a camera, etc.
12mm Button CAP in FreeCad
As you can see in the above image it is not very pleasing to look at. It will not look very good on a website or printed in a pamphlet.
So we export the 3d model from the FreeCAD to a .stl file.
That STL file will be imported into the blender software.
There in the blender environment, we can add different lights, cameras, colors, and textures to make it look more pleasing to view and create a nice scene.
12mm Buttom Cap TOP view12mm Buttom Cap Bottom view
As you can see these images are more presentable to a wider audience.
They are two software packages designed by two independent teams. Both of them are free to use.
To create a product you will need an enclosure that will house all the essential components inside it. And this enclosure can be built in FreeCAD.
I am using FreeCAD 0.20.1
There are some Addons that I have installed.
You can install Addon from “Tools > Addon Manager”
KiCad StepUP workbench
Glass
PieMenu
A2Plus (for making assembly from different individual parts)
Fasteners Workbench (Easy to use the preconstructed model of many standard nuts, bolts, screws, washers, etc.)
KiCad StepUP workbench provides an ECAD-MCAD collaboration tool.
From what I learned in FreeCAD you create Sketch that can be exported to KiCad PCB.
The KiCad uses the Sketch created in the FreeCAD as Edge Cuts.
Edge Cuts are the outline of the PCB in which all your components along with all the tracks, via, hole, and other miscellaneous items must reside.
Youtube video from user mathcodeprint
This video demonstrates a basic example.
It is not a perfect collaborating tool. There are other software tools available from big companies but they are not affordable for a budding engineer.
The ECAD/MCAD collabration proccess:
Design your schematic in Kicad.
Assign Footprint and make sure that each footprint have a 3d model assigned to its footprint.
make a pcb and update the component from the schematics. place a grid origin. Using the grid origin draw a rectangle in the edge cut layer.
Save the pcb.
After doing the above steps open the PCB in the FreeCAD KiCadStepUp workbench.
Load the PCB into the freecad environment using the “ksu PushPull > Load Board” option
Make changes to the sketch and the 3d model.
If you select a 3d model and make changes to its position.
To make changes to the 3d model. You have to select that particular model. And then you have to select the model from the Model view. Right click on the model in the Model view and select Transform.
Three orthogonal arrow will be preseneted to you in three different color. You can move the model by selecting the conical arrow heads.
You have to push the changes by selecting that model into the kicad pcb.
After you have saved the kicad will automatically adust its footprint automatically.
It is this PUSH PULL method of making the changes to your pcb dimension and component positions.
