KiCad

Here is a collection of notes about the peculiarities of KiCad I have found while learning to work with it.

Missing 3D model of parts after STEP export

I had added some STEP models to some footprints in the library that were missing it and it all seemed to work fine until I exported the whole PCB project to a STEP file and all the models I had added were missing. I had downloaded the official KiCad 3D models from the GitHub repository into a directory called kicad-packages3D. At the same level I had made a directory called custom where I had put all the STEP files that were missing. In the footprint editor for each component I added the correct STEP file located in the custom directory and it showed up in the KiCad 3D viewer but not after export.

The solution to this problem seems to be to put everything under the main kicad-packages3D directory instead. If I make a directory called kicad-packages3D/custom.3shapes and add the new STEP files there instead and set the correct link in KiCad the STEP export of the PCB works!

Working directory structure

|-kicad-packages3D
|---custom.3shapes
|-----part_1.step
|-----part_2.step

Not working directory structure

|-kicad-packages3D
|-custom
|---part_1.step
|---part_2.step