{"id":986,"date":"2024-10-31T13:12:12","date_gmt":"2024-10-31T12:12:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redero.fr\/?p=986"},"modified":"2025-09-19T21:53:38","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T19:53:38","slug":"converting-3d-models-from-easyeda-to-kicad-using-freecad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redero.fr\/?p=986&lang=en","title":{"rendered":"Converting 3D models from EasyEDA to KiCAD using FreeCAD"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-peertube wp-block-embed-peertube\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" title=\"Converting 3D models from EasyEDA to KICAD using FreeCAD\" width=\"500\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/video.mugoreve.fr\/videos\/embed\/e748c79c-b717-4150-991c-2bb1e3482eda#?secret=NqflVowvHJ\" data-secret=\"NqflVowvHJ\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">3D component models are not mandatory in a PCB design, but they come in handy to check footprints and potential mechanical collisions. In this video, I export a 3D modelisation from EasyEDA, the JLCPCB EDA solution, to fan&rsquo;s favourite KiCAD, using the open-source 3D design software FreeCAD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trick EasyEDA into exporting a solid<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">EasyEDA is a CAD solution provided by JLCPCB, and it has ready-made designs for most components in the LCSC\/JLCPCB catalogue. Unfortunately, there is no quick export from EasyEDA to KiCAD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Login to EasyEDA with your JLCPCB login, and select Standard version. It will open an online PCB EDA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Create a project: it will automatically create a blank schematics. Add the component you want to the schematics and save it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Next, create a PCB for your project, save it, and import your component in it. The 3D view should show you your component.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Move your component to the axis 0, and move the PCB shape away from the component. Then, export the PCB 3D view as 3D OBJ file: it contains your component 3D as well as a bit of PCB that we will remove in FreeCAD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Modify your 3D in FreeCAD<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unzip the export from EasyEDA and use FreeCAD to open the .obj file. It should display the component and PCB.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open the \u00ab\u00a0Mesh\u00a0\u00bb workbench. Select the component in the hierarchy panel and use the \u00ab\u00a0Cut mesh\u00a0\u00bb tool to separate component and PCB.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, select the \u00ab\u00a0Scale&#8230;\u00a0\u00bb tool to apply a 1\/10 transformation: input a 0.1 scaling factor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since the offset was modified by the scaling operation, your object is now out of focus. Right-click and \u00ab\u00a0Fit all\u00a0\u00bb will make your object appear on screen again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Display the axis with View > Toggle axis cross, and unzoom until you can see it. In order to have an estimate of the coordinates, use the \u00ab\u00a0Measure distance\u00a0\u00bb tool, aka the ruler: you can display the ruler point coordinates in the \u00ab\u00a0Data\u00a0\u00bb panel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, click on your component, and fix the offset with the Edit > Placement&#8230; menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are some magic offset values you can try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">X -402<br>Y 323,4<br>Z -1<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Click on the dice on the top-left corner to display the top view and fine-tune your offset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once your scale and offset are done, export the object with File > Export&#8230; and use VRML format (.wrl extension).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Import in your KiCAD component<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open the Footprint Editor, and select your custom component. Go to File > Footprint Properties&#8230; and switch to the 3rd tab, \u00ab\u00a03D Model\u00a0\u00bb. Open your VRML file in the tab and check that your alignment and size is correct. You can rotate the component with a left click.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Side note about the format<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For KiCAD component models, you should also provide a STEP file, which is a more complete description of a solid than VRML or OBJ are. But this is all we can get without redrawing the shape from scratch, and it still is pretty useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Video tutorial for your favourite EDA!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":988,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[91,84,45],"class_list":["post-986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog_en","tag-freecad-en","tag-kicad","tag-video-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/redero.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/986","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/redero.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/redero.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redero.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redero.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=986"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/redero.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/986\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1006,"href":"https:\/\/redero.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/986\/revisions\/1006"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redero.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/988"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/redero.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redero.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redero.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}