Manipulator WorkBench

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mario52
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Re: Manipulator WorkBench

Post by mario52 »

hi

@easyw-fc here "une ébauche" center mesh in boundBox center on point 0,0,0 (object selected not 3 points)

and here create face (shape) on face (mesh) selected (you have the 3 points of face selected)

mario
Maybe you need a special feature, go into Macros_recipes and Code_snippets, Topological_data_scripting.
My macros on Gist.github here complete macros Wiki and forum.
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easyw-fc
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Re: Manipulator WorkBench

Post by easyw-fc »

mario52 wrote: Fri Jul 02, 2021 6:06 pmmario
Hi @mario,
thanks for your suggestions and code. Very useful as always.
Maurice
drmacro
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Re: Manipulator WorkBench

Post by drmacro »

I'm wondering if Manipulator WB can deal with the attached file.

I pared it down quite a bit so as to meet the forum size limits.

It is an assembly that was originally a STEP file.

You'll note there is a socket head screw the has been moved away from its intended location, the empty hole in the panel. (Like the other screws holding the round plates.)

If you select the edge of the hole and the screw as shown below and select Align objects the screw is not placed in the hole.
Screw_Hole_Select.png
Screw_Hole_Select.png (6.75 KiB) Viewed 4588 times
I this case it appears the coordinates of the screw are relative to the container created by the import. :?: :?:

I tried a couple different options in Manipulator, but did not succeed.

It works better if the screw is moved out of the container. The issue here is the normal of the screw need to be adjusted, but the placement is correct.

Is there a way to do this with Manipulator and I just haven't discovered it?
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easyw-fc
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Re: Manipulator WorkBench

Post by easyw-fc »

drmacro wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 12:35 pm I'm wondering if Manipulator WB can deal with the attached file.
There is an issue in Manipulator WB... it doesn't handle correctly an alignement when a top level 'Part' container has a non 'zero' placement.
There is a tool in kicadStepUp WB to reset the placement of a 'Part' contained assembly to 'zero', maintaining the actual position:
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reset-placement.gif
reset-placement.gif (843.03 KiB) Viewed 4519 times
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After having reset the placement of top 'Part' container, you can align the screw to the plate, unchecking the 'Part Hierarchy' checkbox
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alignin-inside-Part.gif
alignin-inside-Part.gif (879.04 KiB) Viewed 4519 times
drmacro
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Re: Manipulator WorkBench

Post by drmacro »

Thanks.

It would be good to figure out if that KiCADstepup tool could be extracted from the KiCAD stepup workbench for general use.

Seems it could be handy outside of pcb work.
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Re: Manipulator WorkBench

Post by easyw-fc »

drmacro wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 8:35 pm Thanks.
It would be good to figure out if that KiCADstepup tool could be extracted from the KiCAD stepup workbench for general use.
Seems it could be handy outside of pcb work.
StepUp is aimed to facilitate MCAD interoperability with ECAD... for this reason it integrates many useful features for handling STEP models and Placement tools.
A user can just install StepUp and personalize a toolbar collecting some of the StepUp commands, so not to have to switch to this WB to get its features.
easyw-fc wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 8:03 pm There is an issue in Manipulator WB... it doesn't handle correctly an alignement when a top level 'Part' container has a non 'zero' placement.

BTW I should need to fix this issue which is quite annoying, even if it is easily over with the posted workaround.
drmacro
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Re: Manipulator WorkBench

Post by drmacro »

I am well aware of what stepup is and have used it with my KiCAD designs. And I really appreciate the work done to provide this and Manipulator.

For me the proposed workaround is fine, I have no problems installing lots of workbenches and add tools to from workbenches to customize.

But, many new users early work with FreeCAD is to import step models. And explaining to them that, to move step components they need to load the ECAD integration just adds to the complaining about "what's with all the workbenches", "too hard to find things in all the workbenches", etc.

Even telling new users the best way to move things is to add the Manipulator workbench is met with raised eyebrows, considering moving things in virtual space should be an innate part of a CAD system... :roll:
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Re: Manipulator WorkBench

Post by LHC »

Hi - I'm the guilty party that pulled drmacro into this step file ;) Happy to see a solution is possible, albeit a bit clunky with the use of another workbench. For me, it's a nudge to finally check out the stepup workbench as I have used KiCad in the past with some simple pcb designs and should get back into it again. However, I agree it's a bit of a barrier to both new users and bumblers (bumbler = person like me that is not really a noob, but far from competent !).

Thanks for the help with this issue and I'll install the stepup workbench and start exploring. I'll subscribe to this topic so I can harvest more tips and tricks with the manipulator tools as they appear too.

This brings up another thought though. I have seen a defeature workbench that allows the removal of holes etc. in a step file. Then there's the excellent move-to-origin macro that EdWilliams made. The referenced command(s) in stepup workbench are more useful tools. Would be nice to have a collection of all of these together somewhere. Maybe not another workbench but even just an "document" (sort of like chrisb's sketcher document) that allows people to get to speed with working with step files. Back in the day with Fusion 360, I designed a 3d printer and was constantly pulling in step files from grabcad, sometimes modifying them, sometimes not, adding my own designed parts etc to eventually end up with a complete design. The Autodesk corporate jackasses and their policies drove me away before I even finished that model. I have saved it all away as a massive step file assembly that I hope to rework and complete in FreeCad someday when I am competent enough. I think there are probably a lot of people that work with both their own designs mixed with imported step files so I can see such a "consolidation" of knowledge being very useful.

Anyway, thanks again for all the help !

Lewis
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Re: Manipulator WorkBench

Post by easyw-fc »

I started to code kicadStepUp WB for my internal need to get a handy tool to interact with kicad.
Then I had to handle STEP models, often not designed in FC but coming from different sw & libraries... I was not confident in 3D cad and I needed something fast to move and align non parametric models... the I develop manipulator WB ... I also had some issue with some imported STEP models and then, after FC introduced the defeaturing option, I added the Defeaturing WB to play faster with models.
I was introduced in this huge 3D cad world, but not from the main entrance because I didn't need to model objects from scratch, but instead assembly a lot of non parametric models.
BTW I also started the kicad 3D model library, even that not from direct modelling, but using the power of python and CADQuery WB.

FreeCAD and the FC community are a fantastic environment to get help and powerful tools to be tailored to user's need :D

PS also in Manipulator WB (Aligner) you can align (place) a model to the origin
align to origin.gif
align to origin.gif (169.09 KiB) Viewed 4284 times
LHC
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Re: Manipulator WorkBench

Post by LHC »

easyw-fc wrote: Fri Jul 09, 2021 5:07 am
drmacro wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 8:35 pm Thanks.
It would be good to figure out if that KiCADstepup tool could be extracted from the KiCAD stepup workbench for general use.
Seems it could be handy outside of pcb work.
StepUp is aimed to facilitate MCAD interoperability with ECAD... for this reason it integrates many useful features for handling STEP models and Placement tools.
A user can just install StepUp and personalize a toolbar collecting some of the StepUp commands, so not to have to switch to this WB to get its features.
easyw-fc wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 8:03 pm There is an issue in Manipulator WB... it doesn't handle correctly an alignement when a top level 'Part' container has a non 'zero' placement.

BTW I should need to fix this issue which is quite annoying, even if it is easily over with the posted workaround.
I've pulled the reset placement icon from the Kicad workbench and added it to a custom toolbar in the workbench I seem to be using most. I'm slowly creeping towards taking all the step files I exported from Fusion 360 about a year ago (all 600 of them) and "freeCad-ing" them. This will involve importing them into Freecad, reorienting them in 3d space, coloring certain parts where necessary, and a few will require small modifications. I'll then place them into a subdirectory where I will use them as I start to design new FreeCad models going forward.

Are there other KICad/Stepup commands that are useful in a general way when working with step files (not specific Kicad files) that I should know about ?

The more I learn about Freecad and hidden gems like this, the more I like it ;)
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