- Thread starter ajlelectronics
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ajlelectronics
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Interesting idea and if I can be bothered, it's not too late to modify the design I suppose.
ajlelectronics
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We are getting there...
ajlelectronics
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I like that version.
Onoff
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ajlelectronics
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Still working on this project. It's getting more and more involved and I also have strange things going on. I suspect that the PCB program is corrupting its export file in two out of every three writes. When it gets into Fusion, all the parts have flown off in various directions and the main PCB is at a jaunty angle!
The current PCB state; I decided to incorporate the front panel parts instead of hardwiring them. That led to having to design more parts, like the rotary encoder...
The current PCB state; I decided to incorporate the front panel parts instead of hardwiring them. That led to having to design more parts, like the rotary encoder...
ajlelectronics
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Purely because I have invested years of effort into EasyEDA, together with all my projects and built 3D models etc. I really don't find the idea attractive, although I accept that it might play nicer with stuff like this.
sako243
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I don't have experience with EasyEDA and Fusion but with KiCAD and inventor the issue is that STL files have no way of adding constraints as far as I know so if you happen to explode or move one of the inner components of the PCB assembly all hell breaks loose.
My Old Landy
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I use Kicad and export as a step file into Fusion. I've not had the problems but doesn't mean anything! Is easyEDA web based these days?
I don't mind having a play with it tomorrow if you need a second opinion?
I don't mind having a play with it tomorrow if you need a second opinion?
ajlelectronics
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This is how it all fits together...
ajlelectronics
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I use EasyEDA Pro having been forced from standard by 3D model limitations. It can be online, half online or fully offline according to your preference.
I tried an experiment of shutting everything down bar the EasyEDA during export and on a sample of one, it worked as it should. EasyEDA was doing some strange things itself, so suspect it is a bit lacking in memory management. I do have 32Gb RAM though maybe EasyEA is trying to buffer it online.
sako243
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I find things like this slightly ridiculous in this day and age but so much crap is built in for advertising etc. An example is I'm so glad I found a way to revert Adobe Reader back to an old style interface and get rid of the so called artificial insemination assistant. Datasheets and the like have enough mistakes in them as they are without AI splurging all over it.
Out of curiosity what made you choose EasyEDA over KiCAD? I know the latter has a steeper curve but honestly compared to OrCAD which I used in a previous job it's like jumping into a bed of rose petals vs. launching yourself into a bed of nails, if that weren't enough you're forced to build the cannon yourself with no tools before you can put yourself out of your misery by firing yourself headfirst into the bed of nails.
Misterg
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On the Fusion side of things:
Use "Joints" to position components NOT "Moves"
Join components together, even if they are drawn in place.
Make sure that all of your sketches are fully constrained (padlock icon in the tree on the left / all lines in the sketch will be black and NOT pale blue).
If you don't do these things, there's always the chance that the whole model will spring apart and reassemble itself in some unintended configuration (which can be a *lot* of work to recover from).
(I don't know how/if constraints are exported to the PCB program.)
ajlelectronics
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I have tried to do that and even though the whole imported component is selected, the joint separates the PCB from its components and only the PCB locks into place. "Edit initial position" doesn't do anything so I resorted to MOVE in order to get the imported component to sit where I needed for analysis.
Could you elucidate on that please? I am not sure what you mean.
It is improving, let me show you the front panel sketch in a moment. Not fully constrained but I now understand it.
It has been annoying, but my suspicion is that EasyEDA is corrupting the file. My test of one sample with only that running produced a good export file. I don't think it is Fusion because the situation doesn't change if I re-import the same file.
There are none apparently. The Pro version is (IMHO) merely a Beta although they say otherwise. The user manual is sparse too and I end up working things out by trial and error because they have changed (improved
) from the standard version. I used that after being trying Kicad and all of the others. I found EasyEDA to be the most logical, intuitive and easy to use package, plus the integration into PCB manufacture. Getting boards made takes a couple of clicks direct from the PCB design.
ajlelectronics
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I’ll second the post about constraining everything.
All sketches to be fully dimensioned or constrained –nothing left to float.
All assemblies – nail your first component down so it is fixed. Constrain all other components – for me, most of the time, I constrain components together how they will go together in real life – surfaces and fixing holes – if anyone then moves the holes etc, then the assembly shows a fault. Others will constrain to the main assembly co-ord system – but if you change anything in the components, you have to go change those constraints, or at least make sure they still work.
Simply moving components into place and not constraining them usually does exactly what you are experiencing – they just float around wherever they want. If there’s a degree of freedom, then somewhere along the line, it will move. The only thing I don’t tend to bother fixing in all 3 planes are round washers as it doesn’t matter if they can rotate.
Given everything is now fixed in place, I’ve never then had an issue converting from the native CAD to step, stl, Parasolid etc – all the components are now simply bodies in the right place. In those conversion files, nothing is constrained, but you then shouldn’t be working with the conversion files if you have the native CAD files.
It’s sometimes time consuming, a pain in the bum, but as you are discovering, not doing so is even more so.
All sketches to be fully dimensioned or constrained –nothing left to float.
All assemblies – nail your first component down so it is fixed. Constrain all other components – for me, most of the time, I constrain components together how they will go together in real life – surfaces and fixing holes – if anyone then moves the holes etc, then the assembly shows a fault. Others will constrain to the main assembly co-ord system – but if you change anything in the components, you have to go change those constraints, or at least make sure they still work.
Simply moving components into place and not constraining them usually does exactly what you are experiencing – they just float around wherever they want. If there’s a degree of freedom, then somewhere along the line, it will move. The only thing I don’t tend to bother fixing in all 3 planes are round washers as it doesn’t matter if they can rotate.
Given everything is now fixed in place, I’ve never then had an issue converting from the native CAD to step, stl, Parasolid etc – all the components are now simply bodies in the right place. In those conversion files, nothing is constrained, but you then shouldn’t be working with the conversion files if you have the native CAD files.
It’s sometimes time consuming, a pain in the bum, but as you are discovering, not doing so is even more so.
ajlelectronics
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The issue is that there is no way to do that in the originating program. It isn't Fusion as far as I can see, it is just following the corrupt data file from EasyEDA.
