It will be desirable to generate a footprint of the complex heatsink + mounted devices. The 3D model can also define where the 7 or more devices are to be mounted on it, together with their mounting holes on the heatsink. The heatsink will be a custom design to be CNC machined.Ĭonsequently, a 3D (Fusion 360) model is required. I shall shortly need to define a complex heatsink which includes 6x IGBTs, 2x bridge rectifiers and temperature sensors mounted on it. I accept that this particular relatively simple example could easily be done directly within Kicad - but it serves as a means to define a possible workflow that could be useful for more complex footprints. I shall describe the example based on a connector in the following. This could be a useful approach especially where the footprint is of a complex shape.

If a 3D step model is available, then using Fusion 360, a projected sketch can be used to easily define the footprint.

The question could be asked: “Why would one want to design a footprint outside of Kicad using Fusion 360?” I shall document my efforts to-date based on the Fusion 360 starting point and provide the set of files so that anybody interested could follow along and, hopefully, define an improved workflow with an end-result that is satisfactory. This presumably involves (as I have done) then using Inkscape together with its associated svg2shenzhen extension to generate the Kicad-format footprint file.ĭepending on the starting point, an alternative workflow would be to design the footprint in Inkscape (as an SVG file), again using the associated svg2shenzhen extension to generate the Kicad-format footprint (.kicad_mod) file.Īlthough I have achieved an end-result, for practical purposes, it seems pretty much useless as a result of apparent limitations of import/ export performance of the tools! I am trying to develop a workflow whereby a footprint can be designed using Fusion 360 with, for example, a 3D step model as the starting point.

Inkscape eps file change line thickness