Hello all,
I am trying to map step files to PCB footprints for 3D PCB assembly. Problem is the step files (downloaded from component mfg. website) NEVER line up to the same origin and orientation as the PCB footprint. I can tweek the position and rotation of the model in the footprint file but it is enormously painstaking and very difficult to tell if it is properly positioned. So what I would like to know is......
How do I move the origin of the model to match the origin of the PCB footprint?
How do I properly orient the model so it matches up with the PCB footprint orientation?
How do I change the colors of certain features to match the actual component?
I am a complete newb to Solidworks so thanks for any help!!!
Phillip,
I use the Move/Copy Body feature to rotate and move the part so that the origin and orientation line up with the way the PCB design software wants it.
There are a number of different ways to change colors. You can change the color of the whole part, to get most of it the way you want. You can change the color of bodies separately if your part has multiple bodies. You can change the colors of features, although an imported file is not going to have any feature unless you used the FeatureWorks add-in to recognize them. You can change the colors of individual faces. The face coloring overrides the feature coloring, which overrides the body coloring, which overrides the part coloring.
To change the color of something, left or right click on it, and select the multi-colored ball (Appearances). Select the color you want and continue clicking on the stuff you want to be the same color. If you already have a face that is the right color, pick it first, then select the Appearances ball and then select the faces that you want to apply that color to.
Appearances are not just colors; check out the Appearances ball in the Task Pane to the right as well.
You can also apply colors at the Assembly level. This tends to confuse matters, as the assembly appearance overrides the appearances applied at the part level.
Jerry S.