STEP export does not export copper or silkscreen

[Anonymous]

The step export is a huge step (pun intended 🙂 ) forward I think. It's good to not have to go via Fusion360 to get your STEP-file out.

There are some small cosmetic problems with it though. When I export a STEP from the File->Export->STEP menu, I don't get the silkscreen or the copper. I have seen some screenshots of Fusion360 syncs that has these features included and I don't have the possibility to go via Fusion360 to export my STEPs. How can export a STEP of the board with copper and silkscreen included?

I'm using Eagle 9.5.1 and Freecad 0.19 to view the STEP files.

The other question I have is where you can find any settings for the STEP export, like selecting what you would like to export. Sometimes I might not want to export all the vias and copper, while I would want that other times for example.

I would also like it very much if there was a 3D-viewer built into Eagle so you don't have to open another application to look at my board in 3D (which could be very interesting to theb electronics designer as well as the mech designer in a project). Is there something like in the development pipeline?

[jorge_garcia · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous,

Thanks for your kind words. There is still much work to be done to improve this workflow. When you export the step file directly, it can't store the images (canvases in Fusion terms) that represent the copper and silkscreen. That's why you don't get them in the model. This won't be the case for much longer though so stay tuned.

There are currently no settings for determining what goes into the STEP export it's currently all or nothing, but thank you for your suggestion. Once we have more 3D functionality available to EAGLE natively this will be less of a concern.

As far as a 3D-viewer in EAGLE is concerned, stay tuned there's some stuff coming in the next few months that will address this.

Best Regards,

[grosfaignan]

you can export a DXF of eagle board and import it in fusion . so you'll be able to extrude copper tracks. in addition fusion give somme option in DXF importing and give you the possibility to add 1 layer by sketch. si import all your layer, 1 per sketch, and redefine sketch plane as on your board. i do like this.

[led-leder]

I think the copper thickness is completely ignored in step file. In the generated step file, the total thickness is the thickness of the prepregs without the copper. In my case the 1.07mm board has a thickness 0f 0.79mm in the step-file because of the 8 layers copper. Is there any way to increase the board to the real size without cheating the layer stacking?

[jorge_garcia]

Hello @led-leder,

I hope you're doing well. I think you'll have to for now cheat the layer stacking.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

[Michael_Dalby6FK4J]

Hi Jorge,

Regarding you comment 'This won't be the case for much longer though so stay tuned...' , has this issue been resolved now? I see the silkscreen and track detail in the 3D view, but If I try to make a drawing from the 3D model (which has the silk screen present).....

..the output assembly drawing loses all of the track and silkscreen data:

This is also the same if I export the assembly as a step of IGES model.

Am I doing something wrong or has this not been fixed yet (5 years later)?

Cheers, Michael

[jorge_garcia]

Hello @Michael_Dalby6FK4J,

You are not doing anything wrong, things have improved but the big missing piece for the drawings is being able to preserve the silkscreen and reference designators in the Assembly drawing. The drawing keeps the traces which is something it couldn't do before, but the reference designators don't make it.

You mention the step of the IGES? I think IGES models never carry that level of detail so a step of it won't work.

I'll bump this ticket again.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

[Michael_Dalby6FK4J]

Hi Jorge,

Bumping the ticket would be great - thanks for that. As someone that has come from developing with Altium to using Fusion360 this is a real step  down on the ability to create realistic assembly drawings. Adding an image of the silkscreen to the top layers was a work around that we had to around 15 years ago... This is a real serious missing feature of your package.

Many thanks 

Michael

[banu_alexandrustefan]

Hello! Any news on this topic? I would like to convert an EAGLE PCB into a STL (exactly copper only) and not rely on the Eagle -> Fusion "transfer protocol". Having the copper traces with proper widths would help a lot.

[chrisYHHCD]

Any movement on this?  Still now January of 2025 and the silkscreen layer doesn't export as a Step file...can you fixx this..so annoying.

[Michael_Dalby6FK4J]

nearly six years later and they still haven't improved or fixed it.... This really is a fundamental requirement of a combined electronics and mechanical package. Even KiCad has this ability and its totally free (developed open source). Come on @jorge_garcia  and Autodesk, get it fixed please

[jorge_garcia]

Hi @Michael_Dalby6FK4J ,

I think you need to double check that. The STEP file format doesn't support decals which is what silkscreen is(at least in Fusion). This is a limitation of the format not Fusion, KiCAD may export to other formats with the silkscreen but STEP won't be one of them. IOW, KiCAD can't do it either.

We didn't create the STEP file format, we just adhere to it, and it has the limitation built in. There's nothing to be done short of lobbying ISO to add it in.

For you application, you'll have to see what formats are available for the two programs you are trying to connect and go from there. Maybe one of them can support the decals.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,