Hi Alan,
After a few more tests and reviewing your cheat sheet, I noticed there are a couple of things causing confusion.
Rather than designing from a clean start, I have a legacy design which is
- 80% finished,
- that was started in Eagle and migrated to Fusion
- uses singleton libraries and the rcl library
- has no 3D packages associated with many components
- has inconsistent part numbers to descriptions
For example, a crystal component is identified as 33MHz in the part ID, described as a 20Mhz component and built with a 25MHz component.
The task is to document the "as built" boards, then replace the obsolete parts, then produce manufacturing files acceptable to the PCB assembler.
For this I start with j1. This was an Wago component footprint. I looked it up through Digikey online and downloaded the eCAD data from SnapMagic and Ultra Librarian.
These sources split the 3D file from the schematic symbol and footprint. When downloaded the 3D component has the Y axis pointing up but the footprint from Fusion has the Z axis pointing up. So, there is a 90-degree rotation to do when importing 3D object. The same thing happened with SOIC 8s and some SOT23 parts. After associating the libraries with the schematic and saving everything, I re-laid out the PCB, pushed to a 3D board and adjusted positions and orientations. It looked ok in the 3D view.
When the manufacturing files were generated and sent, including the component placement, the manufacturer saw some connectors rotated 90 degrees in the XY plane. (In the same plane as the PCB).
To figure this out, I wanted to delete the old 3D component and add a new one.
The workflow from looking at the manufacturers 3D PCBA with errors marked up, to picking the part from the Fusion library is a bit convoluted.
After reading your cheat sheet, I realised that not being able to click on the images in the library packages tab wasn't just me. Thanks for pointing that out.
Also, I was trying to add a 3D package with the wrong workflow and ended up with multiple copies of the same 3D package in the data panel that I had to delete, but still no 3D model associated with the footprint.
I also tended to fix the footprint to 3D association in the singleton library, instead of my project library, and then have to fix that. This is especially confusing if the project has a mix of parts from the singleton library and the project library. Make sure you fix the right one. You can waste time replacing the placeholder on the component in the wrong library.
I think the best things I learned from your cheat sheets was to
- put downloaded 3D parts and libraries in a dedicated folder,
- open and work from the main project library in fusion hub,
- When adding the 3D package, untick the "Use placeholder"
The process for replacing the placeholder is something like
- In Content Manager, select the component and expand to show the footprint row.
- Don't use the "Attach copy of existing 3D model". It doesn't seem to work as expected and creates duplicates in the data panel.
- Right click on the footprint to see the navigation panel and select "Create new 3D package"
- The Fusion 3D workspace opens with the footprint sketch visible.
- in the Data panel find the models folder where you downloaded the 3D component matching the footprint.
- Drag and drop the component across to the workspace.
- Adjust orientation during placement to ensure pin 1 correlates with the footprint and 3D pads match footprint.
- Save.
I'm still getting used to Fusion and may not have the best way to fix legacy designs, but I drafted this in the hope that more perspectives on a system are better for somebody.
