3D Modeling Solutions for Altium Designer Users Who Use SolidWorks

Desktop EDA provides two bi-directional 3D modeling solutions for Altium users who also use SolidWorks.

1) SolidWorks Modeler for Altium Designer – use this if you have SolidWorks and Altium on the same PC

This installs inside the Altium Designer application and allows you create Assemblies from PCB's and also to create or update PCB's from an Assembly.

2) IDF – use this if SolidWorks and Altium Designer are on separate PC's

IDF is an electronics industry standard for the interchange of design data between PCB CAD and Mechanical CAD tools. IDF files are used to interchange PCB design data between PCB and Mechanical CAD tools.

For the SolidWorks PC, Desktop EDA provides the SolidWorks IDF Modeler. This is a SolidWorks Gold product that installs inside the SolidWorks application. It allows you to create an Assembly from IDF files and also create IDF files from an Assembly.

For the Altium Designer PC, Desktop EDA also provides the IDF Modeler for Altium Designer. This installs inside the Altium Designer application and allows you to both create IDF files from your PCB design and also create or update a PCB from IDF files.

FAQ's

Altium provides bi-directional IDF support, why should I use Desktop EDA's product?

Desktop EDA has mature, industry proven IDF technology – this is the core of our IDF tool for Altium Designer. Our product also has additional features such as allowing you to model conductors and silk screens in SolidWorks (provided you use the Desktop EDA SolidWorks IDF Modeler).

If you would like to test the Altium IDF commands, here is where you can access them:

Altium provides 3D Modeling capabilities via Step, why should I use a 3rd Party Tool?

Altium provides the View Board in 3D command that allows you to view your PCB design in 3D in Design Explorer. From this viewer, you can Export your PCB to a Step file. This Step file can be opened in SolidWorks.

This approach allows you to create a 3D Model of your PCB that can be used for interference checking or for creating rendered images for documentation. Using Step is slow and results in a large file comprising many imported bodies. The Step solution does not allow you to take design data back to Altium Designer and you need to create a new 3D Model each time you make a change in Altium.

If you would like to test the Altium 3D Viewer, here is how to do it:

•  Save your SolidWorks Parts in Step format using the SolidWorks Save As and choose Step format.

•  Create an Altium 3D PCB Library (File>New>Library>PCB3D Library)

•  Import your Step parts (Tools>Import 3D Model)

•  For each part, align the 3D Part origin to the Altium PCB Part origin (Tools>Set Rotation and Origin)

•  In the Schematic editor or Schematic Library editor, assign the 3D Parts to your Schematic components as Models (In Component Properties, Models section, choose Add, choose the Model Type of PCB3D, then choose the appropriate 3D part from the 3D PCB Library)

•  To create the 3D View of your PCB, in the PCB editor choose View>Board in 3D

•  To create the Step file, in the 3D Viewer, choose Tools>Export

See the link below to download an example of a Step file created by the Altium Designer View Board in 3D Tool.