Allegro 17.40.028 Canvas Export Issue

Folks,

I should also mention that this routed PCB obviously had designed PCB footprints, but I did not assign any STP models to any of the components during the footprint creation.  I thought all you needed to do was to "map" or assign a given STP (STEP if you like) drawing to any component shown as a default or simple "boundary" model in the Canvas 3D viewer.  That seemed to work as the default monolithic "boundary" block became the STP model from the manufacturer.  The Canvas 3D model looks great, but when you export the 3D PDF or STP 3D file, I get a jumbled mess of graphics of one component's STP file for EVERY component placed on the PCB.

Is this issue caused by assigning STEP models to footprints on the finished PCB before assigning the STEP model at the component footprint creation?

I belive there is some update in the 3D Canvas utility in this release which needs the models to be remapped otherwise they should work fine the way you have mapped them.

Hi mahimag,

I just exported all of the library of components from the existing layout and went into each footprint and mapped the STEP model associated with that part.  After all of the parts were done, I "updated" the design from the Allegro layout main window and then looked at the 3D Canvas drawing.  It look perfect and the same as before.  When I exported both the 3D PDF and STP file formats, they came out perfect too!!

Therefore, by mapping STEP models to any component in the 3D Canvas directly, for some reason, causes issues for the exporting of any file format.  If, on the other hand, you create the footprint or merge/map the STEP model with the footprint in the Allegro footprint creation process, i.e., the *.dra, *.psm phase, then things work perfectly.

Perhaps this was the intention from Cadence all along???

Hi,

Tried to do this and it did not help.  Same issue with the exporting of 3D PDF or STP files.

Hi mahimag,

When I use the older STEP Mapping function from the drop down menu and use that feature to map my STEP models to the individual components, then open the 3D Canvas, everything works.  However, as soon as I try doing what I am suppose to do in the "new" 3D Canvas, it creates a mess of parts and starts substituting SOICs with 0603 components, etc.  A real mess of the database!

So, if you do not care about exporting any 3D file format from Allegro 3D Canvas, then it looks great and you CAN EXPORT any 2D file which looks great.  However, so far as I know, if you need to export a true 3D STEP, IGES or whatever 3D file for the mechanical engineer, you need to keep using the older 3D mapper for each component and then open Canvas and export into the 3D file of your choice.

The good news is that after you use the older 3D mapper, it appears you can move components around in the 3D Canvas application and you can now export 3D with clean results.

Well, that's what I have discovered so far.

Hi mahimag,

When I use the older STEP Mapping function from the drop down menu and use that feature to map my STEP models to the individual components, then open the 3D Canvas, everything works.  However, as soon as I try doing what I am suppose to do in the "new" 3D Canvas, it creates a mess of parts and starts substituting SOICs with 0603 components, etc.  A real mess of the database!

So, if you do not care about exporting any 3D file format from Allegro 3D Canvas, then it looks great and you CAN EXPORT any 2D file which looks great.  However, so far as I know, if you need to export a true 3D STEP, IGES or whatever 3D file for the mechanical engineer, you need to keep using the older 3D mapper for each component and then open Canvas and export into the 3D file of your choice.

The good news is that after you use the older 3D mapper, it appears you can move components around in the 3D Canvas application and you can now export 3D with clean results.

Well, that's what I have discovered so far.