Overview
The 3D Viewer helps you:- Verify component placement and orientation
- Check mechanical clearances
- Identify assembly issues
- Generate marketing renders
- Export 3D models (STEP, VRML)
- Present designs to stakeholders
Opening the 3D Viewer
Interface Components
Rendering Modes
- OpenGL Mode
- Raytracing Mode
Fast interactive rendering:
- Real-time navigation
- Smooth rotation and zoom
- Quick updates
- Lower quality but faster
- Good for design work
Appearance Panel
Control visibility and appearance:PCB Layers
PCB Layers
Show/hide individual layers:
- Copper layers (F.Cu, B.Cu, Inner layers)
- Soldermask (F.Mask, B.Mask)
- Silkscreen (F.Silks, B.Silks)
- Paste layers
- Board body
- Adhesive layers
3D Models
3D Models
Filter component visibility:
- Through-Hole: Traditional components
- SMD: Surface mount devices
- Virtual: Non-physical components
- Not in POS file: Components not placed
- DNP: Do Not Populate items
Display Options
Display Options
Visual settings:
- Show bounding boxes
- Show navigator (orientation widget)
- Show axes
- Grid display and spacing
- Orthographic vs perspective projection
Navigation Controls
Mouse Controls
Rotate
Left mouse button + drag
- Orbit around board
- Trackball-style rotation
Pan
Middle button + drag or Shift + left button
- Move view horizontally/vertically
- Parallel to screen
Zoom
Mouse wheel or Right button + drag
- Scroll to zoom in/out
- Drag right button up/down
Center
Middle button double-click
- Center view on board
- Reset zoom
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rotate View | Arrow keys | Incremental rotation |
| Zoom In | + or = | Step zoom in |
| Zoom Out | - | Step zoom out |
| Zoom to Fit | Home or Z | Fit board in window |
| Top View | 1 | View from above |
| Bottom View | 2 | View from below |
| Front View | 3 | View from front |
| Back View | 4 | View from back |
| Left View | 5 | View from left |
| Right View | 6 | View from right |
| Flip Board | F | Toggle top/bottom |
| Toggle Raytracing | Ctrl+R | Switch render mode |
| Toggle Orthographic | Ctrl+O | Ortho vs perspective |
Preset Views
Save and recall custom viewpoints for quick navigation
Using Viewports
Rendering Options
Material Settings
Configure in Preferences:- PCB Materials
- Component Colors
- Lighting
- Soldermask: Color, transparency, finish
- Silkscreen: Color, opacity
- Copper: Finish (bare, HASL, ENIG, etc.)
- Board substrate: FR4 color
Anti-Aliasing
Higher anti-aliasing improves image quality but increases render time
- Disabled: Fastest, jagged edges
- 2x SSAA: Good balance
- 4x SSAA: High quality
- 8x SSAA: Maximum quality (slow)
Grid and Measurements
Grid Display
Grid Types:- No Grid: Clean view
- 10mm Grid: Coarse reference
- 5mm Grid: Medium spacing
- 2.5mm Grid: Fine spacing
- 1mm Grid: Very fine detail
Origin Indicator
Shows board coordinate system:- X-axis: Red
- Y-axis: Green
- Z-axis: Blue
Exporting 3D Models
STEP Export
Configure Options
- Include components: Full 3D assembly
- Board only: Just PCB substrate
- Override footprint models: Use alternatives
- Coordinate origin: Board center or drill origin
- Units: mm or inch
STEP
Industry standard 3D CAD format:
- Full parametric geometry
- Import to mechanical CAD
- Enclosure design
- Assembly modeling
VRML
Web-friendly 3D format:
- Colored meshes
- Smaller file size
- Web viewers
- Game engines
Alternative Export Formats
Also available:- GLB: 3D graphics format (glTF binary)
- BREP: Boundary representation
- XAO: XML-based CAD format
- PLY: Polygon file format
- STL: Triangle mesh (3D printing)
Component 3D Models
Model Sources
Built-in Libraries
Built-in Libraries
KiCad ships with thousands of 3D models:
- Standard components
- Common packages
- Connectors
- Mechanical parts
Custom Models
Custom Models
Add your own 3D models:
- STEP files (.step, .stp)
- WRL files (.wrl) - VRML format
- Assign in footprint editor
- Configure position and rotation
Online Repositories
Online Repositories
Download from:
- Manufacturer websites
- Component distributors
- GrabCAD
- 3D content library
Troubleshooting Missing Models
Solutions:- Update library paths in Preferences → Configure Paths
- Re-link footprint 3D models
- Download missing models
- Create placeholder models
Advanced Features
Bounding Box Mode
Show component outlines instead of full 3D models for faster rendering
- Quick mechanical clearance checks
- Board planning
- Performance on slow systems
Navigator Widget
Orientation indicator showing:- Current view direction
- Axis labels (X, Y, Z)
- Click to snap to standard views
Camera Clipping
Adjust near and far clipping planes:- See inside the board
- Focus on specific areas
- Remove far geometry
Quality Settings
Raytracing Parameters
Performance vs Quality:- Fast Preview
- Production Quality
- Low recursion depth
- Few shadow rays
- Minimal reflections
- Quick updates
Screenshot and Animation
Taking Screenshots
Screenshot captures the current window size. Maximize for best resolution.
Best Practices
Presentation Tips
Professional Renders
Lighting
Adjust light balance:
- Brighter top light for PCB visibility
- Side lights for depth
- Subtle ambient for detail
Background
Set neutral background:
- White for technical docs
- Gray for web
- Transparent for overlays
Multiple Views
Create a set of standard views:- Top isometric (default)
- Bottom isometric
- Front elevation
- Side elevation
- Detail views of connectors
Related Topics
PCB Editor
Design the PCB layout
PCB Editor
Assign 3D models to footprints
Manufacturing Output
Generate manufacturing files
3D Models
Manage 3D model collections