PCB 2D to 3D extrusion
The PCB/PCA (Printed Circuit Board/Assembly) 2D to 3D extrusion is part of the Electronic software component. After importing of PCB-CAD Data this capability allows to generate AP203ed2 files (compatible with AP214) with 3D representations of the PCB/PCA.
The 2D to 3D conversion provides several options that control the fidelity but also the amount of data of the generated 3D model:
In the case that the PCB CAD System provides height information, these data are used for the PCB and component height. Otherwise default values can be specified.
Some systems (e.g. EAGLE) provide the capability to specify regions of different heights of a package by using different line widths. If this information is available it is taken care for the extrusion process.
User can also choose which details of the PCB to export into 3D models. By default only the outline and cutouts are converted. In addition the user can choose to extrude also the outer layers or all layers. One step further also the verical connections (vias and through holes) can be created, resulting in more complex and detailed objects.
