3D Viewer¶

Goal¶

Help you understand the valid scope, supported operations, and current limits of the 3D view.

Supported Platforms¶

iOS
macOS

Intended Audience¶

Users reviewing the overall 3D structure of KiCad boards
Testers validating the current KiCad-only 3D path

Prerequisites¶

A KiCad .kicad_pcb document is already open in the workspace
The current task really requires 3D rather than 2D-only inspection

Steps¶

Switch to 3D from the workspace and wait for the staged scene build to finish.
Use the 3D camera actions and, if needed, adjust the KiCad-specific 3D options in Workbench.
If you find a rendering or asset issue, copy Scene info before returning to 2D for deeper inspection.

Result¶

You can confirm whether the KiCad board’s 3D scene loads, or whether a clear unsupported/issue state is shown instead.

Current 3D Scope¶

3D Viewer currently works only for KiCad board files:

supported: *.kicad_pcb
unsupported: DSN, ODB++, SES, and other manufacturing-package style inputs

If the currently open source is not KiCad, 3D shows a clear unsupported message instead of an empty scene.

What Happens After Entering 3D¶

The app starts building the 3D scene.
You see staged loading feedback such as Prepare / Metadata / Scene / Meshes.
When the scene is ready, the app automatically fits a suitable camera view to the board bounds.

Current Supported Operations¶

switch to Top / Bottom / Isometric
Fit
copy Scene info

These actions are available from the context menu and directly update the current 3D camera state.

Workbench Integration¶

When you are in 3D and the current document is KiCad, the Visibility area in Workbench adds an extra 3D section that lets you control:

Board Surface: show top surface only, or let all currently visible layers contribute to the board surface
Show proxy bodies: show fallback proxy geometry when a real component model cannot be rendered

Recommendations¶

Use 3D for overall orientation, then return to 2D for precise review and export.
If you notice issue counts in 3D, copy Scene info first so you have a diagnostic snapshot to share.
3D is good for shape, layer, and spatial understanding; it is not the final export view in the current version.

Common Questions¶

Why does 3D say it only supports KiCad?¶

Because the current 3D scene loader first checks whether the source path ends with .kicad_pcb. If not, it enters the unsupported state directly.

Why do some components look simplified in 3D?¶

Those are usually proxy bodies. The current implementation can fall back to simplified geometry when a renderable component model is missing, and you can toggle that in Workbench’s 3D section.

Can I export directly from 3D?¶

No. Export does not start from 3D in the current implementation. Return to 2D first.

Last Verified¶

2026-04-17