3D CAD and assembly#

Create editable solids, inspect Boolean results and distinguish solid authoring from PCB assembly display.

Choose 3D CAD or 3D Assembly#

3D CAD authors an independent solid document. 3D Assembly displays a saved PCB substrate and available component models. Open the appropriate work surface from the ALcad workspace menu. Editing a solid does not automatically change PCB footprints or component assignments.

Create a plate with a hole#

  1. In 3D CAD, add a box and set its full dimensions to 40 × 30 × 6 mm.

  2. Add a cylinder at the same center with diameter 8 mm and height greater than 6 mm so it passes through the plate.

  3. Set the cylinder operation to Subtract and apply the feature changes.

  4. Inspect the resulting mesh from the top and side. Use Fit view if the result is outside the camera.

  5. Choose Download solid, then reopen the .alcad-solid.json copy to confirm that the feature list and dimensions survive.

Features evaluate in order. The first establishes the base; later features union, subtract or intersect it. An empty Boolean result is possible. Curved features are tessellated, so displayed volume and area describe the generated polygonal solid.

Save editable and exchange files#

Keep the editable solid JSON as the authoring source. A mesh export offered by the current host carries the completed geometry, not the full feature history. Confirm units, orientation and scale with the receiving tool; STL has no formal unit field. Invalid, empty or stale geometry must be recomputed before export.

Browser drafts and undo history belong to the current session/profile. Download a file before moving computers or clearing browser data. A failed import preserves the current document; retain both the original file and the diagnostic.

Inspect an assembly#

Check the saved board outline, thickness, mounting side and component model assignments. Missing models are reported rather than inferred. Exploded presentation and camera changes help inspection but do not edit placement. A basic component envelope does not establish mechanical clearance or manufacturing fit.

If geometry calculation or GPU display fails, keep the editable document and inspect the reported limit. Reduce one feature at a time, rerun, and compare. See PCB and export for the separate board workflow.