Renders and Animations of PCBs - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2021, 07:47:34 pm
content: Hi All, I would like to share some renders and animations of some of my PCBs. I've tried including as much detail as I can, such as cables, connectors, solder joints, and probes. I think creating these types of renders can help a lot when you are presenting your work to others and to show how everything works together, and also showing off. The 3D viewers in Altium and Kicad are great, but I feel more can be done.These PCBs were designed in Altium, all the 3D models were created in Blender, no STEP files. Let me know what you think

author: Dave
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2021, 10:33:12 pm
content: Really rather neat. Just needs solder fillets.

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2021, 08:38:08 am
content: Impressive, But next time try to solder the components, not place only

author: SVFeingold
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2021, 10:15:44 am
content: These look fantastic! Really well done. I'll offer a few tips from my MCAD/Blender/rendering experiences.1) Try out Luxrender. It's pretty amazing and IMO makes it incredibly easy to get photorealistic results (once your materials are set up properly). I think it's perfect for this.2) Seconding the comments on solder fillets.Definitely would be a pain in the ass but it's not so bad to make complex shapes in Blender. Figure you just need to make a couple and then scale them.3) One trick I picked up was to hit every sharp edge with a fillet. Even in high-res, high-quality renders (especially in those, actually) those infinitely-sharp edges are always a give away and make things look very artificial even when you can't put your finger on why. It's the edges! Even if they're supposed to be relatively sharp (like those header pins) it will help to throw a tiny fillet on there. Think like...10-50 microns. Try it out, it makes a big difference.Really though, great work! You say you didn't use STEP files. How'd you export them to Blender?

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2021, 08:14:19 pm
content: Thanks for your comments.So I have had a go at adding solder to the pads, see the image below, this is a first attempt, and it will get betterAll these renders are done with Eevee on an old GTX1050 graphics card, and they render very fast less than 10seconds. I have tried Luxrender but I'm not able to make it work with the materials that I have. I prefer to continue to use Eevee since I am planning to create animations and videosI have created all the 3D models myself in Blender, lockdown was productive!. Most of the STEP files when imported in blender have a very dense mesh and slow things down significantly. See below the wireframe of one of the renders

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2021, 08:21:09 pm
content: some animations and videoshttps://youtu.be/Pg6XKaCXXf8(done using animation nodes)https://youtu.be/-VKFxFv5bMkhttps://youtu.be/GXJOecc4O14https://youtu.be/v6yWPeVkFzk

author: SVFeingold
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2021, 09:39:41 pm
content: Oh wow you recreate everything in Blender? That's some dedication. I usually just use manufacturer models unless they're not available. Does replicating from scratch for more complex parts save time over just decimating OEM models?Seriously though these look really nice. Being able to communicate ideas effectively is an often-overlooked engineering skill. Some of the animations are a bit cheesy IMO but that's basically a requirement when you get into any kind of creative arena. You make cheesy stuff for a little bit.Looking forward to seeing more work from you.

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2021, 05:54:05 pm
content: A few more renders! This time with better solder on pads, and rendering simulation and experimental data!You can view more here images and animations herehttps://high_voltage.artstation.com/

author: ASQ20
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 10, 2021, 08:23:44 pm
content: The animation looks greats, I subscribed to your youtube channel, if you ever create a full tutorial on how to do the renders I'll be watching it for sure :-)

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2021, 07:55:54 pm
content: Quote from: Schottky on February 08, 2021, 05:54:05 pmVery cool 3D work! But FYI, that’s not how solder should look — those aren’t solder fillets, and little pillows of solder would actually be indicative of soldering process failure.

author: BitsnBytes
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2021, 08:29:38 am
content: Really Impressive. Thanks for sharing, most people share image of PCBs on their profile like freelancer, linkedin and they looked really amazing and I didn't know why my 3d of PCB didn't look that realistic. Now I know why... Thanks again I have started learning Blender.Regards.

author: jonovid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2021, 08:22:32 am
content: Quote from: tooki on February 11, 2021, 07:55:54 pmso lets look at your beautiful pcb art work , congratulations you have Blender under your command.have you wrangled them water shaders ? liquid shaders are your soldier. getting the right liquid surface tensionis key here. and the color of copper is , artistic licenceBlender is a strange beast indeed. I have had one or more versions of Blender on my PC for yrs.its 110% free! its so powerful and packed with many professional CGI features. however its a nightmare to learn its bewildering array of inputs.IMO its very confusing and difficult to understand how to drive this software. finding the Undo or back command. just knowing what mode your in,navigating the maze of drop-down lists looking for that command you need so your 3 day 30 hr project is not lost or messed up by a miss-used command.as an artist knowing what to make is not a problem. the challenge is making this software submit to my will & desire.as an artist we have the right to farce the 3D CGI world into our submission. wire mesh can be a mess with over-extrusion so we need to add to itover-contract wire mesh and you may have a solid lump of wire . broken polygons wire ends going nowhere. snap to grid now were is it.Blender as CAD software not the best at getting scale & size right. a requirement for anything Not Alice in wonderland. including big white rabbits.so if you need that 0.01 mm scale & size it will be a challenge IMO

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2021, 05:57:40 pm
content: Blender is certainly not a straightforward software, there is a huge learning curve, however once you know how to use it properly and memorise all the hotkeys then things start to move quicker. Additionally, every new version is becoming much easier to use and more powerful. My workflow involves using some addons which speed up things significantly and make Blender much more fun. Check these addons, highly recommended:https://blendermarket.com/products/hard-ops--boxcutter-ultimate-bundlehttps://blendermarket.com/products/definitely-eevee-materials-systemhttps://blendermarket.com/products/kit-ops-pro-asset--kitbashing-addonhttps://blendermarket.com/products/MESHmachine

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2021, 11:04:02 am
content: Power module render!Got the idea for this from a video by mikeselectricstuff

author: exe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 12, 2021, 11:32:29 am
content: No flux residue solder splashes on boards?

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 12, 2021, 11:43:22 am
content: Quote from: exe on April 12, 2021, 11:32:29 amI'm working on that!

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2021, 08:47:41 pm
content: Beautiful renderings and lighting!But my personal favorite is the "Good" jumper on the board in reply #14. I had clearly forgotten to add that to my PCB layouts so far...

author: exe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 16, 2021, 07:54:21 am
content: Quote from: Schottky on March 08, 2021, 11:04:02 amHow do you do dirt and scratches?

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2021, 11:44:33 am
content: Quote from: exe on April 16, 2021, 07:54:21 am

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2021, 11:48:15 am
content: My wireless power setup from 2015, this is a Class EF inverter and Class EF rectifier operating at 27.12MHz. I've also rendered the FEM data for the magnetic fields. You can read my paper about this setup herehttps://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/7445230You can check more of my artwork and renders on ArtStationhttps://www.artstation.com/high_voltage

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2021, 11:26:14 am
content: EPC9146 – 400 W Motor Drive Demo Boardhttps://www.artstation.com/artwork/Qr5eQL

author: exe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 28, 2021, 07:02:53 am
content: Looks nice!All leds are lit at the same time? That's suspicions. USB sockets looks too square. The edge of the board is too good. I just looked at my raspberry pi, it has mouse bites and some visible pcb layers.

author: PKTKS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2021, 03:32:29 pm
content: Quote from: Schottky on January 16, 2021, 08:14:19 pmI bit fuzzy about that...So you just "imported" all these models from STEP filesthus creating a huge blender model collection..? ... orYou imported an already STEP mesh just creating a Blender project...Or whatever you can explain ..there is a huge collection of very good models dropped there..Nice to know how to manage and find.. and also store that data..ThanxPaul

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2021, 10:55:39 am
content: Sorry I should've been clearer, I meant to say that I created most of the component models in Blender from scratch as this will create a more optimum geometry that will not be dense.I am planning at some point to release all these models that I created.Quote from: PKTKS on June 28, 2021, 03:32:29 pm

author: Bassman59
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2021, 08:05:49 pm
content: Neat.But the real use for 3D models of PCBAs is for enclosure design and mechanical-envelope verification.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 13, 2021, 12:18:01 pm
content: Hey! I got this kit!Schottky, very nice work indeed. Congratulations and quite the dedication.My experience with Blender is not extensive and my impression is similar to jonovid's comments above: I feel that I need to use it extensively before I am able to break the barrier for it to become a really productive tool.

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 13, 2021, 12:21:39 pm
content: Thanks! I'm planning on releasing Blender models for most commonly used components, and also create a tool that will allow easy import of Altium/Kicad projects into Blender

author: passedpawn
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 14, 2021, 04:32:32 am
content: This thread knocked my socks off. Fantastic.

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2022, 06:32:36 pm
content: The EPC9165 2KW bidirectional DC/DC Converter!

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2022, 05:24:58 pm
content: EPC9171 KIT - 240W USB-C PD

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2022, 07:13:53 pm
content: Calculating and plotting Magnetic Fields in Blender! Basic application of Biot-Savart's law

author: PKTKS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2022, 10:48:05 am
content: Your work is much appreciatedPaul

author: msuffidy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2022, 03:53:44 am
content: That one with a load of caps all together is neat, but I don't see that ending well. Why would you even do that? Maybe to blow up something? In that case maybe it has something to do with multiple regulator lines or phases?

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2022, 09:53:30 pm
content: Drawing components on a PCB! create quick concepts of dense circuit boards using geometry nodes in Blender!

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 05, 2022, 06:08:36 pm
content: IGBT Power Module teardown...in Blender

author: JPortici
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 05, 2022, 06:39:41 pm
content: I'm surprised nobody has been asking about the scope

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2022, 07:12:52 pm
content: PCB conformal coating & masking in Blender

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2022, 07:17:44 pm
content: Very nice.Do you take orders for such renderings and if so what's the approximate cost? (You can PM if you prefer.)

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2022, 11:08:11 pm
content: Blender PCB sandwich render! iFixit did a great teardown showing the PCB sandwich tech used in iPhones. Thought I’d create this animation to show it

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2022, 05:04:54 pm
content: EPC9174 1.2kW LLC converter from Efficient Power Conversion

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2022, 05:52:15 pm
content: Really nice

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2022, 11:19:36 pm
content: It's very cool, Congratulations, I guess you have a business oportuntiy in hands

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 30, 2022, 11:25:09 pm
content: Blender Drone Animation

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2023, 04:18:42 pm
content: Starting a new series of renders and animations for electromagnetics with openEMS!First animations shows what happens when a EM wave is launched into a coax cable with an open termination.

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 26, 2023, 09:17:04 pm
content: My next set of electromagnetic simulations and renders are for a 2.4GHz meandered inv F PCB antenna! I used the antenna design from Texas Instruments AN043 App note.In this animation you can see how the surface current is distributed in the PCB antenna.

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2023, 08:05:01 pm
content: In this animation you can see how the E-Field component is formed and radiated away

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2023, 02:25:29 pm
content: Visualising the magnetic fields and calculating the inductance of a PCB coil. PCB designed by Carl Bugeja

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2023, 08:01:50 pm
content: Amazing work!

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2023, 10:19:24 pm
content: This animation shows what happens to the magnetic field lines of a wire loop as it is twisted. The field lines become smaller and loop over a smaller area. Twisting wires and cables is beneficial in reducing interference. Created using Electromag nodes in Blender!

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2023, 11:12:55 pm
content: Texas Instruments Bidirectional DC-DC Converter Reference Design for 12-V/48-V Automotive Systems

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2023, 11:45:23 pm
content: You can create words on a calculator with a 7-segment display by entering certain numbersThis animation shows the words you get when entering numbers 0.7734, 5318008 and 7734206 and then reading the display upside-down!

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 21, 2024, 09:43:02 pm
content: USB-C PD 65W Charger

author: Schottky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 21, 2024, 09:46:31 pm
content: Visualising Clearance boundaries and violations

author: kimera
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 13, 2024, 05:23:39 am
content: Quote from: Schottky on January 15, 2021, 07:47:34 pmI would like to do that too, can you teach me or give me the steps to render so I can find the information for each step to try it out? I am currently using Altium 21 and 3D step files.Thanks you.