Easy Technical Connector Illustrations for Documentation, using 3D CAD!

RE: Easy Technical Connector Illustrations for Documentation, using 3D CAD!

shabaz — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 12:53:45 GMT

Paint Shop Pro allows for filling in with patterns, to achieve halftone-like shading. Maybe useful for more easily distinguishing certain pins if necessary, although it is an extra step.

RE: Easy Technical Connector Illustrations for Documentation, using 3D CAD!

dougw — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 21:39:50 GMT

Great idea.

I just tried it with 123D Design and IrfanView and it works well with that combination....

RE: Easy Technical Connector Illustrations for Documentation, using 3D CAD!

colporteur — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 21:22:11 GMT

Great share S! Nice cross pollination. FeeCAD, KiCAD and Inkscape a trifecta of open source tools available for download. No propitiatory software or restrictive license to navigate in order to complete the task.

RE: Easy Technical Connector Illustrations for Documentation, using 3D CAD!

beacon_dave — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 19:26:16 GMT

Nice post.

These type of illustrations are often very useful for installing connectors whilst out in the field where poor lighting can make it hard to read the tiny embossed markings next to the terminal and you have to rely more on the physical geometry to orient them correctly.

This week my 'office' was 8m up in the air on the underside of a ceiling, where the lighting provision was less than favourable. Unfortunately the assembly instructions had omitted the positions of the mating keys on the shell on the 2D outline drawing and the design is otherwise symmetrical.

Luckily I had spotted this earlier and penned them in.

The Knipex bootlace ferrule crimps got a good work out - I'm glad I got the more comfortable handles in the end !

RE: Easy Technical Connector Illustrations for Documentation, using 3D CAD!

DAB — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 18:23:37 GMT

Great post Shabaz.

RE: Easy Technical Connector Illustrations for Documentation, using 3D CAD!

shabaz — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 18:12:10 GMT

Another example, this time importing two STEP files during the "Import into FreeCAD" part of the process (and then right-clicking on one of them in the tree view, and selecting Transform, which makes some 3D arrows appear which can be dragged to move one part relative to the other). With two or more parts it's worth clicking on View->Perspective View otherwise the parts look strange relative to each other.