Tutorials and guides for PCB visualization
A practical DFM checklist for hobby and small-team PCB orders — what fabs actually reject, the numbers that matter for JLCPCB and PCBWay, and how to verify a board in your browser in under a minute.
View PADS Layout boards without PADS: export ASCII, drop it, and inspect tracks, pads, vias, and pours in 3D with BOM pricing.
Protel 99 SE ASCII files parse directly and DDB databases unwrap automatically — a free browser 3D viewer for 25-year-old boards.
P-CAD was discontinued in 2006; its ACCEL_ASCII boards still open here — patterns, nets, and copper pours in free browser 3D.
Upload KiCad, Gerber, Eagle, Altium, or EasyEDA files and instantly see your PCB in 3D with net highlighting, X-Ray mode, and BOM export. Free, browser-only, no signup.
Step-by-step guide to opening KiCad .kicad_pcb files in 3D online — multi-layer rendering, STEP component models, net highlighting, X-Ray mode, measurement. Free, no install.
View Gerber RS-274X and Excellon drill files in 3D online — automatic layer detection, net analysis, pick-and-place component layout, BOM extraction. Free, browser-only, no install.
Open Altium Designer .PcbDoc files directly in your browser — full 3D rendering, multi-layer support, net highlighting, BOM analysis with supplier pricing. No Altium license needed.
View EasyEDA and LCEDA exported JSON PCB files in 3D online — multi-layer rendering, net highlighting, BOM extraction. Free, browser-only, no installation or signup.
Open KiCad, Gerber, Eagle, Altium, and EasyEDA PCB files in your browser — single tool, multi-format, 3D rendering with net highlighting and BOM export. No install, no signup.
Visualize PCB components with realistic 3D STEP models — 116+ component library delivered via Cloudflare CDN, custom STEP upload, IPC-7351 auto-mapping, pad-based rotation fix.
Find the best prices for your PCB components. Real-time comparison across LCSC, DigiKey, and Mouser with cross-matching and optimal purchase calculation.
One viewer for 8 PCB formats — KiCad, Gerber, Eagle, EasyEDA, Altium, PADS, P-CAD, Protel 99. Upload any file and explore in interactive 3D with net highlighting, X-Ray, BOM extraction. Free.
Open Autodesk Eagle .brd files in your browser with 3D rendering, net highlighting, multi-layer support, component inspection, BOM export. No Eagle or Fusion installation needed.
Automatically extract BOM from your PCB file and find optimal pricing across LCSC, DigiKey, Mouser — cross-matched MPN, currency conversion, CSV/XLSX export. Free, browser-only.
Use MakerSuite 3D for interactive PCB design reviews — 3D visualization, component inspection, net highlighting, X-Ray mode, distance measurements, annotation URL sharing. Free.
View your PCB in 3D online with realistic STEP component models, SSAO lighting, and Bloom glow. Free browser-based viewer for KiCad, Gerber, Eagle, EasyEDA, and Altium.
Learn what Gerber files are, how the RS-274X format works, aperture macros, Excellon drill files, and how to open and inspect Gerber files online for free. Step-by-step tutorial.
Comprehensive comparison of the best free PCB viewers in 2026 — MakerSuite 3D, KiCad, Altium 365, GerbLook, ZofzPCB, ViewMate. Features, formats, 3D quality, BOM tools side by side.
View your PCB in 3D with integrated BOM management — auto-extract BOM, search LCSC/DigiKey/Mouser, cross-match by MPN, currency conversion, CSV/XLSX export. Free, browser-only.
Open KiCad .kicad_sch schematic files online for free — Canvas 2D rendering, net highlighting, power port colors, parts sidebar, cross-probe to PCB, PNG export. Browser-only.
View KiCad schematic files online without installing KiCad. Step-by-step guide to opening .kicad_sch files with component search, net highlighting, and multi-sheet support.
Analyze circuits online for free. Detect voltage dividers, RC/LC filters, series/parallel combinations, power dissipation, and LED current. Works with KiCad schematics.
Cross-probe between PCB and schematic views online. Click a component in the circuit diagram to highlight it on the 3D board, and vice versa. Free browser-based tool.
Pin review notes on a 3D PCB and share them through a single URL — no server, no upload, no signup. Recipients open the link and see every annotation in place.
Open STEP files (AP203, AP214, AP242) in your browser for free. Measure dimensions, rotate assemblies, view colors — no CAD software, no account, no upload.
Open ASCII and binary STL files in your browser — measure dimensions, check manifold integrity, verify your 3D print before slicing. Completely free, no upload, no signup, no download.
Open binary and ASCII FBX files directly in Chrome, Edge, or Firefox — scene tree, embedded textures, materials, animations. No Autodesk software or FBX SDK install required.
Broken STL won't slice? Non-manifold edges, holes, flipped normals, self-intersections explained. Fix them in one click with MakerSuite 3D — no Blender, no MeshLab, no install needed.
STL, 3MF, and OBJ compared side-by-side: file size, colour support, materials, 3D-print compatibility. Pick the right format and convert free in your browser.
Step-by-step guide to exporting KiCad boards as STEP (AP214) for Fusion 360, SolidWorks, and Inventor. Fix missing 3D models, verify the export in a free browser viewer.
Gerber files are the universal handoff format between PCB designers and fabricators. Learn what's inside, why a board needs 8+ files, and how to view them without installing CAM software.
Excellon is the CNC drill format that ships alongside Gerber for every PCB fab order. Learn what's inside a .drl file, why plated and non-plated holes split, and how to verify drill hits before shipping.
Autodesk EAGLE is end-of-life on 2026-06-07. Step-by-step guide to migrate .brd and .sch files into KiCad 8 — native importer, library remap, and browser verification without installing anything.
Free online calculator for controlled-impedance traces. Microstrip, stripline, and coplanar waveguide formulas, 50Ω/90Ω/100Ω targets, and a practical guide to USB, HDMI, PCIe, and DDR routing — all in your browser.
STL is a triangle mesh; STEP is parametric BREP. Convert STL to STEP for CAD import, dimensioning, and FEM. Practical guide using browser-based and free tools — no FreeCAD install required.
Convert ISO 10303-21 STEP files to glTF 2.0 binary (GLB) for web viewers, AR, and Three.js. Free browser tool, no upload, preserves geometry from OpenCASCADE tessellation.
OBJ is a Wavefront text mesh; STL is the universal 3D-print format. Convert OBJ to STL in your browser, fix non-manifold geometry, and export binary STL — all without uploading.
3MF is the modern 3D Manufacturing Format with materials and color metadata; STL is the universal triangle mesh. Convert 3MF to STL while understanding what gets preserved and what gets dropped.
Convert Gerber RS-274X to PDF for fab approval, design review, and 1:1 print verification. Free workflow using KiCad Plot and gerbv — no install required for verification in browser.
Altium has no native KiCad importer. Practical guide to KiCad-to-Altium conversion via ODB++, IPC-2581, and third-party translators — what transfers, what gets lost, and when manual rebuild beats translation.
KiCad 8 ships native Altium importer for .PcbDoc, .SchDoc, .PcbLib, .SchLib. Step-by-step migration including 3D model relinking, design rule restating, and browser verification.
Free online USDZ viewer. Inspect Apple AR Quick Look files, Pixar USD scenes, and 3D assets directly in your browser — no install, no upload, runs anywhere.
glTF and GLB are the same format with different packaging. Practical guide to JSON+bin vs single binary, when to use each, and Draco/Meshopt compression for production web 3D.
Free online .dae viewer for COLLADA files. Inspect SketchUp exports, Google Earth models, and legacy 3D assets in your browser — no install, no upload.
Free online .ply viewer for 3D scans, photogrammetry meshes, and point clouds — open binary and ASCII PLY in your browser with vertex colors and normals. No install, no upload, no signup.
Free PCB viewer for macOS — open KiCad, Altium, Eagle, EasyEDA, and Gerber files in Safari, Chrome, or Firefox. Runs native on Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3), no install, no signup.
Open KiCad, Altium, Gerber, Eagle, EasyEDA on iPad and Android tablets — pinch-zoom 3D, BOM review, supplier search, schematic view. Works in mobile Safari and Chrome. Free.
Guide to PCB layer stackups — 2/4/6/8-layer arrangements, FR4/Rogers dielectrics, controlled impedance for high-speed signals, JLCPCB and Eurocircuits stackup options compared.
Calculate PCB trace width for current carrying capacity using IPC-2152 and IPC-2221. Internal vs external traces, copper weight, and temperature rise.
Differential pair routing for USB, PCIe, HDMI, Ethernet — Zdiff targets, intra-pair / inter-pair skew, via best practices, length matching, common-mode termination. Worked examples.
Generate and verify pick-and-place files for SMT assembly — KiCad .pos, Altium CPL, Eagle .mnt, EasyEDA centroid file format, rotation conventions, JLCPCB compatibility.
Complete file checklist for JLCPCB PCB and SMT assembly orders — Gerber requirements, BOM template, CPL/pick-and-place file, design rule limits, DRC verification before submit.
Complete PCB panelization guide — v-cut vs mouse bites vs tab routing tradeoffs, fiducials, tooling holes, rail design, KiCad and JLCPCB panelization workflows, DFM tips.
STEP (ISO 10303) vs IGES (ANSI Y14.26M) compared — what each format supports, B-rep geometry preservation, when to use which, and how to convert losslessly in your browser.
Step-by-step guide to exporting Gerber and Excellon drill files from KiCad 8 for PCB fabrication. Plot settings, layer selection, JLCPCB/PCBWay presets, and how to verify the output in a free browser viewer before you order.
Convert STEP (.step / .stp) CAD files to STL for 3D printing — what changes in the mesh, how to choose a tessellation resolution, and a free browser-based converter that triangulates your part without uploading it to any server.
Convert STL to OBJ in your browser — what you gain (groups, materials, UVs) and what stays empty, when OBJ beats STL, and a free converter that processes your mesh locally without uploading it to any server.
Export a clean Bill of Materials from KiCad for JLCPCB, PCBWay, or hand assembly. Symbol fields, the BOM tool, CSV formatting, and how to price every part across LCSC, DigiKey, and Mouser in your browser before you order.