KiRender - KiCad 3D PCB Render Plugin

A powerful KiCad plugin for generating stunning 3D PCB renders, animations, and SVG exports

Features • Installation • Usage • Templates • Support

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☕ Support This Project

If KiRender has saved you time or helped with your PCB projects, consider supporting its development:

Other ways to support →

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Features

🎬 SpinRender - Animation Rendering

Create professional spinning/rotating 3D animations of your PCB:

• Multiple rotation axes: Y (Spin/Orbit), Z (Turntable), X (Flip)
• Customizable views: Adjustable tilt angles (X, Y, Z) for perfect perspectives
• Parallel rendering: Utilize multiple CPU cores for faster frame generation
• Multiple output formats: MP4, GIF, WebM, or PNG sequences
• Template system: Save and reuse your favorite animation settings

📷 Static Images - High-Quality Renders

Generate beautiful static images from multiple angles:

• Six standard views: Top, Bottom, Front, Back, Left, Right
• Custom angles: Define your own camera positions
• Batch rendering: Generate all views in one click
• High resolution: Support for any resolution output
• Transparent backgrounds: Perfect for documentation

📐 SVG Export - Vector Graphics

Export your PCB layers as scalable vector graphics:

• Layer selection: Choose specific layers to export
• Merge options: Single SVG or separate files per layer
• Page size options: Auto-fit, A4, A3, Letter, and more
• Drill shapes: None, small, or full drill markers
• Professional output: Perfect for documentation and datasheets

🎛️ Advanced Features

• Template System: Create, edit, save, and share render presets
• CLI Validation: Real-time parameter validation with helpful warnings
• Smart Defaults: Automatically detects KiCad and FFmpeg paths
• Progress Tracking: Live progress bars and detailed logging
• Background Processing: UI remains responsive during renders

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Prerequisites

Required

1. KiCad 9.0 or later - The kicad-cli pcb render command is required (introduced in KiCad 9.0)
2. FFmpeg (for animations) - Required for combining frames into video/GIF output

Installing FFmpeg

Windows

# Using winget (recommended)
winget install ffmpeg

# Or using Chocolatey
choco install ffmpeg

Or download from ffmpeg.org and add to your system PATH.

Linux

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install ffmpeg

# Fedora
sudo dnf install ffmpeg

# Arch
sudo pacman -S ffmpeg

macOS

brew install ffmpeg

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Installation

Method 1: KiCad Plugin Manager (Recommended)

1. Open KiCad
2. Go to Plugin and Content Manager
3. Search for "KiRender"
4. Click Install
5. Restart KiCad

Method 2: Manual Installation

1. Locate your KiCad Plugin Directory:

   • Open KiCad PCB Editor
   • Go to Tools → External Plugins → Open Plugin Directory

2. Download and Extract:

   • Download the latest release from GitHub Releases
   • Extract the com_pcbtools_kirender folder to the plugin directory

3. Restart KiCad:

   • Close and reopen the PCB Editor
   • The plugin should appear in the toolbar or under Tools → External Plugins

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Usage

Quick Start

1. Open your PCB in KiCad PCB Editor
2. Click the KiRender button in the toolbar (or Tools → External Plugins → KiRender)
3. Select a tab based on what you want to create:
   • SpinRender: Rotating animations
   • Static Images: Standard view renders
   • SVG Export: Vector layer exports
4. Choose a template or configure settings
5. Click the render button

SpinRender Tab

Configure your animation:

Setting	Description	Default
Template	Pre-configured render settings	default
Frames	Total number of frames	120
FPS	Frames per second	30
Rotations	Number of full 360° rotations	1
Format	Output format (MP4, GIF, WebM, PNG)	MP4
Parallel Workers	CPU cores for rendering	Auto

Static Images Tab

Setting	Description
Template	Pre-configured camera settings
Views	Select which views to render
Output Directory	Where to save images

SVG Export Tab

Setting	Description
Layers	PCB layers to export
Merge All	Combine into single SVG
Page Size	Output page dimensions
Drill Shape	Drill hole representation

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Templates

KiRender includes several built-in templates:

Animation Templates

• default - Standard rotating view
• cinematic - Dramatic angles for presentations
• isometric - Engineering-style isometric view
• product - Product photography style
• technical - Technical documentation style

Static Templates

• static_default - Standard resolution renders
• static_highres - 4K resolution for print

Using Templates

1. Select a template from the dropdown
2. Preview the parameters in the JSON view
3. Modify runtime settings (frames, FPS, etc.)
4. Click Manage → Edit to customize template values
5. Click + to save as a new user template

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Output Examples

Animation Settings Guide

Goal	Frames	FPS	Resolution	CRF
Quick preview	60	30	720×720	28
Social media	120	30	1080×1080	23
High quality	240	60	1920×1920	18
4K showcase	360	60	3840×3840	15

Format Comparison

Format	Pros	Cons	Best For
MP4	Small files, universal support	No transparency	General use, social media
GIF	Universal, autoplay everywhere	Large files, 256 colors	Documentation, GitHub
WebM	Small files, transparency	Less universal	Web with transparency
PNG	Lossless, full control	Many files	Post-processing

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Troubleshooting

"kicad-cli not found"

• Ensure KiCad 9.0+ is installed
• Go to Settings tab and specify the full path:
  • Windows: C:\Program Files\KiCad\9.0\bin\kicad-cli.exe
  • Linux: /usr/bin/kicad-cli
  • macOS: /Applications/KiCad/KiCad.app/Contents/MacOS/kicad-cli

"ffmpeg not found"

• Install FFmpeg using the instructions above
• Go to Settings tab and specify the full path

Render is very slow

• Reduce resolution
• Reduce number of frames
• Increase parallel workers (Settings tab)
• Use "basic" render quality instead of "high"

Output video is too large

• Increase CRF value (lower quality)
• Use "slow" or "veryslow" FFmpeg preset
• Reduce resolution
• Consider WebM format

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Version History

v1.3.0 (Latest)

• ✨ Template System: Full template support for all render modes
• ✨ SVG Export: New tab for vector graphics export
• ✨ CLI Validation: Real-time parameter validation
• ✨ Parallel Rendering: Multi-core frame generation
• 🎨 New Icon: Modern gradient design
• ⚡ Performance: Optimized UI loading and responsiveness
• 🐛 Bug fixes and stability improvements

v1.2.0

• Added Static Images tab
• Template presets for common scenarios
• Improved FFmpeg integration

v1.1.0

• Initial public release
• SpinRender animation support
• MP4, GIF, WebM output formats

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Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to:

• 🐛 Report bugs
• 💡 Request features
• 🔧 Submit pull requests

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Credits

Inspired by and based on:

• arturo182's kicad_mp4.sh
• linalinn's kicad-render
• Mastodon post by arturo182

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License

MIT License - Feel free to use, modify, and distribute.

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Made with ❤️ for the KiCad community

pcbtools.xyz • GitHub • Buy Me a Coffee