PCB Product Render

Required workflow

1. Identify the project root and the authoritative

   .kicad_pcb

   . If the user says “latest board,” always regenerate the STEP and GLB before rendering; never reuse an older GLB based only on its filename.
2. Run a current DRC report. Stop on violations unless the user has explicitly authorized proceeding (an earlier authorization applies only to that project/task). Record the report path and counts in the handoff.
3. Export with

   kicad-cli pcb export step

   and

   kicad-cli pcb export glb

   , using

   --force --no-dnp --subst-models

   . For the GLB include tracks, pads, zones, silkscreen, soldermask, and

   --cut-vias-in-body

   when supported.
4. Inspect the exported scene before rendering. Confirm the rounded outline and every mounting/cutout hole are present. Remove only unnecessary 3D header models; retain their footprints and pads. If a known vendor model is missing, use a deterministic custom Blender fallback and state that it is a fallback.
5. Render at least hero, near-overhead top, sensor/detail, and back views. Use Cycles with denoising and inspect the actual PNGs—not only a successful Blender exit code.
6. Verify dimensions, output timestamps, and any gallery/server endpoints. If an HTML gallery already exists, keep its filenames stable so it refreshes without breaking links.

Material targets

• Blue soldermask: deep royal blue LPI resin, non-metallic, moderately glossy rather than matte or mirror-polished. Use a smooth clear coat with low coat roughness, restrained micro-roughness/bump, and only subtle optical depth. Avoid high-contrast procedural grain.
• Bare FR-4: muted warm tan/amber fiberglass, slightly cloudy and translucent at the routed edges. Use controlled transmission/subsurface/volume absorption and soft underlighting. Keep the clear fraction low enough that stage graphics do not appear as sharp stripes through the laminate; open holes may reveal the stage below.
• ENIG: exposed copper/pads should read as pale metallic gold, not orange paint or raw copper. Adjust roughness and lighting so highlights do not clip to featureless white.
• Solder: if the source model has dry passive blocks, add small silver SAC-style solder fillets at their pad interfaces. Keep them irregular and subdued; do not turn them into bright white dots.
• Connector plastic: matte molded nylon with slight warm-gray variation, microscopic bump, and small physical edge bevels. Avoid opaque white blocks.
• Sensor housing: matte charcoal molded plastic with restrained pebbled texture; emitter/receiver materials should follow the user’s reference images.

Camera and stage

Current project reference

/home/h/Documents/AmericanEmbedded/AmericanEmbedded/VL53L9CX_Pi_Cam

• Board:

  VL53L9CX_Pi_Cam.kicad_pcb

  (31 mm × 25 mm in the current scene).
• Export helper:

  build/product-renders/export_board_3d.sh

  .
• Blender scene builder:

  build/product-renders/build_product_scene.py

  .
• Blender source:

  build/product-renders/VL53L9CX_STEMMA_QT.glb

  .
• Final scene:

  build/product-renders/VL53L9CX_STEMMA_QT-product-renders.blend

  .
• PNGs:

  VL53L9CX-STEMMA-QT-hero.png

  ,

  VL53L9CX-STEMMA-QT-top.png

  ,

  VL53L9CX-STEMMA-QT-sensor-detail.png

  , and

  VL53L9CX-STEMMA-QT-back.png

  .
• Gallery:

  VL53L9CX-render-gallery.html

  , served in the current setup at

  http://100.64.84.41:8765/

  .
• Latest DRC report:

  build/render-review/drc-latest-render.rpt

  . The current project was rendered under the user’s prior override despite 12 violations, 53 unconnected items, and one schematic-parity issue.

Handoff requirements