In the latest 7.0rc-18
Track and Via can only be configured with X.Cu layers, but Line can be configured with additional layers, such as Paste, Mask.
This is important because Track may need to remove Solder and add Paste, like Pad (more comprehensive layer settings, Clearance Overrides and Settings).
This smells like XY problem. You are asking for X because you think it will let you achieve Y when in fact there are often better (already existing) ways to do it.
Tracks pads and lines are in fact different and for good reasons. Tracks and pads are connected items i.e. can have nets and router treats connected items differently than graphical items which are lines. Pads are different from tracks by the fact that pads are not routed, they are static part of footprint and can have complex shapes.
So what exactly are you trying to do?
It is not necessary that the Track is exactly like the Pad, just that the Track has the “Technical layers” option like the Pad, in order to directly create the Track without the Sloder mask (and you can set the “Sloder mask expansion”)
Automatic solder mask expansion can be done with plugins. There is one here GitHub - easyw/RF-tools-KiCAD: KiCAD RF tools: footprints wizard and round tracks, mask expander, via fencing
Yes, a Line can be Drawn and Converted to a Track (including a Track with a Net).
Video show it… too simple and you can see it gets the Net’s name…
But it cannot be reversed (Track → Line).
That’s correct but, you can create a Plugin to inspect the PCB file, grab the Points and Create the needed text and Append the File (to Add the Line data and Delete the Track data.
Screenshot shows Track data and Drawing Line data…
A complicated workaround that may be of some use:
During the conversion of Gerber back to KiCad, you can choose the destination layer of each gerber file.
I think for the original question (get track-shape onto mask/paste/xy-layer) the gerber-workaround is no longer needed in v7.
V7 added the command to convert a track into a non-copper-polygone (or a non-copper zone). This allows to copy a track-shape to the mask-layer. This should be done at the end of the pcb-design, the copy is static and doesn’t change if the track is rerouted (so not a 100%-solution for the original question).
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