Hello,
I would like to fill my tracks but I can’t find the function or the plugin in KiCad. I’m looking for a paint bucket style function.
My tracks have complex shapes from a dxf.
Thanks
That’s impossible, at least without some external tool. That DXF has the outlines of shapes, i.e. there’s a line around each track, while KiCad’s tracks are lines with thickness (without specified outline). The best you can do is to use this as background in an extra layer and draw the tracks. Even then the whole workflow is more difficult because you don’t apparently have a schematic, and the layout doesn’t have nets or footprints.
What you have these are not tracks but rather track borders. As KiCad tracks don’t look like these what you have that are rather in KiCad sense zone borders. I don’t know how to fill these.
It’s impossible to say how this DXF file is formed. If you attach the file, someone may find a creative way to work with this.
However, I doubt you would get any benefit from converting this to KiCad. Even if the shapes would be convertible to KiCad polygons, you wouldn’t get anything else than ability to convert this image to gerber. But about everything useful in KiCad is lost in any case, and you could as well find a way to convert a DXF to gerber directly. Or do you have something else in mind? Are you willing to share more details about how you did get or create that file, was there some other original format, why do you want to make the conversion, what would you do with this in KiCad etc.?
KiCad can not do much with this.
It’s probably easier to use some mechanical CAD, or an generic drawing program to do this.
If I were to do this in KiCad, I would only use the drawing as an example, define my own footprints and draw 45 degree tracks over it. KiCad very much likes to use tracks with a multiple of 45 degrees.
With good DXF file, it’s a One-Click solution (sort of).
If the DXF is cluttered with duplicate and open line-shapes, it wont’ be One-Click…
Post the file, I’ll look at it…
Below are examples…
Imported DXF into FreeCad and did 'Face To Wires’
A DXF loaded into Kicad then, making Footprint (using the 'Image Converter Tool), then editing footprint. Not for Noob’s
Thanks for your feedback.
My idea is to design a part who is no more available and modify for my usage. I try to perform the real part with little CNC based on the Cad file but after many test I have always the same issue the copper sheet (0.1mm) not stay glue on the plastic sheet (0.16mm).
The DXF was design in Cad software.
I have some picture but forum limit to one.
I would like to create at the end a flex PCB because it is at the origin. As I do not achieve to produce it. I need to provide “gerber” file it’s why I try to convert trough KiCad to send it to a company like PCBway or what ever it is.
Have you a tutorial for this ? because I see this function and made a quick test with *.png file but if it is possible from the DXF it’s better (better precision, no ?)
You found the tutorial…(the link @eelik posted).
DXF is the Best approach (using PNG, JPG, etc in the Converter will Not be clean and will take more time/effort than starting from scratch).
Thus, with DXF, simply import into Kicad, (or, Filling Wires can be done from different FreeCad Workbenches.)
Best to use the Part workbench, select the wires, Part>Make_Face
I have this message in FreeCad :
20:14:11 This function will be deprecated. Please use ‘convert_draft_texts’.
20:14:11 ----------------
20:14:11 Convert Draft texts
I try to upload a DXF for test but I have not the right and I find the Convert Draft texts function
I continue to search.
This is for a dashboard of a car?
I would redraw it in Kicad, and not worry very much about exactly duplicating the appearance of the traces. Just make sure the sockets are in the right location.
Yes it is. The issue is that the light socket are fixed directly to the flex pcb and dashboard box. I have also connector for the global info. I have not so much space behind the dashboard so I can’t have a big quantity of wire it’s why I would like to keep the flex pcb solution.
Of course, filling the wires (as in Make Face) only fills them. After that, you need to get it into Kicad … review/search posts…
EDIT: I repeat so as to not confuse you: Refer to my posted info (re the link above from @eelik ). That is all you need to do if your DXF is good.
At some point, moderator will enable you to post the file(s).
A variant from BlackCoffee’s suggestion. I think you can change the outline of a .DXF file in KiCad into the outline of a copper zone. It may be a quick fix, but it also has some disadvantages. Copper zones in Kicad are just a definiton of a “maximum size”, and they can get intersected by other things.
How many of these things do you want to make?
It may be a consideration to just create a very small “single connector PCB”, which also has some extra holes, and then hand wire the thing.
Are those light bulbs?
While you’re at it, why not replace them with LED’s?
Or at least take a step back and look at alternative methods to get to a decent result.
It looks like you’ve got bare copper connector fingers by folding a piece of flex over a plastic ridge. Something like that is hard to get reliable with DIY method.
Ok, normally the dxf is in good quality but made I made it from 2D drawing. I will try from 3D wire or face as if it is created like you show in FreeCad.
I would like to made at minimum 1 dashboard, but each light is one line/one wire. The only one who are grouped are the 6 big one (light for night) and general earth.
Yes it is light bulbs. I have in mind to replace by LED’s but the issue is that they provide too much light and they change the original colour of the original film. I need to have directly the LED’s in the good colour (not easy to find in good quality but it’s possible).
If at the end I do not achieve to make it in DIY or by a company, I will try it with wire, small PCB for connector and so on. No emergency on my side I have another dash in the car actually