Hello,
I’d like to replicate this Edges from this F450 frame to my project but nut sure how to do it and approach it.
I had a similar question last time but it this one it show that footprints are not ideal for this job.
looks like the soldermask has been pulled back from the edge of the pcb…
Check out zones.
PS: segments per full circle are limited with KiCAD currently (max is 32 per full circle I think?), result might look segmented to you, depending on what you expect.
How’d I do that?
Like I said It’s a complicated shape I can’t just sit around all day choosing the outline with millions of clicks besides the zone only removes mask internally not externally what settings do you suggest to use?
Sorry, wasn’t thinking straight.
Zones won’t help for that case.
How does your outline look like?
In Legacy Canvas (not OpenGL) you can block select the outline only… this would be a way to separate it, copy it, modify it’s thickness and layer to x.Mask and get it back in position to do what you want?
I would expect @HiGreg 's python scripts could do that for you automatically even, like so:
- find all outline elements
- create a copy of each for F/B.Mask with thickness how you like
(any new run should first delete ALL F/B.Mask lines in that pcb file)
KiCommand might help. Draw Edge.Cuts. Then use Draw commands (including round) to make shapes.
For the rectangle, draw 4 line segments that are almost connected end to end. Select them, then use connect regular.
Combine length and scale to set the length of the short sides.
I’m still trying to figure out how to make the long sides. After you do that, use round to set the corners as arcs.
Let me know if you have ideas on how to improve your workflow using KiCommand!
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have a look at here:
the script is changing the layer for selected lines, but it can be modified to duplicate selected to a new layer and change the thickness for the duplicated lines
this is working also in OpenGL dev release
‘Right Click’ ‘Select’ ‘Filter Selection’
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OK guys so I understand that I just have to make the outline thicker and import it in F.Mask and B.Mask but what about the copper? when I make a copper zone that is bigger than the shape of the PCB and fill it it leavers the set(0.8mm)clearance for me how’d I make it have 0.0mm clearance only for the edges?
BTW does anyone know of an easy software to deal with DXF files? just to change line width and scale of offset it exactly?
Thanks.
I also didn’t get your post.
What do you do again after you select all edges you want to change the width of?
I think it is not a line thickness problem.
I’m not familiar with DXF, so there is possibly an easier solution than mine.
Make 2 DXF files.
First one with the cutout outline shape that you will import in the Edge-cuts layer.
Second, a solid area with the perimeter you need. I guess it is 0.8mm bigger than the other outline. Import the second figure on the F.Mask layer: it will be a zone on F.Mask.
Try afterwards the 3d rendering to see the results. This was made with rectangles.
Yes I ended up doing that but now for the mask layer I’m having problem thickening the lines in another software like Inkscape.
Do you maybe know how to do this properly? or how to do it with another software?
When I change line thickness in Inkscape and export it into kicad as DXF again I can see some lines(that didn’t change the thickness) but the results are fairly distorted.
I can’t figure out why you need to thicken the lines. My lines were 2 mm thick.
I add 2 more pictures.
Only the edges-cut layer. Outer line is the outline of the whole pcb. The inner one is the cutout.
The purple rectangle is the zone on the F.Mask layer.
The result is the picture I sent in my previous post.
I need it to thicknes those imported DXF lines to 6 mm sins I can’t manage to do it in external software
and that’s the key to do what I want to do as shown in the first picture above
Zones only allow to remote mask in an internal surface with very simple rectangular geometry.
Here is the imported file I’m talking on.
Hi maybe you could explain your self better?
I’m running a standard kicad version on a windows machine.