"Cut off" an edge of the PCB outline

[cds_ger]

Hi there,

I’m quite new to KiCad and am stuck with the following issue:

I’m layouting a PCB which is shaped like a ring. Getting this was no issue just using two concentric circles.
Now it turns our I need to “flatten” some edges of the PCB.
How can I do this without loosing all the layouting I already did?

Thanks for any hint!

Carsten

[Naib]

by flatten an edge? do you mean make a chord

If so there are two ways.

1. redraw the main circle as an arc and then complete with a line
   The Kicad PCB tool (at least in v9) will permit you to DRAW an arc based upon a centre, radius and then angle.
   

   
   
   Once this is done, you can use the line tool and rely on the snap to nodes to complete the outline
   
   

2. Use FreeCAD and the stepup plugin to import the Kicad PCB file and manipulate it in a constraints editor.

This type of request however is easily done within Kicad and thus #1 would be recomended

Now multiple edges will basically be following a similar workflow but section by section working on an arc by arc basis. My real advice, sketch it on paper and do some trig to be sure

A complete example. I actually added a reference circle on the user.comments layer as a guide

[RaptorUK]

This:

gives this:

This:

gives this:

So overlay arcs ontop of your circle(s) and add lines for the flat sections . . . . when you are done, delete the circles. it’s a bit of a faff but it can be done.

Backup before you start ! !

If it’s much more complex than this I’d draw it in CAD, export it as DXF and import it.

[cds_ger]

Thanks,

this was exactly what I was looking for!