Editing the bottom layer

Layout
1

I have a board that I have routed with freecad, and cleaned up.
There is a lot of free space on the green (bottom layer).
I want to put some surface mount prototyping pads there.
I selected the back layer (there is a triangle next to it) and added some footprints. However, once that was done, they turned red (the color of the top layer, rather than staying green. Obviously they did not stay on the back layer.
How do I do that?
In most graphics programs you can select an object and say send to back layer, or send to a layer number.

2

Hotkey F or right click -> Flip. This is not just a change of layer like in a graphic program but also mirrors the footprint as you look through the board and something that is on the bottom side will appear mirrored this way (Write something on glas and then turn it over)

3

O.K. Next question. How can I change the layers marked F to B and the layers marked B to F.
Somehow, kicad has the layer I want to be the front layer, as the back layer. I’d like to be able to swap ALL the F layers and ALL the B layers.
Is there a way to do that?
EFM8B331_D.kicad_pcb (190.7 KB)

This is a debug board for the EFM8BB31 part from silabs, with an optional 710 reg on the bottom, and a collection of smt footprints on the bottom for prototyping. I want the CPU and the green lines to be considered the TOP and the red lines to be considered the bottom.

4

Pcbnew / Edit / Swap Layers …

5

I did that, but that seems to have removed some contacts, and left white lines.
Try it with the file I posted…

6

I have not used this function (much), however:
If you swap the top and bottom layers, then the all footprints must get mirrored.
This makes impossible for KiCad to maintain all tracks, and tracks that generate conflicts are probably deleted, so the white rats nest lines appear on the deleted tracks which have to be re-wired.

2 Likes
7

I asked the same question a couple of years ago, and the answer was to select everything and press F. This worked for me.

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