Enter dims for board outline?

[acidblue]

I need to draw board outline, edge cuts layer, to specific dims, 128.5mm x 10.16mm.
Been trying to do this with the help of the dim tool but it’s coming out sloppy.
I can never get the dim tool or the poly line tool to get the exact dims I need.
Is their a wizard that would simply let me enter dims for the board outline?

[bobc]

I would just edit the line properties, you can set the start and end coordinates.

[acidblue]

I’ve tried that, the grid screws me up, the line snaps to the grid either just above or just below where I want them.
How do you turn off snap to grid? I have never been able to find it. Does kicad even have that option on PCBNew?

[bobc]

[acidblue]

ok i’ll give it a go.
Be nice if there was a rectangle tool where you could just enter dims and Viola there you go.

[bobc]

There is not really much need, the grid goes down to 0.01mm which is way smaller than the tolerance with which boards are cut.

[acidblue]

Damn it.
Ok I got the board just the way I want it, thanks btw.
But now the 3D view is giving me errors, it cant find the edge of the lines.

[bobc]

Yeah, that is a bit annoying, if there is even a small gap in the outline it complains. To avoid it, you need to make sure the lines meet exactly.

[Rene_Poschl]

Complex edges are best made in a mechanical cad tool. You can use any tool that can export dxf or you use freecad plus kicad stepup and push the outline directly to a board file.

[acidblue]

I did a redraw making sure edges connected, that seems to the trick.

[acidblue]

MMM, I’ll have to try that, I actually have freecad on my system.

[bobc]

For the script adventurous

import pcbnew

# execfile ("c:/python_progs/test_pcb/edge_rect.py")

def draw_outline (x1,y1,sizex,sizey):
    board = pcbnew.GetBoard()

    x2 = x1 + sizex
    y2 = y1 + sizey

    edgecut = pcbnew.Edge_Cuts

    seg1 = pcbnew.DRAWSEGMENT(board)
    board.Add(seg1)
    seg1.SetStart(pcbnew.wxPointMM(x1,y1))
    seg1.SetEnd(  pcbnew.wxPointMM(x2,y1))
    seg1.SetLayer(edgecut)

    seg1 = pcbnew.DRAWSEGMENT(board)
    board.Add(seg1)
    seg1.SetStart(pcbnew.wxPointMM(x1,y2))
    seg1.SetEnd(  pcbnew.wxPointMM(x2,y2))
    seg1.SetLayer(edgecut)

    seg1 = pcbnew.DRAWSEGMENT(board)
    board.Add(seg1)
    seg1.SetStart(pcbnew.wxPointMM(x1,y1))
    seg1.SetEnd(  pcbnew.wxPointMM(x1,y2))
    seg1.SetLayer(edgecut)

    seg1 = pcbnew.DRAWSEGMENT(board)
    board.Add(seg1)
    seg1.SetStart(pcbnew.wxPointMM(x2,y1))
    seg1.SetEnd(  pcbnew.wxPointMM(x2,y2))
    seg1.SetLayer(edgecut)

draw_outline (100,100, 60.1, 45.6)

[hermit]

I think there will always be a discussion on where one CAD starts and and another CAD ends. I think that’s what makes something like Kicad ‘Stepup’ a nice little addition to the mix.