F.Fab layer is not printed

Roman_Matveev · November 6, 2015, 8:55am

Hi All!
Most of the components I used to make my PCB have the component value in F.Fab layer (standard color is yellow).
Now I’m trying to make a assembling drawing for hand soldering. For this purpose I tried to hide references (F.SilkS layer) and make visible F.Fab layer.
However after doing this there was no values on the print preview: https://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/4212/855366.8d/0_b6b89_14584cda_orig.png

(as you can see F.Fab layer is ON but there is no values on preview).

What I’m doing wrong?

PS. Just faced with the same problem while printing gerber files: https://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/6101/855366.8d/0_b6b8a_9b71c500_orig.png

PS2. It looks like that GerbView printing the first loaded layer only Is it a bug or a feature?

Roman_Matveev · November 6, 2015, 9:03am

And one more related question:
Is it possible to include components contour but exclude its reference value (as I understand they are both in F.FilkS layer)?

coolp_jim · November 6, 2015, 1:45pm

If you use Plot and choose PDF instead, you’ll be able to make a printout of the F.Fab layer with values (check “Plot footprint values”).

For your second question uncheck “Plot footprint references” and plot the F.Silks layer.

EDIT: Don’t use print: it sucks. If you want a .pdf with a page per layer kind of thing plot all your gerbers, import into ViewMate, which is a crappy gerber viewer that will accomplish this. Gerbv and GerbView won’t do it last I checked.

greanie · February 16, 2016, 5:21pm

Couldn’t get the values printed either even though F.Fab is selected as visible under render so thanks for the suggestion! It works but the values and references are in separate files, not very convenient. Is there a way to collapse the layers in the plot feature? Or another workaround to get print working?

Joan_Sparky · February 17, 2016, 1:53am

Are the reference/values hidden in the footprints?
Did you check the reference/value visibility option in the ‘Render’ tab (besides/underneath the ‘Layer’ tab).

I have both reference and value fields on F.Fab and a 2nd reference text field with ‘%R’ on Eco1.User and they are visible in print (BZR6097).

greanie · February 17, 2016, 8:42am

They are visible in the foot prints and I have selected the visibility to on in the render tab. I can clearly see them on the screen but they don’t show up on print, at least not print preview.

Joan_Sparky · February 17, 2016, 9:33am

must be a regression thing… what version are you on?

greanie · February 17, 2016, 12:30pm

Application: pcbnew
Version: (2015-09-08 BZR 6170, Git 6269158)-product release build
wxWidgets: Version 3.0.2 (debug,wchar_t,compiler with C++ ABI 1009,GCC 5.2.0,wx containers,compatible with 2.8)
Platform: Windows 7 (build 7601, Service Pack 1), 64-bit edition, 64 bit, Little endian, wxMSW
Boost version: 1.57.0
USE_WX_GRAPHICS_CONTEXT=OFF
USE_WX_OVERLAY=OFF
KICAD_SCRIPTING=ON
KICAD_SCRIPTING_MODULES=ON
KICAD_SCRIPTING_WXPYTHON=ON
USE_FP_LIB_TABLE=HARD_CODED_ON
BUILD_GITHUB_PLUGIN=ON

Joan_Sparky · February 17, 2016, 12:36pm

If you need the feature you can try one of the nightly builds, maybe?
But who knows what else is broken then - no risk, no fun
Python console is definitely not working then.

http://downloads.kicad.org/windows/nightly/ (via here: https://kicad.org/download/windows/)

greanie · February 17, 2016, 12:39pm

Thank you for the input. If I get brave or if I have the chance to bring on line a new machine, I’ll upgrade. But for now everything is working. For now the solution that works is plot as PDF and run the same piece of paper through the printer twice, once for footprints, the second for values.

Thanks!!