Future request:footprint editer export prototype

[annopnod]

i design footprint.i can not test it in cnc3018 drilling accurate or appropriate distance using plywood.

footprint editer can export prototype?
gerber and drill file and send to cnc machine create prototype and test prototype before really in use.

test prototype meaning insert components(mosfet heatsink opamp) to plywood and test fit.

[Piotr]

I have never used cnc to make PCB. I don’t know what is plywood.
I don’t understand a problem.
If you really need to check a footprint in I think a minute you can design PCB containing only one footprint and you have it as it will be at PCB. If you have a way to cnc PCB you will be able to cnc this PCB and see this footprint practically used.
Do with cnc there are such problems that you need to test footprint before real use? If yes then I am very surprised people use such uncertain technology.
When I need to use new footprint I draw it based on datasheet and just use in PCB. There were never problems with it. May be I’m just lucky and I never hit datasheet with wrong footprint picture.

[eelik]

@annopnod

gerber and drill file and send to cnc machine create prototype and test prototype before really in use.

Sounds complicated just for testing a footprint. Some users have used the Print function from the PCB editor to print to paper. Then it’s possible to fit the component to the print. You just have to be careful and measure the print as exactly as you can because the result of the printing (which depends on the OS, not only on KiCad) may not be exactly 1:1.

[paulvdh]

@eelik

Some users have used the Print function from the PCB editor to print to paper.

Yes, something like:

[tutorial] Test fitting Footprints

A small demo to show how I test fit footprints. It’s a combination of a few things to make it work perfectly. The first step is to print a PCB mirrored on a piece of Paper: PcbNew → File → Print → Options Mirror → Print. 2nd step: Take a needle and pre-punch all the mounting holes into the paper. (For the large holes I used a hole punch). 3rd step: Carefully put the connector into the sheet of paper. 4th step: Take a picture or scan the whole contraption with a flatbed scanner. This make…

I do not see much use for adding Gerber output to the Footprint Editor. For most hobbyists simple printing is “good enough”, and more “modern” methods such as placing a 3d model of a footprint on it is more common. If you really want to do milling (via Gerber file creation), then it’s easy enough to put the footprint on a PCB and follow the normal workflow from there.

[annopnod]

this is test pin to fit.
i open 4 step
1.schematic edit
2.footprint edit
3.pcb edit
4.flatcam
i think shortcuts footprint edit go to flatcam directly.

[paulvdh]

PCB milling is a very niche corner, and there are many feature requests on gitlab. More then the current team of KiCad developers can fix in (probably) years, and they are already doing a wonderful job. Just look at the progress KiCad has made in the last 5 or so years.

Once you have a footprint on a PCB, it’s easy enough to load it into the the footprint editor (Hover mouse and press [Ctrl + e]) and then back again (Just close the Footprint Editor, and it asks you whether you want to save the changes back to the PCB). Because this is just a few key presses, I guess it’s “good enough”. KiCad simply does not have the resources to implement every wish of every user.

[BlackCoffee]

@annopnod

can not test it in cnc3018

See my Video on CNC Milling PCB’s and regarding Footprint’s, you can make the Footprint (just a Dumb one with minimal graphic to help placement) and link it to a STEP file of the Footprint. That STEP file can come from a CAD model or, by Exporting STEP from Kicad.

If you use FreeCAD, you can use KicadStepUp workbench to load the PCB and Footprints… see my video… StepUp will load the STEP files of Footprints…

I also have this Video for 3018 CNC…

At/near the end of the First video, I show using 3018 with Candle software to preview the Milling…