Move and Swap Layers In 5.1.8?

I’m using version 5.1.8 and in Pcbnew it appears that the “Edit / Move and Swap Layers” option from version 5.0 has been replaced with “Edit / Swap Layers” in 5.1.8. The former would allow you to move/swap copper, silkscreen, mask, etc., whereas the latter only gives the option of swapping copper layers without the ability to swap the corresponding SS and mask layers.

I’ve inherited a PCB design that has all of the SMD parts on the B_layer and I need to change the copper, SS and mask to the F_layer. Likewise I need to change the F_layer copper, SS and mask to the B_layer. Is there a way to do that in 5.1.8?

Thanks.

Swapping layers won’t help much with SMD IC’s, unless you bend their pins the other way around.

Maybe dragging a big box around your PCB and then pressing f for “Flip” works for you.
f flips a selection between front and back around the X-axis of the current Y- location of the mouse cursor.

Thanks, but just to be clear the layout is fine as is so no need to flip, or anything like that. I simply want Pcbnew to refer to the B layer as the F layer, and to the F layer as the B layer. Again, I can swap layers (Edit / Swap Layers) and it works like a charm but the silkscreen and solder mask does not follow suit.

This design was reverse-engineered from Gerber files and somehow all of the F.gbrs got imported as B.gbrs and vice-versa, so I’m just trying to get Pcbnew to call them what they really are.

Well, I stand corrected… Apparently flipping it DOES change layer designations by making the B layer become the F layer and vise-versa. Weird. I would have assumed that it would keep the layer designations intact but instead it follows the board orientation. Oh well, I learned something today. Thanks for your help.

If I understand what you want… While in PCBnew, click the Board Setup icon (or use menubar). Change the Names of the Layers as desired…

Example shows Original and Renamed (shown in Gerbview)…

Thanks BC. I actually tried this first but it only lets you change the “signal layers” (i.e. copper layers), so while this would be the method for swapping copper interlayers that are not associated with mask, silkscreen, etc. layers, flipping the board appears to be the method for swapping the front, back and associated layers. I was wondering why they didn’t keep the 5.0 method, but now I see that the 5.1 method makes it somewhat fool-proof.

Anyway, thanks for the responses and helping me understand this.

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.