I have a Gerber file generated in Fusion 360. I would like to open it in kiad in order to change some footprint. Is the above possible?
Those are the files I have:
So I managed to open my gerber file in kicad but it seems not possible to edit it (?)
You can export it to PCBnew, and edit it there.
But, remember - all connectivity (netlist) information is lost (everything is a graphic), so - be careful.
Will I be able to upload it back to kicad and add the routing?
what type of file I should import to pcb? I can’t import he gerber file (I’m getting error)
You open it with the gerber viewer, and then export from there to pcbnew. That process creates a new project.
This process is really only a “last resort”. Since there is no connectivity information exported, it’s almost impossible to use the imported file with schematic data. The best you can hope for is to use it as a template and draw a new board.
Think of it this way: A normal PCB is a “text document” and the gerber is a photograph of the printed output of that document. One is easily edited, the other can only be erased or drawn over.
ETA:
Oh, and - you need to edit each layer of the Gerber individually. In pcbnew, the solder mask and paste mask are derived from metal layers, and get updated automagically when the metal layer is edited. Not so with the Gerbers - if you change a pad on a copper layer, you need to change the corresponding pad on the solder mask and paste mask layers, too.
This is too complicated. I do have the drill file separated from the gerber file. Is there a way to edit it?
The same way.
You can export the drill file from the Gerber viewer into PCBnew, and then modify it there.
Kicad is not a general-purpose Gerber editor. The capabilities are much better than most layout packages - I used to edit the Gerber files by hand, in a text editor (which is still a possibility).
Click on the (…) for each gerber layer, and choose the layer you want it to end up on in the Kicad project.
Thanks. How can I export it back to drills.xln ?
So I could manage with circular hole. If my switch pin size is 0.80mm(W) 2.00mm(L) . what diameter the hole for that switch should be? 2.4mm?
2.4mm would certainly work, but there may be a too much slop.
I’d try 2.2mm or so.
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If I want only to change the drill hole size I could also drill it manually with a driller right?
how can I know for sure my bigger hole will not effect the routing?
If you drill out a plated-through hole, you will remove the plating in the “barrel.” This is not a good thing, and you will have to solder the component lead on the top and the bottom of the board. I wouldn’t recommend it.
As for affecting the routing - you will have to inspect the edited Gerbers very carefully.
and if this is done from the fact I changed the drill file hole size? is this ok? I can be sure it will be fine?
Honestly, you need to be sure of your abilities.
There is no DRC when you are editing Gerbers and drill files.
You just need to look at the stacked layers, and make sure that the changes you made didn’t mess anything up. If you have doubts, you might post them here, and ask someone to look at them.
KiCad has a gerber viewer, not a gerber editor. There are gerber editors “out there”, but I have no experience with them.
What you can do with KiCad, is to re-create a PCB, and then treat it as any other KiCad project.