Re create an old part from picture

[Toggesh]

I have an old car (Renault 5 GT Turbo) and I need to repair the dashboard, especially the flex PCB behind.

To do this job I go through CAD Software to redesign all the “copper tracks”

I have made a first prototype with a laser cutting machine to confirm the dimension

Now I need to produce the final part. For that I will used an CNC3018 updated and a small sheet (0.1mm) of copper glued to a small sheet of plastic (0.175 to 0.25 I don’t know).

But to do that I need to convert my CAD file into gerber one to be compatible with Candle GRBL. For that I imagine to use Kicad 6.0 by importation of different DXF but … because I have but. I can’t achieve to do what I want because I don’t know how I need to do.

I achieve to import DXF in the correct layer but I need to “paint” the empty area and I don’t know how I need to do to be sure that at the end I have the “copper tracks”

Thank you for your help

[BlackCoffee]

Candle uses Gcode (not Gerber)

You have at least Two options (I’ve done both).

#1) You can use your DXF file in FreeCAD’s ‘Path’ workbench (it’s a CNC workbench). Just select the desired lines and use ‘Outside’ option for milling

#2) You can use Kicad’s Image Converter to get a Footprint from a Nice, Clean Image then, Edit the Footprint (.mod) file to Change layer from (the one you selected in Image editor) to a Cu layer.
Then, use a Gcode app such as CopperCAM to get the Gcode.

(Note; I’m away for most of the day and will check back later…)

Then, Use Candle… Some images below…

No 1 is straight-forward so, not posting image

No 2
Showing converted image on Eco1 layer and Edited .mod to Cu
I did not fuss/bother to clean it (I’m in a hurry…)

I wouldn’t do #2 for many traces…

That said, here’s No2 in CopperCam using a smaller Not Cleaned up file Example but same process

Loaded into Candle

[Toggesh]

Thank’s for your feedback.

#1) I need to check because I have no more FreeCAD on my computer.

#2) That’s means that I need to use a jpg (or other picture format) ? So I need to do a double check to be sure of the seize or put a mark to check ?

I use FlatCam for Gcode conversion, I don’t know CopperCam maybe more powerfull

[paulvdh]

If your CNC3018 runs on GRBL, you can also use bCNC to run it. bCNC can directly import (multiple) .DXF files and turn them into G-code before sending them to GRBL, or you can save the G-code. bCNC can also add offsets for the mill radius and it has a bunch of other tools (such as adding tabs and multiple passes) to pre-process your G-code. bCNC has sort of similar functionality as the path workbench in FreeCAD, and I’ve used bCNC a few times with DXF files exported from FreeCAD. That was a few years ago. Maybe the path workbench in FreeCAD is now mature enough to use it instead.