kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[jp charras <jp.charras@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Le 25/09/2017 à 10:22, Maciej Sumiński a écrit :
> Hi Russell,
> 
> Would you provide a board example that would be affected by the change?
> It would be very helpful to test the patch.
> 
> I am not really sure whether EDGE_MODULEs drawn on copper layers will be
> exported to Gerbers and I am certain that they will not be taken into
> account during DRC or zone fill calculations. If my suspicions are
> correct, then IMHO presence of such footprints should lead to a warning
> message and nothing more. Perhaps they could be converted to custom
> shape pads, but I am not sure it is always applicable or trivial.
> 
> Regards,
> Orson

I am also not especially thrilled by allowing EDGE_MODULEs items on copper layers for 2 reasons:
- DRC does not take in account these items.
- EDGE_MODULEs polygonal shapes are not editable in the footprint editor.
Therefore you cannot remove or change them.

They are allowed in a very specific case: automatically generated microwave footprints.
(and I recently modified a microwave footprint type to use a custom pad).

A warning message is currently the only one reliable way to manage this kind of item.
Allowing EDGE_MODULEs items on copper layers during Eagle to Pcbnew import process is the best way
to create serious issues and mistakes.
In short: on a copper layer, you cannot easily put graphic items.

Remark: EDGE_MODULEs items on copper layers are handled in zone filling and plot functions.
However, because they are not belonging a net (because in Pcbnew they are not currently linked to a
pad), they cannot be perfectly handled.

> 
> On 09/20/2017 11:59 PM, Russell Oliver wrote:
>> Wayne,
>>
>> After my quick look at JP's custom pad code, I think the patch is still
>> valid simply because it allows for the quick conversion between copper
>> layer graphical items in an Eagle footprint to the equivalent KiCad item.
>> Eagle Cad does not have an equivalent custom pad shape feature which groups
>> graphical items as a pad within the footprint. As JP mentioned the
>> conversion to a proper custom KiCad pad shape would be non trivial. I have
>> seen Eagle users, use multiple graphical elements on separate layers to
>> define a pad, e.g. A polygon for copper, another for paste, another for
>> mask, and sometimes these do not overlap completely. Which if I assume
>> correctly is not supported by a custom KiCad pad?
>>
>> I'll  find some Eagle boards with custom footprints (mostly antenna's) to
>> show how its being used.
>>
>> Regards
>> Russell



-- 
Jean-Pierre CHARRAS