topic Re: Top and Bottom for Footprints w/o Pads in Fusion Electronics Forum

Top and Bottom for Footprints w/o Pads

mikahb4KRMZ — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 21:01:37 GMT

Somewhere I heard the idea to create a Component Library with your standard graphics so that you drop them on the schematic and then place them on the board like anything else. That made a ton more sense than battling the BMP import ULP on every single project! So, I've gone down that path and - so far - it's been working well enough.

This morning as I was finishing up, though, I created a nice logo graphic in the library, then I tried to put it on the bottom of my PCB...

I cannot find a way to move this graphic component (again, it's a footprint but has no pads) to the bottom. It seems like the only way I can control which layer the silkscreen shows up on is in the footprint definition itself. So, I created a LOGO_TOP and LOGO_BOTTOM variant which are identical except the layer the rectangles live on (in the footprint). That works, but seems extra dumb.

So, two questions:

- Is there any EXPLICIT way to either move a footprint to one side of a board or - besides selection filters - see which layer a footprint is on?

- Am I correct in assuming that when I create a footprint, put various things on XYZTop layers, when I move this component to the bottom it simply toggles each of those layers to the XYZBottom version and vise versa?

I'm wondering if it's just that without pads the system doesn't think it has anything interesting to toggle between layers or something. Anyway - any guidance is appreciated!

Re: Top and Bottom for Footprints w/o Pads

mikahb4KRMZ — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 22:32:53 GMT

As is usual, once I finally decide to post I make some headway.

I've found that I can use the Design Manager dialog to identify which components are on the Top and Bottom layer. I've further found that if I use a footprint with TopSilkscreen, even with no pads, and I mirror it, it DOES get moved to the bottom layer.

So, at least I can avoid having _TOP and _BOTTOM versions of everything.

The last weird bit, which can be worked around by selecting in the Design Manager, is that once I get one of my silkscreen-only components to the Bottom of the board, I can no longer select it in the PCB Editor window. No combination of layers and objects allows it to be picked. So, have to just go over to Design Manager and manually input coordinates/rotation.

Re: Top and Bottom for Footprints w/o Pads

jorge_garcia — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 22:37:11 GMT

Hello @mikahb4KRMZ,

I hope you're doing well. So you have already figured out that if you want the layers to switch you have to use the right layers, specifically TopSilkscreen and BottomSilkscreen.

Now if after flipping it you are not able to select it the first thing to check is the selection filter. Make sure that all of the layers are selectable and that components are also selectable. This is usually the cause of not being able to select something.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

Re: Top and Bottom for Footprints w/o Pads

mikahb4KRMZ — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 21:45:14 GMT

Thanks Jorge. The non-selection is not related to selection filters (either object type or layer). I reset it to "all" on both and still cannot select the padless footprints.

Re: Top and Bottom for Footprints w/o Pads

jorge_garcia — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 19:45:09 GMT

Hi @mikahb4KRMZ,

I hope you're doing well. Check out the logos in the library. The logos in the library need to be centered around the origin in order to be easily selectable. If you logo imported off in space away from the origin in the library that might explain why the logo is not selectable.

Let me know if that's the case.

Best Regards,