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Selecting a region or area of traces to mill

td77
Fri, 30 Jan 2015 18:23:48 GMT

Is there any way to isolate a certain area of traces on a board and mill only that area.?

td77
Fri, 30 Jan 2015 18:31:06 GMT

I would like to do a Non Copper Paint but isolated to a center area.

jpcaram
Fri, 30 Jan 2015 18:34:20 GMT

You can draw your own polygon and paint it. If you have a polygon already defined by the "non-copper" area tool, you can add or subtract from it using the drawing tools.

td77
Fri, 30 Jan 2015 20:12:31 GMT

When i do this, the path is generating over top all traces and pads instead of going in between them.

jpcaram
Fri, 30 Jan 2015 20:37:47 GMT

1) In the Gerber: Generate "Non-copper regions". 2) Open the new geometry in the drawing tool. 3) "Subtract" what you don't want. Create a polygon of what you don't want. Then select the original, then what you just drew, and click on "Polygon Subtraction".

td77
Fri, 30 Jan 2015 22:41:36 GMT

That means i need to create a polygon in between each trace?

td77
Fri, 30 Jan 2015 22:54:32 GMT

Here is some screen shots of how i did it. I made 2 board outlines in my PCB design software. [URL]https://www.mediafire.com/folder/ddhtdkvodpm5c/FlatCAM[/URL]

jpcaram
Mon, 02 Feb 2015 01:32:49 GMT

When you generate “Non-copper regions”, that will never include your traces. Then subtract from those regions to remove additional area that you don't want to mill.

td77
Tue, 03 Feb 2015 03:43:53 GMT

When i generate a non copper region and then create a polygon around my traces. I then generate a Paint Area and click inside the new polygon i created. The generated toolpath does not go around the traces but over top of them. Is this the way Paint area should work? But, if i make a new board outline in my gerber file then open gerber it in FlatCam, i can generate a Pain Area that will clear non copper in between the traces like the pics in my previous post.

td77
Tue, 03 Feb 2015 03:47:29 GMT

When i generate a non copper region and then create a polygon around my traces. I then generate a Paint Area and click inside the new polygon i created. The generated toolpath does not go around the traces or in between them but over top of them. Is this the way Paint area should work? But, if i make a new board outline in my gerber file then open gerber in FlatCam, i can generate a Paint Area that will clear non copper in between the traces like the pics in my previous post. What am i missing or misunderstanding how to clear non copper regions in between traces? :)

jpcaram
Wed, 04 Feb 2015 02:08:18 GMT

You are not subtracting one polygon from the other! I will create a short tutorial on this soon, but it's really not that complicated. JP

td77
Wed, 04 Feb 2015 02:32:04 GMT

Does it matter what order i select the polygons before i subtract? Troy

jpcaram
Wed, 04 Feb 2015 02:37:31 GMT

I just realized that that is not in the docs. Yes, it matters. The first is the target. Every subsequent one is the (cutting) tool. This might help: http://caram.cl/software/flatcam/board-cutout-with-flatcam/ JP