Re: gEDA-user: pcb footprint pad creation

[Bill Wilson <billw@wt.net>]

On Thu, 26 Feb 2004 23:11:16 -0800
David Koski <david@kosmosisland.com> wrote:

> >..it does not become a pad until you select the various pads and convert the
> > selection to an element.
> 
> Sorry, I'm still missing something.  When I select a line to convert to a pad,
> then select "Select->Convert selection to elemement" it then says on the status
> line on the bottom of the application window: "move the pointer to the
> appropriate screen position then press a button". After I click on the line that
> is selected to convert it  to a pad, the log window says "There was nothing to
> convert! Elements must have some pads or pins."

Are you drawing the lines you want as pads on the component or solder
layer?  It won't work on lines drawn on silk.

But back to getting a square flag set, Dan says:

>  Then you can select the pads and then at the bottom of the 'select'
>  menu, 'change square flag' of either the entire element or just a selected pin.

I just want to add a bit on if you want to save your created element to
a file.  I don't know of a way to set up a square flag on a pin or pad
before converting to element, so you can't:  Select pins/pads, cut to
buffer, convert buffer to element, and the save buffer to file and have
any pins square.  Instead, if I want a square pin/pad in a saved file element,
it takes these steps:

  1) lay out vias where you want pins or component/solder layer lines
     where you want pads.  Layout silk lines where you want silk and
     don't overlap silk on pins or pads.  Number the vias/lines.
  2) select the whole thing and "Select->convert selection to element"
     so I have the element I want on the layout.
  3) select just the pin/pad I want to be sqaure and "Select->change sqaure
     flag: pin"
  4) select the whole element and "Buffer->copy selection to buffer".
  5) Finally, "Buffer->save buffer elements to file"

Bill