Note that you might have problems when exporting circular geometries because those won't be exported as circles and will be composed pf many small line segments to form a circle. To do that go to File->Plot select DXF under the Plot Format drop down menu as file format and select the layers you want to export.įrom that you can use each individual dxf file to create an extrusion to make a new part with all the PCB information (except for the components). If you would like to add pad locations and silkscreen to your export you are able to export different layers as a dxf file and import those layers into your CAD program so you can create parts and an assembly from those layers. Those component STEP files will be located at the correct spot on the PCB, but you won't be able to see any of the pads. If you do this you will end up with STEP files of the PCB and of each component that you already had STEP files assigned to in Kicad. The figure below shows how to export using the STEP export menu. If you loaded all the step files into your footprints, using the STEP export will be relatively easy and will even export the components on the PCB, but it won't export the pad locations or the silkscreen printing. When exporting the PCB to another CAD program you have two options. You may also want to import it into the edge.cuts layer if what you are importing is the outline of the PCB with the location of the mounting holes, but this is not usually the case. You will usually want to send it to drawings as you'll usually be importing an outline for the space where the PCB needs to fit into. The select the layer in which the file will imported to. DXF or the import might fail depending on your Kicad version. Make sure that the extension of the file is. To insert a dxf file into Kicad you must go to File->Import->DXF. I will show you how to import dxf files into Kicad for designing your PCB and how to export the PCB so it can be rendered into Solidworks or other CAD programs. Often you will need to work between programs to make sure all aspects of your design work together.
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