FreeCAD For Kicad PCB Shapes And Cutouts

A Basic Demonstration Using FreeCad To Make PCB Shapes And Cutouts For Use In Kicad

Play SPEED Control: Click the Cog and select desired speed

• Sketch Items/shapes
• Create a Drawing (for reference, it's not needed or used in Kicad)
• Export sketch(s) as .DXF
• Import Graphics (dxf) into Kicad

• Shapes are drawn in FreeCad's PartDesign Workbench (it calls the Sketcher Workbench - it can be done with Sketcher Workbench but, I'm showing PartDesign, to be consistent with my way of doing things... ;-) No real difference except the Toolbars and it's returning to PartDesign when closing the Sketch... Your choice.

• Multiple PCB Shapes and Cutouts can be contained in a Single FreeCad project and can be Exported Individually and/or Grouped, as desired

• Can draw a Reference Mark to place into Kicad but, I don't show that in video

• Can load the exported .DXF into any of the Kicad Layers - you decide based on your needs (i.e., Edge_Cuts, Silk, Draw...etc)... I show loading into Edge_Cuts layer

• Placing Complete and Individual DXF's into Kicad is shown in video but, there is also another way that will result in the same outcome as placing a Complete DXF (or multiple DXF's) but, is not shown in video):
Each sketch has internal ref's to 0,0 thus, User can set the 'At' Checkbox (in Kicad's import panel) to use 0,0 (instead of Interactive placement). That will place the DXF relative to the 0,0 it was drawn at thus, eliminating a need for a placement Ref... Using Dimensions (called 'Constraints') is a good way to ensure getting the desired locations/placements.

[Kicad's PCBnew Origin 0,0 is at the Top-Left corner of the Frame-Border. You could draw your shapes (in FreeCad) with it's 0,0 at top-left (and sketched items at lower-Right), if desired. I prefer to keep my work consistent so, I do it as shown with Sketched Items at Top-Right of 0,0.
User can Window-Box Selections in Kicad and Move/Copy/Rotate/Drag items where desired. You may prefer another approach...]

*Note: I had some Mouse problems - sorry but, wasn't worth re-doing the video

Видео FreeCAD For Kicad PCB Shapes And Cutouts канала Bruce T