Altium Board Cutout in gerber - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: maxpayne
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2015, 08:16:08 am
content: How to generate gerber files with board cutout in Altium ?I can see the cutouts in Altium3d, but it is not showed up in the Gerber files. Is there any special procedure to include cutout information in the Gerber ?I have attached 3 screenshots here, one is board file, one is Altium generated 3d and other is gerber

author: DerekG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2015, 09:49:26 am
content: Your second & last screen shots show both the top silk screen & the top copper layer. It is not a production Gerber. (remember, one layer per Gerber).Take a look at your board Gerber or your mechanical layer Gerber.You should find the cut out shown on one of those.

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2015, 09:51:05 am
content: D, S, Generate Primitives From Outline. There should be a layer you're using as the board outline (usually Keep-Out) for all the board shape to go on. Mind that other objects (like that keep-out rectangle over your spark gap) don't add confusing or conflicting information.Also, those slots look awfully thin. Check with your board house that they can actually manufacture them for you, or consider widening them to 1mm or larger (which is a common tool size for routing).Tim

author: maxpayne
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2015, 10:57:31 am
content: Quote from: DerekG on February 22, 2015, 09:49:26 amQuote from: T3sl4co1l on February 22, 2015, 09:51:05 amThanks Tim and Derek. I created the primitives in the keepout layer as per Tim's instructions. cutout is now appearing in the outline file. (.GKO). Also widening the cutout to 1.5mm . HEre is the screenshot-Will the board manufacturer will be able to know that they are cutouts ?

author: DerekG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2015, 12:26:59 pm
content: Quote from: maxpayne on February 22, 2015, 10:57:31 amHe will, once you bring his attention to it.Slots, oval holes, edge cutouts etc are always best to specifically bring it to their attention. This way nothing "gets missed".

author: maxpayne
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2015, 12:40:25 pm
content: Quote from: DerekG on February 22, 2015, 12:26:59 pmThanks I will mark them

author: senso
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2015, 10:11:59 am
content: I have made a quadcopter frame with lots of cutouts, I just sent them a couple print-screens from the 3d view in Altium, everything went well.

author: maxpayne
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2015, 10:14:32 am
content: Quote from: senso on February 24, 2015, 10:11:59 amI also did so. Lets see what they can do

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2015, 12:01:23 pm
content: Quote from: maxpayne on February 22, 2015, 12:40:25 pmThere is another way to define cutouts, I prefer that. You dedicate a mechanical layer to the milling, and use 1mm or 2mm features on it. Mark it specifically for the manufacturer.You can specify in the board options to use this layer as milling, unfortunately you get a stupid visual bug in 13/14.