Editing package silkscreen layer on pcb but not main lib - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: IanJ
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 24, 2013, 09:24:40 pm
content: Hi all,I'd like to make ad-hoc changes to some of the devices I've added to my design, in particular the silkscreen layer.Yes I can SMASH and make some changes, but I'd like to modify/delete some outlines etc. However, I don't want to my mods to affect the main library.....I want my mods to remain unique on this particular pcb only.Any ideas?.......the only way I can see is to copy the package and make the changes there........but that's a bit too clunky.Am using latest ver.Ian.

author: andersendr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2013, 01:11:12 am
content: If you want to add things, you can just draw a line on the correct layer. I am not sure about if you want to remove lines.

author: westfw
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2013, 05:58:40 am
content: Use one of the silk-screen resizers (like silk-new.ulp), which works by copying all of the silkscreen elements to a new layer. Once they're on the new layer, you can edit them to your heart's content.

author: IanJ
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 25, 2013, 07:48:34 am
content: Quote from: westfw on July 25, 2013, 05:58:40 amThanks.By doing this I suppose we'd have to communicate with the board house to use the new layer for the silkscreen and not default. I say this as I usually send them Eagle .brd files and not gerbers. From that, I asume if I generate gerbers then I can specify the layer to use as the silkscreen.EDIT: There is another workaround, which is what I did.........Just modify the lib as required, then once done just copy a saved of version of the original library back again. The lib remains intact but the mods stay with the pcb.......just don't update-all or it will revert the pcb.Ian.

author: Jon Chandler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2013, 10:25:57 am
content: Quote from: IanJ on July 25, 2013, 07:48:34 amThis is exactly why sending the Gerbers is a better idea. When you run the CAM job to create the Gerbers, you select exactly which layers go into the silk screen. You might not want to include reference designators to make the board look neat but instead include a custom layer with the labels you want, or in your case, use some custom component outlines.

author: IanJ
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 25, 2013, 11:31:44 am
content: Quote from: Jon Chandler on July 25, 2013, 10:25:57 amThanks for that....last time I created Gerbers were with Wintek's HiWireII..........I've, err um, been away from the game for a while!

author: westfw
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2013, 12:44:14 am
content: QuoteYes, exactly. Gerber generation is relatively painless, especially since most board houses have been providing the necessary CAM jobs as well. (they do make a mess of files, though.) Theoretically, you could also use some sort of gerber editor to edit the silkscreen gerber file directly. (However, gerber file editors tend to be less user-friendly than EAGLE, which is saying ... quite a bit. Also, that's like compiling C code and patching the binary; a really bad "project control" idea.)