KiCad - break apart a footprint - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: tchicago
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2024, 06:48:04 pm
content: Hi, All, I have an unusual ask: I want to convert a KiCad footprint into a set of individual polygon objects on the appropriate layers. I thought I'd find an "ungroup" operation somewhere, but I couldn't. I don't care that this footprint will no longer be a footprint associated with schematic and netlist, etc.Details: I'm designing an RF experimenting board with a variety of trace thicknesses and a variety of connectors, directly in PCB editor without a schematic. It only contains traces and connectors. I have a connector footprint, say SMA, and I want to replicate it multiple times on the board and tweak each instance in certain different ways.I understand that I can either create the edited copies of the footprint in footprint editor and then put each version on board. But that is a bit cumbersome for this quick project. I also know that I can just manually redraw the footprint as a set of polygons in PCB editor, but I was hoping that the KiCad can do that for me via some functionality to break apart a footprint into individual components. Does anyone know how to do that?

author: ksjh
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2024, 08:03:30 pm
content: I do not know how to convert a placed footprint to polygons, but you can edit placed footprints indivually, i.e., you can place the same footprint a number of times on a PCB, select one of those instances, open "Properties..." in the context menu (or press "E") and then press the button "Edit Footprint...". This opens the footprint editor where you can change the footprint as you like. Then, when saving the modified footprint, only the initially selected footprint on the PCB is changed according to your modifications. All other instances of the same footprint on the PCB (and in the library) remain unmodified. Perhaps, this is an alternative way to achieve your goal.

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2024, 12:00:11 am
content: That you can't do in KiCAD. You will need to export the board, e.g. using KiCAD Step Up plugin in FreeCAD or, if your software can handle Gerbers, as a Gerber file and do it that way.Or you can place multiple instances of the footprint and then tweak each instance in the PCB editor directly, no need to copy parts in a library first.

author: Konkedout
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2024, 05:32:18 am
content: I use KiCad. I am not an expert with it but....Remember that all of your data files are unencrypted text which you can read with a text editor. (Make a backup copy first.)On at least two occasions, I was able to cheat (do what I wanted to do) with Notepad when I could not figure out another way.Once a symbol (or a footprint) location was WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY out of bounds somehow. I do not know how it got there. But I was able to find and correct the problem using Notepad.In another instance, I wanted to put a net tie onto an internal layer. (normally those are placed only on front or back layers.) I was able to implement that with Notepad.So I am not giving you an easy fix, but rather a detour route which might just get you what you need.

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2024, 03:16:03 pm
content: It may work if you create fabrication outputs in either DXF or SVG format, and then import the objects as graphics again.