InsertBoardFabricationView

Applied Parameters: None

Summary

This command is used to place a Board Fabrication View object into the active Draftsman document (*.PCBDwf). This is one of Draftsman's automated drawing views, and shows the bare board for a specified layer - from the top or bottom - and with copper displayed as solid or in outline.

Access

This command can be accessed from the PcbDrawing Editor by:

• Choosing the Place » Board Fabrication View command from the main menus.
• Clicking the  button on the Drawing Views toolbar.
• Right-clicking in the workspace and choosing the Place » Board Fabrication View command from the context menu.

Use

If your PCB design project has more than one PCB, ensure that the board from which you wish to generate the fabrication view is selected in the PCB Document field, on the General tab of the Draftsman Document Properties dialog.

After launching the command, data will be acquired from the source PCB document, and a Board Fabrication View will appear floating on the cursor. Position the view as desired and click to effect placement. If your Draftsman document has multiple sheets, you can simply zoom out and move the view to the intended sheet, while it is still floating on the cursor.

Tips

1. A Board Fabrication View can be graphically modified after placement. Click and drag the view to move it to a different location within the current sheet. Click on it to select it - an editing handle will appear at its top-right corner. Click and drag this handle to resize the view.
2. Most aspects of a placed Board Fabrication View are available for editing through the Properties panel. If the panel is already open, simply select a placed Board Fabrication View to populate the panel with its associated properties. If the panel is not open, double-click on the Board Fabrication View to access it.
3. By default, the view is from the top side of the board and for the Top Layer. This can be changed after placement as required, through the Properties panel. Alternatively, copy and paste the initial view as many times as you need, with each copy changed to show a different perpective and layer for the fabricated board. Supported views are: Top and Bottom. Supported layers are: Top Layer, Bottom Layer, Top Paste, Top Overlay, Top Solder, Bottom Solder, Bottom Overlay, Bottom Paste, and all defined/used mechanical layers.
4. For even greater detail, consider creating a Board Detail View from your Board Fabrication View.
5. If changes have been made to the PCB document, using the Tools » Update Board command will ensure that a placed Board Fabrication View is kept in-sync.
6. Defaults for this primitive type can be defined on the Draftsman - Primitive Defaults page of the Preferences dialog.