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EcoX.User with Front/Back feature?

Asked by Joan

Is there an option to have these user defined layers (optionally) linked to Front/Back behavior as other native F.xyz and B.xyz layers are?

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Wayne Stambaugh (stambaughw) said : 		#1

As far as I know, there is no way to associate user defined layers with front/back layers. Since you cannot rename non-copper layers you cannot even name them B.User1 or F.User2 for clarity. There has been discussion about allowing naming of non-copper layers but that would require a change in the board file format so it wouldn't be something that is easy to implement.

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Joan (joanthesparky) said : 		#2

I thought more along the lines of F./B.Mask, F./B.CrtYd or F./B.SilkS already being there and either assigning Eco1.User to Front and Eco2.User to Back or even introducing new F./B.User layers ( I have naturally no idea how 'flexible' KiCAD is in that regard).
Currently there are no freely definable & usable layers that have a Front/Back functionality if one needs it.
I can't 'reuse' any of the other - already defined - Front/Back layers.

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Wayne Stambaugh (stambaughw) said : 		#3

Have you tried using B.Fab and F.Fab? These may be what you are looking for. Typically they are used in footprints but I don't think there is anything preventing you from drawing on these layers in the board editor. They are turned off by default. You have to use the Layers Setup dialog in the Design Rules menu to enable them. Unfortunately (or fortuna

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Joan (joanthesparky) said : 		#4

I use F./B.Fab for the outline of the chip housing (sans pins) and also have VAL** and REF** on there.
And from another answer on a question here I got the possibility gifted to have another REF** marker on Eco1.User, which in the end solved my problem.

My aim was to have VAL**/REF** big enough for assembly/documentation print outs that I can hide when I do the layout, but also do keep a highly visible REF** field per device that is pretty small, which doesn't appear on prints.