Film

The Film plugin makes a positive or a negative film for UV exposure of a PCB. The film is saved as a file: SVG, PNG or PDF. The plugin does not create a new object in the project. Use it to make the film for the photo-resist of the board.

Where to find it

• Menu: Plugins > Film PCB.
• Keyboard: Alt+L.
• Toolbar: Film button in the Plugin toolbar.
• The panel opens in a tab next to Project and Properties. The tab shows the plugin name.

Screenshot placeholder: images/Film-1.png - The Film panel in Advanced mode. Show the Source Object and Box Object combos, the Adjustments frame, the Parameters frame, the Export frame and the Save Film button.

Quick start

1. Load the Gerber file of the PCB. Load a second object that gives the box (for example, the board outline). See Importing Files.
2. Open the plugin with Alt+L or the Film button.
3. Set Type to Gerber. Select the PCB object in the object list.
4. Set Box Type and select the box object.
5. Set Polarity: Negative or Positive.
6. Set Film Type: SVG, PNG or PDF. For PDF, set Page Orientation and Page Size. For PNG, set PNG DPI.
7. Click Save Film. Choose the file name.

Parameters

Values are in mm (or inch in an inch project). A dash (—) means that the value has no stored default.

Beginner and Advanced mode: Use the Beginner / Advanced button next to the title. Beginner mode hides the Adjustments frame. When you switch to Beginner, the plugin resets Scale, Skew and Mirror to off, and sets Scale Stroke to 0.

Source Object

Parameter	Description	Default
Type (source)	The type of the source object: Gerber or Geometry. The choice sets which objects the Source list shows.	Gerber
Source (object list)	The object to make the film from.	—
Box Type	The type of the box object: Gerber or Geometry. The box is the container for the film.	Gerber
Box Object	The object that is used as the container (box) for the film.	—

Film creation does not change the source objects.

Screenshot placeholder: images/Film-2.png - The Source Object frame with the Type radio set to Geometry.

Adjustments (Advanced)

These fields compensate the print distortion of the film. Use them when the printed film is bigger or smaller than the board, or when it is skewed.

Parameter	Description	Default
Scale (checkbox)	Turns the scale on. A value above 1 (for Factor) makes the film bigger. A value below 1 makes it smaller.	Off
Type (Scale)	Length: the value is a length that is added to the size of the object (X val adds to the width, Y val adds to the height). Factor: the value is a ratio. The neutral value is 0 for Length and 1 for Factor.	Length
X val (Scale)	The X scale value. Shown with Scale.	0.0
Y val (Scale)	The Y scale value. Shown with Scale.	0.0
Reference (Scale)	The fixed point of the scale. Center, Bottom Left, Top Left, Bottom Right or Top right.	Bottom Left
Skew (checkbox)	Turns the skew on. A positive value skews to the right. A negative value skews to the left.	Off
Type (Skew)	Length: the value is a distance. Angle: the value is an angle in degrees. Factor: the value is a ratio between the size that should be and the size that is.	Length
X val (Skew)	The X skew value.	0.0
Y val (Skew)	The Y skew value.	0.0
Reference (Skew)	The fixed point of the skew: Center or Bottom Left.	Bottom Left
Mirror (checkbox)	Turns the mirror on.	Off
Axis (Mirror)	X: the geometry is mirrored across the X axis (the Y values flip). Y: the geometry is mirrored across the Y axis (the X values flip). Both: both axes. Shown with Mirror.	X

Screenshot placeholder: images/Film-3.png - The Adjustments frame with Scale and Skew on and their Type combos open.

Parameters

Parameter	Description	Default
Convex Shape	Makes a convex shape around the entire PCB. When off, the shape is a rectangle.	Off
Rounded	The resulting geometry has rounded corners.	Off
Scale Stroke	Scales the stroke width of each feature in the SVG file. The line around each feature becomes thicker or thinner. Fine features are affected more. Beginner mode resets it to 0.	0.0
Polarity	Positive: a black film with the features in black. Negative: a film with the features in clear (white) and the surroundings in black.	Negative
Border (Negative only)	A border around the object. It makes a thick black bar around the print. Use it when the box and the source are the same object, so the outline is easier to see. Shown only for Negative.	1.0
Punch drill holes (Positive only)	Makes holes in the pads of the positive film. This helps the manual drilling. Shown only for Positive.	Off
Source (Punch)	The source of the holes. Excellon: the centers of the holes of an Excellon object. The Excellon object is chosen in the list that appears. Pad center: the centers of the pads. Only a Gerber object has pads.	—
Punch Size (Pad center)	The size of the hole in the pad. Shown with Pad center.	—

Screenshot placeholder: images/Film-4.png - The Parameters frame with Polarity set to Positive and Punch drill holes on, showing the Source and Punch Size fields.

Export

Parameter	Description	Default
Film Type	The file format. SVG: a vector file. PNG: a raster image with PNG DPI. PDF: a document with a page size.	SVG
Page Orientation (PDF only)	Portrait or Landscape.	Portrait
Page Size (PDF only)	The page size. Bounds: no fixed page size, so the PDF follows the size of the film. The other choices are ISO 216 sizes (A0 to A10, B0 to B10, C0 to C10) and the US sizes LETTER, LEGAL, ELEVENSEVENTEEN, JUNIOR_LEGAL, HALF_LETTER, GOV_LETTER, GOV_LEGAL and LEDGER.	A4
PNG DPI (PNG only)	The resolution of the PNG file. 300 DPI is the usual print resolution. Change it to scale the PNG file.	300
Save Film	Makes the film and saves it to a file. A file dialog asks for the name. The plugin does not add an object to the project.	—
Reset Tool	Sets the parameters of the plugin back to the defaults.	—

Screenshot placeholder: images/Film-5.png - The Export frame with Film Type set to PDF, showing the Page Orientation and Page Size fields.

Advanced

Positive and negative film

• Positive: the features are black on a clear film.
• Negative: the film is black around the features. Use the Border field to add a thick black bar around the print.
• Punch drill holes works only for a positive film. The plugin removes the Excellon holes or the pad centers from the film, so that the holes are clear.

Scale and skew order

The plugin applies the transforms in this order: scale, then skew, then mirror. Scale uses its own Reference point, and skew uses its own Reference point. Mirror uses the center of the film. All transforms are made about the bounds of the film (the first geometry), not about each shape.

Limits

• Pad center works only for a Gerber source. The plugin shows a warning and sets Source to Excellon for a Geometry source.
• PNG DPI must be above zero. Otherwise the plugin does not make the film.
• Film creation needs a source object and a box object. Without them, the plugin shows a message and does nothing.

See also

• Gerber Object - the source of most films.
• Geometry Object - a possible source and box.
• Excellon Object - the source of the punch holes.
• Exporting Files - other export formats.
• Panelize - make a panel before the film, so that the film covers all copies.
• Punch Gerber - punch holes in the Gerber data itself.
• Preferences Gerber - the Gerber defaults.
• Keyboard Shortcuts - all shortcut keys.