Paint

Paint creates a Geometry object with toolpaths that cover only the copper pattern. The tool fills the polygons of the copper, so the copper is removed inside the area you choose. Use it to paint the copper of a PCB or a shape that has no copper outside the traces.

Where to find it

• Plugins menu: select Paint (shortcut Alt+P).
• Plugin Toolbar: click Paint.
• The plugin panel opens in a new tab of the side panel. The tab shows the plugin name. Select an object in the Project tab, or choose it in the Source Object combo box.

Screenshot placeholder: images/Paint-1.png - the whole Paint panel, with the Tools Table, the parameters of one tool and the Common Parameters visible.

Quick start

1. Select the object in the Source Object combo box. Set Type to Geometry or Gerber.
2. Enter a cut width in Tool Dia, then click Search and Add.
3. Select the tool row. Set Overlap and Offset for this tool.
4. In Selection, choose All to paint the whole object, or Polygon Selection to pick polygons.
5. Click Preview. The area to paint appears on the canvas.
6. Click Generate Geometry. A new Geometry object appears in the Project tab.
7. Mill the result with Milling.

Screenshot placeholder: images/Paint-2.png - the Selection combo set to Polygon Selection, with polygons picked on the canvas.

Parameters

Source Object

Parameter	Description	Default
Type (radio)	The type of the object to paint: Geometry or Gerber. It sets the kind of objects in the Source Object combo box.	—
Source Object (combo box)	The object to paint.	-
Selected objects	When checked, every Geometry and Gerber object selected in the Project tab is painted with the same tools. Each result is a new object. Not used by Polygon Selection, which paints the object in the combo box.	Off

Tools Table

The table holds the tools that the algorithm uses. The columns are described in Tool table columns.

Parameter	Description	Default
Tools Table	The tool pool. Only the tools in this table are used.	-
Tool order (combo box)	The order in which the tools are used. Default: the order of the table. Forward: from the smallest to the biggest diameter. Reverse: from the biggest to the smallest diameter.	Reverse
Tool Dia	The diameter of a new tool. Used by Search and Add and Pick from DB.	0.1 (tools_paint_newdia)
Search and Add	Adds a tool with the diameter of Tool Dia. A background search in the Tools Database looks for a matching tool. If nothing is found, a default tool is added.	-
Pick from DB	Opens the Tools Database and adds the tool you select.	-
Delete (trash icon)	Deletes the selected tools in the table. Select a row first.	-

Parameters for the selected tool

These controls hold the values of the selected tool. Each tool keeps its own set of values.

Parameter	Description	Default
Overlap	How much (percentage) of the tool width each pass overlaps the previous pass. Lower values are faster. Higher values give more paths and a slower job. Raise it if areas are not painted.	20 %
Offset	The distance by which the tool keeps away from the edges of the polygon to be painted.	0.0
Method (combo box)	The algorithm for painting. See the choices below.	Standard
Connect	When checked, the lines between the resulting segments are drawn to reduce tool lifts.	On
Contour	When checked, the tool cuts around the perimeter of the polygon to trim rough edges.	On
Final paint	After painting, the smallest selected tool with this option on paints the reachable gaps. It may overlap previous passes. It keeps the whole tool inside the selected boundary and margins.	Off
Apply parameters to all tools (button)	Copies the values in the form to all the tools in the table.	-

Method choices:

• Standard: a fixed step inwards from the outline of the polygon.
• Seed: an outward painting from a seed point.
• Lines: parallel lines.
• Laser_lines: lines that follow the traces. Only for Gerber objects. The choice is disabled in the combo box.
• Combo: tries Lines first. If it fails, it tries Seed, then Standard.

Common Parameters

These values apply to all the tools.

Parameter	Description	Default
Rest Machining	When checked, the copper is processed from the biggest selected tool. What the tool cannot paint goes to the next bigger tool. The Tool order is then set to Reverse and cannot be changed. While it is on, the rest Offset below replaces the Offset of the tool.	Off
Offset (rest machining)	The offset used while Rest Machining is on. It replaces the Offset of the tool.	0.0
Selection (combo box)	The area to paint. All: the whole object is painted after the click on Generate Geometry. Polygon Selection: click the polygons to add or remove. Area Selection: draw the area on the canvas. Reference Object: the area of another object.	All
Type (combo box, for Reference Object)	The type of the reference: Gerber, Excellon or Geometry.	Gerber
Reference object combo box	The object whose area is painted. Shown for Reference Object.	-
Shape (for Area Selection)	Square: a rectangle. Polygon: a polygon drawn with clicks.	Square
Check validity	When checked, the tool diameters are checked against the smallest gap between the copper features of a Gerber source object. The run stops if no selected tool fits. It only warns if some tools are too big.	Off

In Polygon Selection, left click adds or removes a polygon. Hold CTRL or SHIFT to add several areas in Area Selection.

Buttons

Parameter	Description	Default
Preview	Draws the area that would be painted on the canvas. Nothing is created. For Polygon Selection and Area Selection, the polygons or zones of the last Generate Geometry are used.	-
Generate Geometry	Creates the Geometry object that paints the polygons.	-
Reset Tool	Resets the parameters of the selected tool.	-

Advanced

Tool table columns

The Tools Table works the same way in Isolation Routing, Non-Copper Clearing and this plugin. This plugin has three columns:

Column	Meaning
#	The tool number. With the order Reverse, the algorithm starts with the biggest diameter. Only the tools that create painting geometry stay in the result.
Diameter	The cut width in the material, in mm, or inch in an inch project.
Shape	The shape of the tool, as a combo box in each row: C1, C2, C3, C4, B, V or L.

Shape codes:

• C1 to C4: a circular tool with 1 to 4 flutes.
• B: a ball tip milling tool.
• V: a V-shape milling tool.
• L: a laser.

Choosing V in the table sets the tool type to Iso. Other shapes set the tool type to Rough.

V-shape tools

The Tool Dia tooltip says that the diameter of a V tool is calculated from the tip values. The Paint form has no V-tip fields. Enter the diameter of a V tool directly in Tool Dia. For the V-tip preferences, see Preferences Plugins.

Rest Machining

With Rest Machining, each tool paints only what the bigger tool did not reach. Use it with several tools of different sizes. The tool order is forced to Reverse.

Final paint

Final paint uses only the smallest selected tool that has this option on. It paints gaps that the normal passes did not reach. It may overlap the earlier passes.

Gerber and laser lines

Laser_lines works only for Gerber sources. For a Geometry source, the method falls back to Standard.

Beginner Mode

Beginner Mode hides these controls: the Add from DB section, Rest Machining, Check validity, and Apply parameters to all tools. Switching to Beginner Mode sets Rest Machining and Check validity to off, and removes the table context menu. The level button is at the top of the panel, and the permanent setting is in Preferences.

Tcl

The Tcl command is paint. See Tcl Command Reference.

See also

• Non-Copper Clearing - clears the copper outside the traces.
• Isolation Routing - cuts the isolation around the traces.
• Follow - cuts along the centre line of the traces.
• Cutout - cuts out the PCB outline.
• Tools Database - the tools for Search and Add and Pick from DB.
• Geometry Object - the output object.
• Milling - turns the Geometry into G-Code.
• Preprocessors - the G-Code formats for the machine.
• Keyboard Shortcuts