Board Cutout with FlatCAM

Older versions of FlatCAM (version < 8.0) provided a simple tool to generate a board cutout which included gaps in the toolpath  to keep the board in place. There was no easy way to cut an arbitrary shapes and have the gaps. Since version 8, this is easy. Here we go…

1. In your PCB CAD porgram, create a layer containing a polygon with the shape of the board. Then open it in FlatCAM…

polygon

2. Create an isolation routing path:

poly_iso

 

3. Select the new object from the list and start the geometry editor edit16. We’ve hidden the original polygon for clarity. Draw rectangles where you would like to cut the path:

gaps14. Select the original path and then the cutting rectangles, in that order. Use the pointer tool pointer32 and hold the Control key to select multiple objects. Then click on the “cut path” tool cutpath16:

gaps25. You should have the final desired geometry now. Remember to put the geometry back from the editor into the original object by clicking the “Update Geometry” button edit_ok16:

gaps3

6. Now you can generate a CNC Job from this geometry as usual:

gcodeEnjoy!

 

 

 

 

  • Anish S

    Hi, I am Anish From Mumbai INDIA, I am Facing some problem with Flatcam Software 8.5 virsion.
    I want to cut the pcb Board in odd design.
    I am loading the PCB Cutout File. Selecting the options as per the youtube video to cut the Board but the inner Boarder is not getting deleted. I only want the outer boarder for cutting not the inner one.
    Pl. Guide me
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQXN4ANGmoE

    • jpcaram

      Hi Anish,

      I did not make this video, but the way the speaker gets rid of the internal path is quite clever. The problem is that the internal and external paths are the same object. That is why you cannot select them separately in the beginning. By cutting a piece out of it (what he does with the rectangle and the “subtract” tool), the complete group of lines is broken into separate pieces. Now you can select the interior independently and delete it. He does “update geometry” several times, but this is not required.

      You can also take a look at the “interiors” or “exteriors” shell commands. Those will select and create an object with just the exteriors or interiors of any geometry object. Just type “help exteriors”.

      Cheers,

      JP