pcb "elements" (footprint= s) support only a small subset of pcb features, including pins, pads, and s= ilk lines/arcs. Anything you want in a element has to be one of these thing= s.

You can create the via in your element as a= pin. pcb treats pins and vias identically in nearly all circumstances. You= can create the trace in your element, and call it a pad. In fact, when you= 're creating footprints with the GUI, you draw the pads as lines, and t= hen convert the lines to pads at the end of the process. So, if you want to= draw a line in a footprint, you can, you just have to convert it to a pad.= This does limit you in that you can only put pads on the outer layers of p= cbs.

The presence or absence of components sho= uld be essentially irrelevant. pcb doesn't care one way or the other. <= br>

--Chad

On Mon, Oct 28, 2019, 18:04 Joh= n L. Males (jlmales@= gmail.com) [via geda-help AT delorie DOT com] <geda-help AT delorie DOT com> wrote:

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Hello,

I have a part with a pair of square solder pads that is like an
oversized SMD pad.

I have been trying a number of different ways to add to the
part a Via that has a connecting trace between the Via and one
of the two square pads as a part.=C2=A0 I have looked ad different
parts to see if I can figure out how to accomplish this as well
as searching the internet.=C2=A0 After a few days of trying I am
stumped.

The reason for such a part is to enable it to be easy
to create PCB variations not only with ease and quickly, but
accurately.=C2=A0 This PCB has no components which I suspect is why
what I am trying to accomplish is a challenge.=C2=A0 I have a part
for the air flow holes and a part for the screw mounting holes.

First question is creating a part with a Via, and connecting
trace to a pad is possible?

Second question is would I be safe to assume if the first
question is possible it means I could create a trace connecting
a copper area to a pad that doe not need a Via?

The first question is so I can connect the bottom copper area
to top side of PCB to avoid the trace being on bottom side of
PCB that will be mounted to metal support.=C2=A0 There is enough
space between the edge of copper area and the metal support to
place a via at the edge of the copper area to enable the
connecting trace to be on the top side of PCB so the trace makes
no contact with metal.

John L. Males
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
28 October 2019 17:38 -0400 EDT