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From: Kevin Redon <ml AT mail DOT tsaitgaist DOT info>
To: geda-user <geda-user AT delorie DOT com>
Subject: Re: [geda-user] square clearance
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Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2013 09:32:38 +0200
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Excerpts from P. Taylor's message of 2013-09-17 22:15:00 +0200:
> On 9/17/2013 12:30 PM, Kevin Redon wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I have to draw a footprint where the datasheet specifies "prohibited areas", meaning areas where no copper should be, because they use it to route traces.
> > The way I do it, is by creating a pad with a thickness of 0 and a clearance corresponding to the area.
> 
> For soldermask clearances I have encountered indeterminate behavior from 
> the gerber output with 0-width or 0-thickness copper.  Beware.

Yes, I also have seen this problem when generating outputs.
I actually now use the smallest line possible (1nm)
I might have a look at why this happens.

> 
> Can you simply draw a line on silk and understand that that is the 
> real-estate claimed by the particular footprint?  PCB can't DRC the 
> silk, and the autorouter will ignore it but ... it might work for you if 
> you can remember to 'keep out' of it.

The problem is that the PCB would be produced without solder mask, nor silkscreen.
So I absolutely need to remove the copper on this area.
I still can put the info on the silkscreen and the user then has to create a clearing polygon, but that would be quite an overhead (and not very clean).