There are a number of options in cam350 to help you create stencil, paste or mask layers. Rather than draw data new data, you can use menu items like Over/Undersize and Change Dcode on template data to create new layers.
This article refers to some advanced data selection methods, such as using filters. These methods are detailed in article “Data Selection Methods for Editing” from the Spring 08 issue of DataFlows.
Over/Under Size
The Over/Under Size command creates a new layer from data on a template layer. It changes the size of selected objects while keeping them in the same location. This is ideal for creating Paste and Mask layers. You can start the command by selecting Utilities | Over/Undersize. This opens the Over/undersize setup window.
Note that the unit used is mil. If database units are set to metric, then units used by Amount would be MM. If the Percent option is selected then units are not used.
Clicking OK brings you back to the main program window. At this point you should select the data you want to change. Single item selection and windowing options are operating normally here. You can see some new toolbar items as well.
CAM350 assumes that all non-round flashes are SMT. If you just want to affect SMT pads, check the “SMT only box”. “Drw” (draw) is automatically unselected. By selecting the Filter button you could specify specific Dcodes to be affected by the Over/undersize.
Example: Oversize to create a Mask Top Layer.
Top layer visible, we select Utilities | Over/undersize.
Select amount and type in 10. In this case we want mask apertures that are 10 mils larger than original. Source layer is the active layer by default. Target layer is new layer by default.
Hit OK. Check the SMT Box on the Tool bar. Then click the “select all” button. New layer is created, seen below in Grey.
There are a few round shapes we wanted to get mask data for as well. No problem. We just run Over/undersize again, change the target layer from new layer to the one we created in the last step. Hit ok. Then uncheck Draw and use windowing to select the pads we want.
Alternatively you could selectively copy the flashes on the source layer to a new layer. Then you could perform the Over/undersize on that.
If you set target as an existing layer, please note that it will not remove the old data. If you are enlarging data, then this is no problem as the old data is covered by the new data.
Over/undersize can only change the size of a flash. To change the shape, you need to change the Dcode used.
Changing Dcodes
Edit | Change | Dcode changes one Dcode to another. Dcodes are described in the Aperture Table. Dcodes consist of an identification number, a shape and size. CAM350 also supports angles on Dcodes. Select TABLES | APERTURE (or the y hotkey) to view this table. If you are going to use the Change | Dcode command to replace a Dcode, You need to have the Dcode you want to use in the Aperture table.
Of course, you could just make adjustments directly to the aperture table. This is not recommended as such a change is global. It will change that Dcode on all layers, both draws and flashes. So unless you are sure the Dcode you want to change is only used in places you want to change it, don’t edit the aperture table. Note that INFO | REPORTS | DCODES is helpful in determining where a Dcode is used. Also the h hotkey will highlight the active Dcode, which is also helpful in determining where a Dcode is used.
Getting items into your Aperture table is as easy as selecting an undefined Dcode (shape “none”). Below Dcode 63 has been selected with a mouse click.
You could type in a Dcode number at the top right instead. Then on the right side, select a shape. Once a shape is selected size and other options will appear. As you make your selections, you can see what the Dcode will look like in the upper right window.
Once you have the Dcode you want to use in the aperture table, you use Edit | Change Dcode to change Dcode. Selecting the menu item places you in a selection mode. You can either select a single item or use filtering and windowing options. Once your data is selected (it will be highlighted if selected), RIGHT click anywhere. This opens the Dcode selection menu.
Just pick the new Dcode from the list and the process is finished.
For a non-standard shape, a Custom Aperture (CAP) is used.
The CAP Editor
Tools | CAP Editor opens an editor used to create, load and save CAPs. Under Add you can find drawing tools that can be used to create any shape you want. Note that the tool bar here has different options. There is a POS/NEG toggle that will allow you to draw negative data. When adding a line, there is the option for square ends (no cap).
There is an origin visible in the CAP editor as well; this is the center of the aperture. Keep this in mind when creating a CAP. If it is offset from this origin, then it will by offset by the same distance from where it is placed back in the CAM editor.
To save a CAP to the current job, select FILE | Save CAP. If you are editing one and want to use a new name, select FILE | Save CAP As. If you want to save out all CAPS in the current job to an external library, use File | Save Lib.
Under FILE | Open there are more options.
Here you can select a CAP from the current job to load it into the editor. When a CAP is selected you can get a preview or it on the right side. At the bottom you can select an external library. You can either pick one CAP from it just as you would from the current job list, or you can choose Merge Lib to append all CAPs in the external library to the current job. Followed with a Save lib you can update an external CAP library with more items.
Select File | Exit CAP editor to exit the CAP Editor. You can also use the Return to CAM editor button on the tool bar.
In the aperture table, choose the shape CUSTOM to get the option to select a custom aperture by name. The CAP on the list can either be from your current jobs custom library, or an external Library.
Macros
Macros can automate preceding processes. The Macro Exchange Web site has an example of this with the homeplate macro. You can find it under the list of Available Macros.
The homeplate macro allows the user to select a pair of rectangular or square pads, and change then into a pair of homeplate shapes. It then checks the rest of the layer for matching pad pairs and transforms them as well. This macro could be used as a starting point for similar macros. The macro includes instructions on how to use it when it is run. To run a macro, select MACRO | PLAY in the CAM350 menu then browse to select the macro you want to run.
For more information about macros can be found under the help topic “Macro Language Guide”. CAM350 uses BASIC as the core of its macro language. Look under the heading “Basic Commands” for a list.
The Macro language Guide is a lot of information to absorb at once, especially as most of it will not be useful in the macro you want to write. There are quite a few commands.
Instead, try the MACRO | RECORD option in CAM350 to record a macro that does generally what you want it to do. You can then view the recorded macro in a text editor (like notepad) and look up the commands using the help “SEARCH” option. Once you understand how the macro you recorded works, you can start making changes to it. If it ends up doing something you don’t want it to do, try MACRO | DEBUG. This debug mode will let you step though the macro line by line to help you determine where things go wrong.