How can I Duplicate a PCB Layer?

Question

Is there any way to duplicate a pcb layer? I imported a design from PADs where the copper layers came in well but the Overlay came in as a combined Silk Screen layer and Assembly drawing. I would like to duplicate this Overlay layer and make changes to make one a Silk Screen and the other an Assembly drawing. If I use the PCB filter on the Overlay layer to select Components-All then CTRL-A to select all (I can see all is selected) then paste to a new layer (Assembly Drawing Top) nothing happens. Any suggestions?

e14softwareuk · Accepted Answer

Hi Jim, I'm not sure you can copy and paste selected elements as you are asking. However if the objective is to move the primitive drawing elements to the correct layer that can be achieved fairly easily. To move drawing primitives, have the PCB Components panel open and the PCB Inspector panel. In the PCB panel select <Top Side Components> (or whatever is applicable to your board), in the next list down select the components that need adjusting. In the third box click the Layer header to sort by layer, select the rows for the drawing primitives you want to change and then in the PCB Inspector panel click on the Layer value to change layer.

jimku · Answer

I asked to fast because I discovered the answer in the CircuitStudio help for copy and paste tools here:

http://documentation.circuitstudio.com/display/CSTU/PCB_Cmd-Clipboard_Composite((Cut,+Copy+&+Paste+Tools))_CS

I did have a problem though in selecting by using the select tool by drawing a box around my selection. Nothing gets selected when I use this tool. I worked around this by selecting all on the sheet, then using the Deselect tool by drawing a box around what I didn't want selected. But I am able to duplicate what I want to a different layer.

e14softwareuk · Answer

If you are not using the component comment field then it would be possible to update these as a copy of the reference designator and place them onto their own layer. The text would be associated with the component and so would move around with it. Not as quick and easy as if you could copy and paste though.

tarribred61 · Answer

The designator text and lines on the overlay and assembly layers are typically associated with the parts decals/footprints. So they typically cannot be treated as free primitives and copied/pasted as such. I experimented with this and I was able to select and put them on another layer as Peter mentioned but I could not find a way to duplicate them. Unless, these have been decoupled after the import from PADS and are treated as separate free primitives. If you have access to the PADs environment maybe you can export the silk/assy layer as a DXF layer and then reimport them to CS as free primitives and then build an assembly layer. However, your design would be difficult to maintain as the assembly layer is no longer going to update automatically if you change the design. If you don't have PADs but you do have the Gerber files then perhaps you can find a third party Gerber to DXF converter and then import the DXF into a layer of choice and edit it there.

e14softwareuk · Answer

I've discovered there is an option to make the component comment field a live copy of the reference designator. On the component edit the comment field to be ".Designator" (no quotes). Click the LS button, go to View Options and check Convert Special Strings.