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Create footprint manually
After clicking OK, create your footprint manually as follows:
- Place a first pad at (0,0).
- Place additional pads with the desired spacing. Avoid using the Polygon tool to draw electrical pads as polygons are not recognized by the Import Netlist command. To position pads at distances specified in a mechanical drawing, consider using the nudge feature. For example, if the distance between two pads is specified to be .125", place the first pad, set the nudge value to .125, copy and paste the pad, nudge the copy into place with the arrow keys on the keyboard.
- For each pad, on the Property Bar in the pad name field specify a pin number.
- Select the Top Silk layer and use the Trace tool to draw the component outline. Make sure that the silk screen lines do not cross electrical pads as doing so would interfere with soldering.
- Select the Top Mask layer and draw the solder mask where pads should be exposed for soldering. Skip this step for the standard pads that are exposed for soldering by default.
- Add any mounting holes.
- Select all and choose Edit | Group or Make Footprint. The group options dialog appears.
- Choose "Make a footprint" and click OK.
- On the Property bar click "Shift..." and specify the insertion (reference) point position.
- On the Property bar in the Name field specify a component designator (e.g. "U" for an IC).
- Hold the Alt key while dragging the designator to the desired position.
- Choose File | Save to save your footprint and select a meaningful name (e.g. AA battery holder).
- To add your footprint to the library click here.
