Board cutout vs slot

[reagle]

If one has a slot on the board, what are the tradeoffs between making it a board cutout versus nonplated slot of the same dimensions?
My design currently uses the former, and it only shows up on Gerbers if there is copper pour there. Never caused issues with US/EU vendors, but China is a different matter..
So I am thinking of switching to a slot, which at least will show up in a drill file.

[Roller Steve]

Oh, interesting. I didn't know slots could be defined in the drill file. How is that done? In Camtastic...?

Anyway, do you provide a Fab Notes Gerber file to your pcb houses? I like to explicitly call attention to any special features, especially like slots or internal cutouts. Here's an example image. This way the pcb house doesn't have to guess to interpret my gerbers.
Another good idea is to put text inside the cutout: "Slot". Maybe even do that on each layer/gerber file. I like to include the board outline (and slot outlines) in each gerber file, but I know there are two sides to that coin and it sometimes causes other problems (automatic DRC blow up).

[T3sl4co1l]

I don't think I've seen that done, but whatever floats your boat ("fabs your board"?) I guess?

Traditional is outline on Keep-Out Layer, including slots/routes.  Use Define Board Outline from Primitives to set the board outline object, and make slot/route outlines into board cutout Regions.  Then generate .GKO output for board outline.

Tim

[Roller Steve]

Sure, sure. More than one way to skin a cat.
I don't generate a .GKO, just the .GML (fabrication drawing/mechanical layer)

[reagle]

I typically do use board outline for slots, but this particular CM did not like it.
To make a slot, I just add a non-plated pad and define it as a slot in properties. It appears in the drill file automatically. No need to fiddle with Camtastic or anything else.
And it did keep the CM happy
Good point about adding notes!

[tszaboo]

There is also the route layer, that you can set up. That one is not rendered correctly in 3D, some effort was made but they ultimately failed. On that you can go crazy and route it through your ICs and tracks, no DRC checks whatsoever.