Cutout inside closed region?

[reagle]

I am working on a design that uses dxf-defined outline for a copper region. Inside there are openings that are fully contained in it. Can't seem to figure out how to keep them clear of copper. If I convert the whole thing into a region, but mark these openings as polygon cutouts they get ignored. Same if I make them keepouts. Converting the whole thing to polygon fails to even create the shape in the first place. Is there a way to  make it work?
picture of a small area of the board attached.
Tried both AD15 and AD16 with similar results
Thank you for any pointers!

[kendalll]

I'd create a polygon in the shape of the outer T and then use polygon cutouts. Did you re-pour the polygon after creating the cutout? It won't show up unless you re-pour.

[reagle]

I tried using polygons (which I normally use) and regions and only regions gave me something. But I think I know what's going on:
If  understand it correctly, only polygons obey cutouts and keepouts etc, regions do not.
So the shape I was converting would never fill with copper when using polygons but worked fine with regions.
Now I know- the shape was too close to board edge, so polygons would respect design rules and refuse to work, while regions did not.
And of course cutouts are essentially the same thing as design rules..

[kendalll]

I see. Well you could make an exception in the rules for that one specific polygon, and then put it higher up in the priority list for the rules.

Or another approach is to break it into two regions and then place them right next to each other. To end up with the same result without using polygons. Like so...

[T3sl4co1l]

Yes, Polygons pour, Regions and Fills do not. (The latter two are more like arbitrary fixed copper; I don't even really get the point of Fills, as Regions do the job with more flexibility. May be a holdout from an earlier time.)

The Polygon Cutout needs to be on the same layer as the polys; if this is on all layers, you might use both poly and cutout on Multilayer instead of a bunch of independent polys on each layer.

Tim