PCB layer-count "stair-step" footprint

[ricko_uk]

Hi,
I usually create manually the PCB "stair-step" (not sure what it is called) that shows the layer count by placing the number of each layer/plane in its own layer. I do that at the end of the PCB design.

Today I tried making a footprint in Altium but there does not seem to be a way to enable/edit inner layers/plane, hence cannot place text on it.

Any tips on how to do it?

Thank you

[ricko_uk]

Any suggestions, tricks or workaround anybody?
(to make it as a PCB library footprint/item)

Thank you

[T3sl4co1l]

You can't enable the layers in library? Or you can't get positive copper on plane?

Tim

[ricko_uk]

Hi Tim,
I could not enable the layers in the library's layer stack manager. Now it works.

But (a much less of an issue) when I "expand"/scale the board thickness the planes copper remains "thin" but the top and bottom copper layers show quite thick. That is despite both planes and layers having the same thickness in the stack manager (as you can see from the screenshot). Do you know why that is and how to change it?

Also do you know if there is a way to expand/scale the layers evenly like in the old versions where regardless of each layer's material thickness defined in the stack, when scaling the PCB thickness they all move apart by the same amount (instead of proportional to their thickness)?

Thank you

[T3sl4co1l]

Not sure, I rarely use planes and actually haven't in the new versions yet.

Tim

[ricko_uk]

Thank you

[tooki]

While prowling through the advanced options last night, I noticed one named something to the effect of “allow components to be placed on all layers”. I haven’t tried it, but perhaps it can be used to allow this?

[free_electron]

That stuff does not work in the library. It just uses some default values. The board ultimately drives the real numbers. The preview in library mode is not accurate as there is no board definition.