Diptrace Solder Mask/Paste Layers... how to show them?

[luisr]

Hi there guys...

I apologize if this has been answered before but is there a way to visualize the solder mask and solder paste that is automatically generated when adding Pins/Pads in the Pattern editor? Double clicking on the corresponding layer on the design manager (right panel) show nothing... so far the only way I have to see the solder mask is using the "Preview" option that is available in the "Export to Gerber" Option

Thanks

[luisr]

your pad is your mask and your paste and your drill.

I guess that my english is worst than yours...   

I found this thread http://www.diptrace.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=377 the guy is asking exactly the same... Diptrace does automatically create the mask for the pads but seens like the only way to see the solder mask layer is using the preview option while exporting the gerbers... or disable the auto function in the pattern editor and adding the solder mask there. (please correct me if I'm wrong)

I better go through Diptrace's tutorial again...

Thanks

[Kremmen]

In my experience DT automates the "mandatory" mask/paste footprints for pads, vias and similar. You can specify the mask expansion /paste shrinking but that is then applied for all pads equally.
However, if you explicitly draw geometry say on the mask layer, it will be visible when the layer is turned on. I never had any reason to try the same with the paste layer but presumably it would do the same.

[luisr]

your english is fine infact better than me. whats confusing is your request in the pattern editor, i just cant find any "auto mask feature" in it. by default, when you created pads, what you see is the mask! when will be the time when you dont want to mask the pad?

Uhmm... not sure of this but I think that when a pad is created what diptrace shows by default is the copper layer (top, bottom, etc) on which the pad was created... there's no way (known by me) to see the solder mask on the PCD Layout unless the geometry is draw in the corresponding layer in the pattern editor... as indicated by Kremmen

 

In my experience DT automates the "mandatory" mask/paste footprints for pads, vias and similar. You can specify the mask expansion /paste shrinking but that is then applied for all pads equally.
However, if you explicitly draw geometry say on the mask layer, it will be visible when the layer is turned on. I never had any reason to try the same with the paste layer but presumably it would do the same.

I did a quick test and I confirm that mask expansion and paste shrink can be specified independently per pad...

Well... the gerber preview thing is not that bad... at the end is highly recommended to check the generated gerbers with an external gerber viewer before sending the files to the fab house... but it's nice to be able to see it while doing the PCB layout.... so the eagle got this round  %-B

[Kremmen]

OK, fair enough and good for DT (and Eagle as well, i guess). I just never had any reason to get interested in individual pads. Why would you want to eyeball individual pads that way? I mean, unless the enlarge / shrink is significant, you won't really see it. Normally it would be like .1 mm or so. But having said that, why not show them just for consistency's sake...
Definitely +1 for checking the board with an external Gerber viewer before sending out.

[luisr]

OK, fair enough and good for DT (and Eagle as well, i guess). I just never had any reason to get interested in individual pads. Why would you want to eyeball individual pads that way? I mean, unless the enlarge / shrink is significant, you won't really see it. Normally it would be like .1 mm or so. But having said that, why not show them just for consistency's sake...
Definitely +1 for checking the board with an external Gerber viewer before sending out.

well I'm just playing around with Diptrace and Eagle... I was trying to create a footprint for a TFBGA-100 package and found that the default mask created by eagle is too large and will create gaps... I did some research and there are two ways of solving this in eagle: First reduce solder mask expansion globally in the design rules or disable auto creation function in the footprint and add the geometry to every pad on the corresponding layer... imagine doing that to a 100 balls or 256 BGA footprint..

In the other hand Diptrace has the Mask Swell setting that handle this as per pad wich is nice...

Thanks