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From: Kai-Martin Knaak <knaak AT iqo DOT uni-hannover DOT de>
Subject: Re: [geda-user] Round boards in PCB
Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2013 03:45:19 +0200
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Nathan Stewart wrote:

> if you go into preferences, and set the board size,  it will change the
> displayed board area. This is always rectangular, and its not just an
> artifact of our rectangular displays, 

The string "Board Size" in this dialog is reminiscent, that this area did 
indeed represent the board in the history of PCB. However, the recommended 
way to set the board outline shifted to the outline layer. If my memory 
serves me right, this was introduced in 2007. 


> PCB treats the white space as
> board, and will not render components off of it.

It treats this area as a canvas.

 
> Outline is nothing more than a specially named layer  with a convention
> for handling what would be copper or silk on any other layer.

Gerber output picks the contents of the outline layer to derive the 
outline it presents in the fab.gbr file. The borders of the canvas only 
appear in gerber data, if there is no outline in the outline layer. That 
is, if you put a circle in the outline layer, there will be no rectangle 
in any gerber file.

---<)kaimartin(>---