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<html>
<head>
<title>EAGLE Help: Outlines data</title>
</head>
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<hr>
<i>EAGLE Help</i>
<h1><center>Outlines data</center></h1>
<hr>
EAGLE can produce outlines data which can be used for milling prototype boards.
<p>
The User Language Program <i>outlines.ulp</i> implements the entire process
necessary to do this. The following is a detailed description of what exactly has to
be done to produce outlines data with EAGLE.
<p>
<b>Preparing the board</b>
<p>
Outlines data is produced by defining a <a href=71.htm>POLYGON</a>
in the layer for which the outlines shall be calculated.
This polygon must have the following properties:
<ul>
<li>its name must be _OUTLINES_
<li>it must be the <b>only</b> object in the signal named _OUTLINES_
<li>its <i>Rank</i> must be <tt>'6'</tt>
<li>its <i>Width</i> must be the same as the diameter of the milling tool
<li>it must be large enough to cover the entire board area
</ul>
If a polygon with these properties is present in your board, the
<a href=75.htm>RATSNEST</a> command will calculate it in such
a way that its <i>contours</i> correspond to the lines that have to be drawn by
the milling tool to isolate the various signals from each other.
The <i>fillings</i> of the calculated polygon define what has to be milled out
if you want to completely remove all superfluous copper areas.
<p>
<b>Extracting the data</b>
<p>
The outlines data can be extracted from the board through a
<a href=128.htm>User Language Program</a>. The <i>outlines.ulp</i>
program that comes with EAGLE implements this entire process. If you want to
write your own ULP you can use <i>outlines.ulp</i> as a starting point.
See the help page for <a href=186.htm>UL_POLYGON</a> for details
about how to retrieve the outlines data from a polygon object.
<p>
<b>Milling tool diameter</b>
<p>
The diameter of the milling tool (and thus the <i>Width</i> of the polygon) must
be small enough to fit between any two different signals in order to be able to
isolate them from each other.<br>
<b>Make sure you run a <a href=42.htm>Design Rule Check</a> (DRC) with
all <i>Clearance</i> values for different signals set to at least the diameter
of your milling tool!</b>
<p>
Non-zero values for the Isolate parameter can be used when working sequentially
with different milling tool diameters in order to avoid areas that have already
been milled.
<p>
<b>Cleaning up</b>
<p>
Make sure that you always delete the _OUTLINES_ polygon after generating the
outlines data. Leaving this polygon in your drawing will cause short circuits
since this special polygon does not adhere to the <a href=127.htm>Design Rules</a>!
<hr>
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