Use this to grow or shrink any closed design shape (i.e. copper, board, areas, templates, doc shapes and cutouts in these shapes).

For example, this can be useful if you want to place a routing area just within the board outline.

Shortcuts

Default Keys: None

Default Menu: None

Command: Resize Shape

Locating this option

Available from: Context menu > Resize Shape option

How to Use Resize Shape

Select the shape to be changed and right click to use the Resize Shape option from the shortcut menu. The following dialog appears:

Type in the amount you want to grow the shape by. This value is in the same units as the design. Type a negative value to shrink the shape. Press OK to perform the resize.

If a whole cutout is selected, just that cutout will be resized. If just an outline of a shape containing cutouts is selected, the cutouts will not be affected. If the whole shape containing cutouts is selected, both the shape and it’s cutouts are resized.

If a complex shape is made smaller it can loose some of it’s detail.

How to Create a Routing Area within the Board

Follow these simple steps:

  1. Insert the board outline shape. See Insert Board for details.
  2. Select the board outline and Copy the shape. Copy can be found on the Edit menu.
  3. Start Insert Area mode, but do not pick a start point yet.
  4. Use the shortcut menu to choose the correct layer and line style for the area.
  5. Use Paste from the Edit menu to paste in an area of the same shape as the board that was copied.
  6. Place the area on top of the board outline and exit the add area mode.
  7. Select the area and use Resize Shape to shrink it a little.
  8. Use Properties to set the area properties for tracks and vias to Keep In.

You now have a routing area just inside the board outline.

Insert Board | Copy | Paste | Properties