Creating Custom Shapes in Flux

Use any shape on your board, from a custom pad to a curved board outline.

Create custom shapes for pads, symbols, silkscreen and board layout.


Overview

IC footprints, antennas, and connectors can need specific pad shapes. Symbols and board outlines can also need custom shapes.

This page shows how to create custom shapes and add them to pads, silkscreen, board layout, and zones.

Creating a Custom Shape

Ask Flux to create the shape for a pad, a silkscreen line, or a zone. Flux can make the shape from a description, an SVG path, a DXF file, or an image that you attach to the chat.

Make pad 1 of this footprint a rounded rectangle, 2 mm by 1 mm, with a 0.3 mm notch on the left side.
Trace the attached PNG logo and add it to the top silkscreen.
Use the attached DXF file as the shape of the copper zone under the antenna.

To create the shape in another tool:

Flux uses DXF and SVG files as input for custom shapes. You can use any CAD or drawing tool to make these shapes. For example, use Onshape for DXF files or Inkscape for SVG files.

Shape Requirements

For shape file requirements, see file requirements.

Creating DXF Shapes with Fusion360

The video below covers how to create DXF shapes using Fusion 360 for a symbol, but the same process can be used to create a shape for any other element (pad, footprint and layout):

Creating SVG Shapes with Inkscape

Inkscape is an open source tool, and it's available for most platforms. Even if you're unfamiliar with SVG files, the video below shows how to create your first shape.

The video below covers how to create a custom symbol shape, but the same process can be used to create a shape for any other element (pad, footprint and silkscreen):

Importing the Shape into Flux

Ask Flux to import the shape. Attach the DXF or SVG file to the chat, and tell Flux which element gets the shape.

Add the attached SVG file as a project asset and use it as the shape of pad 3.
Use the attached DXF file as the shape of the keep-out zone on the top layer.
Use the attached SVG file as a silkscreen line next to the connector.

You can also do it in the editor:

There are two ways of adding generated shapes into Flux:

  • Using an asset: Use this method for every element type, with DXF or SVG files

  • Injecting code directly on a shape rule: Use this method for SVG path code on pads, layouts, lines, and zones

Option 1: Using an Asset File

Ask Flux to add the file as an asset and link it to the element.

Add the attached DXF file as an asset and link it to the selected silk line.
Add the attached SVG file as an asset and use it as the shape of the selected pad.

To do it in the UI:

You can use an external DXF or SVG file to dictate the shape of a pad. This is a two-step process; first, you must add the SVG or DXF as an asset via the File tab and then link the asset to the target pad.

Step 1: Adding DXF/SVG Files as Assets

Ask Flux to add the file to the project assets.

Add the attached SVG file to the project assets.

To do it in the UI:

To add an external file as an asset:

  1. Open the "Files" tab on the top center of the app.

  2. On the right drawer, scroll down until you find the assets panel. Click on the cog-like icon to manage your assets.

  3. Then click on "Add item" and select the file from your local drive.


Info

If you're creating a custom symbol and have added multiple assets, click the "Set this as default symbol" button.


Ask Flux to link the asset to the element.

Use the asset antenna-shape.svg as the shape of the selected zone.
Link the asset logo.dxf to the silk line on the top layer.

To do it in the UI:

Once you've added the SVG or DXF file to the asset list, then link the asset to the target element.

Info

Skip this step if you're creating a custom symbol.

To link an asset to an element:

  1. Select the element you want to make into a custom shape

  • Silkscreen: Object type -> Silk Line

  • Board shape: Object type -> Layout

  • Pad: Object type -> Pad

  • Zone: Object type -> Zone

  1. Locate the "Layout rules" drop-down menu on the right-side panel

  2. Find the "Object-specific rules" submenu

  3. Click on "Add"

  4. Find and add the "Asset" rule

  5. Inside the "Asset" text box, select the SVG/DXF file added in the previous step from the list

Example: adding an asset to a silk line.

Step 3: Scaling an Asset

Ask Flux to set the scale of the asset.

The shape of pad 3 comes from a file in millimeters. Scale it so that it has the correct size.

To do it in the UI:

By default, Flux assumes the imported file will be in meters. You might need to adjust the scale of the asset using a scale rule.

Option 2: Using the Shape Rule for SVG Code

Ask Flux to write the SVG path to the shape rule.

Set the shape of the selected pad to this SVG path: M 0 0 L 0.002 0 L 0.002 0.001 L 0 0.001 Z
Change the shape of the top-layer zone to a hexagon that is 10 mm across.

To do it in the UI:

You can add SVG code directly into the shape rule of a pad, layout, line, or zone. To create a custom symbol shape, use the asset method in Option 1. To add the SVG code directly into a shape rule:

  1. Open the PCB editor

  2. Select the element you want to convert to a custom shape

  3. Locate the "Layout rules" drop-down menu on the right-side panel

  4. Find the "Object-specific rules" submenu

  5. Click on "Add"

  6. Find and add the corresponding "Pad shape", "Line shape", "Zone Shape", or "Layout Shape" rule

  7. Inside the rule's text box, paste the SVG code. See the SVG code below as an example

M 0.005 0.005 L -0.005 0.005 L -0.005 -0.005 L 0.003 0.001 z
Example: adding SVG code directly to a Pad Shape rule


Next to read:
Polygons
On This Page
Creating Custom Shapes in FluxOverviewCreating a Custom ShapeImporting the Shape into FluxShape RequirementsCreating DXF Shapes with Fusion360Creating SVG Shapes with InkscapeOption 1: Using an Asset FileOption 2: Using the Shape Rule for SVG CodeStep 1: Adding DXF/SVG Files as AssetsStep 2: Link the Asset to the Target ElementStep 3: Scaling an Asset