PCB Footprint Creator
Install this skill

Paste this into Claude Code (VS Code panel, Adom editor, or terminal) to install:

Search the Adom Wiki for the skill "PCB Footprint Creator" (slug: footprint-creator) at https://wiki-ufypy5dpx93o.adom.cloud/wiki/skills/footprint-creator and install it into my local ~/.claude/skills/footprint-creator/ directory. Fetch the skill_source content from the wiki page and save it as SKILL.md. Then confirm it's installed by showing the first 5 lines.
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What is a skill? Skills are instructions that teach AI assistants like Claude Code how to perform specific tasks. The description below is loaded into the AI as context when you invoke this skill. Well-written skills make the AI significantly more effective. Like Wikipedia, anyone can improve a skill by clicking Edit AI Skill — or have your AI submit an edit on your behalf.

Screenshots

Description

Edit AI Skill

PCB Footprint Creator

Create professional PCB footprints, preview them interactively in the Gallia Viewer, iterate with the user, and deliver to their local KiCad or Fusion 360 Electronics via Adom Desktop Conduit.

What It Does

The footprint creator skill handles the full workflow:

  1. Research — Searches KiCad's 7,000+ standard footprints first, downloads matching packages, or creates from scratch using datasheet specs
  2. Create — Generates .kicad_mod files with proper pad geometry, silk screen, courtyard, fab outline, and pin 1 markers
  3. Metadata — Builds rich pad descriptions with engineering-grade detail (voltage ranges, decoupling recommendations, etc.)
  4. Preview — Renders interactive FpView HTML with the KiCad CLI service for high-fidelity SVG output
  5. Iterate — User reviews in Gallia Viewer, requests changes, skill regenerates
  6. Deliver — Sends to KiCad Footprint Editor or Fusion 360 Electronics via Adom Desktop Conduit

Supported Output Formats

  • KiCad (.kicad_mod) — Native KiCad footprint file
  • Fusion 360 Electronics (.lbr) — Complete EAGLE XML library with symbol + package + device connects

FpView — Interactive Footprint Viewer

FpView is the branded interactive viewer that renders footprints with:

  • Dark PCB-style theme with grid background
  • Pad hover highlighting — teal highlight with rich tooltips showing pad number, signal name, dimensions, and description
  • Click-to-pin tooltips — click a pad to lock the tooltip for text selection and link clicking
  • Solder blob visualization — 250µm gold circles showing Adom's InstaPCB paste jetting pattern (toggle with S key)
  • Layer toggles — Grid (G), Solder (S), Labels (L) with toolbar buttons and keyboard shortcuts
  • Zoom and pan — scroll to zoom, drag to pan, F to fit, 1 to reset
  • Coordinate readout — live cursor position in kicad_mod coordinate space
  • Info bar — manufacturer, description, pad count, body size, courtyard, 3D model reference, datasheet link
  • Regen button — shows a prompt for regenerating the viewer, auto-copies to clipboard
  • Wiki edit link — "Suggest edit" button for community corrections

Solder Blob Visualization

The Solder layer shows warm gold circles representing physical solder blobs for Adom's InstaPCB paste jetting process:

  • 250µm diameter blobs with 0.25mm center-to-center spacing
  • Fills each SMD pad surface (thru-hole excluded)
  • Respects pad rotation and boundaries
  • Adjustable blob size: 250–600µm
  • Placement accuracy: ±50µm

KiCad CLI Service Integration

All rendering runs on a shared remote KiCad CLI service — KiCad is NOT installed locally. The service provides:

  • SVG export with accurate solder mask, copper fills, and layer rendering
  • GLB/STEP 3D model export
  • Design Rule Check (DRC)
  • 7,000+ standard footprint library search and download

Lint and Validation

Every footprint passes through:

  • Design rule linter — courtyard present, fab outline, pin 1 marker, courtyard clearance ≥0.25mm, no silk-pad overlap
  • Artifact validator — all required files exist (.kicad_mod, metadata JSON, SVG, FpView HTML, README), pad counts match, descriptions complete

Package Types Supported

Works with any package type — from tiny 0402 passives to 100+ pin QFPs:

CategoryExamples
Passives0402, 0603, 0805, 1206
TransistorsSOT-23, SOT-223, DPAK
Small ICSOIC-8, TSSOP, MSOP
Large ICQFP, LQFP, TQFP (44-100+ pins)
BGA/LGALGA-14, QFN-48, BGA
SensorsCustom packages (VL53L0X, BMI423)
ConnectorsUSB-C, JST, pin headers

Skill Source

Edit AI Skill
Use when the user asks to "create a KiCad footprint", "create a PCB footprint", "make a .kicad_mod", "create a Fusion 360 footprint", "make an EAGLE package", "build a footprint for [part name]", "make a footprint and send to KiCad", "send footprint to Fusion 360", or wants to visualize a KiCad footprint in FpView (the Gallia Viewer footprint viewer). Covers the full workflow from footprint creation to preview to delivery to local KiCad or Fusion 360 Electronics.

Sub-Skills
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What are Sub-Skills?

Sub-skills are community-contributed AI skill extensions for this component. They teach AI assistants about specific tools, configurators, or workflows.

Examples:

  • A manufacturer’s configuration tool for a motor controller
  • A community-written design guide for an amplifier circuit
  • An automated test/validation script for a sensor module

How to add one: Click Add Sub-Skill, provide the URL to your skill and a brief description. Submissions are reviewed by the Adom team before going live.

No sub-skills yet. Be the first to contribute one!

0 revisions · Updated 2026-04-05 20:08:09