SMD
The SMD tab manages surface-mount component placement data. Import a Pick and Place file, visualize components on the board, adjust rotations and package assignments, and export production-ready placement data.
Component list
The left panel shows all SMD components with columns for:
- Ref – designator (C1, R1, U1, etc.)
- Rot – rotation angle (editable)
- Pol – polarity toggle (pin 1 marker)
- Value – component value
- CAD Pkg – package name from the CAD file
- Package – matched library package (dropdown)
Click a column header to sort by that field.
Filters
Quick-filter buttons narrow the component list:
- Polarized – components with polarity marking
- DNP – Do Not Populate components
- Edited – components with manual overrides
- Unmatched – components without a matched library package
Component visualization
Components render on the board canvas with body outlines, pad geometry, and pin-1 markers. Bidirectional highlighting links the list and the canvas – click a component in the list to zoom to it on the board, or click on the board to select it in the list.
Toggle overlay layers with the toolbar buttons:
- SMD – show/hide SMD component outlines
- THT – show/hide THT component outlines
- DNP Blue – highlight Do Not Populate components in blue
Editing components
For each component you can:
- Override the rotation with the spin button
- Toggle the polarity switch
- Mark as DNP (Do Not Populate)
- Change the package assignment via the dropdown
- Open the detail popup for full editing (designator, value, position, notes)
Component groups
Use + Group to create named groups for organizing components. Groups support:
- Collapse/expand
- Group name and comment editing
- Visibility toggle (hide all components in a group)
- Reordering (move up/down)
- Batch DNP operations
Convention and alignment
- Unit – Auto, mm, mil, or inch coordinate units
- Convention – Mycronic, IPC-7351, or IEC 61188-7 rotation convention
- Origin alignment – click the origin button to set the PnP coordinate origin on the board
Select the convention that matches your PnP data source. Gerbtrace converts between conventions internally so the board visualization is always correct.
Package matching
Gerbtrace matches CAD package names against the Package Library. Unmatched components show without body geometry. Use the Package dropdown on each component to manually assign a library package, or manage packages in the Package Manager.
Lock
The Unlocked / Locked toggle prevents component edits (rotation, polarity, package assignment, DNP status). Use this in team projects when the placement data has been verified and should not be modified.