Board graphics and rules
place_keepout
Define a rule area that forbids things inside it.
Usage
place_keepout <points> [name] [layer] [no_tracks] [no_vias] [no_pads] [no_copper] [no_footprints]Angle brackets mark required arguments and square brackets optional ones. Available in the pcb editor. You can issue this yourself, and the AI agent issues the identical command — there is no second, hidden interface.
Arguments
pointsRequired
nameOptional
layerOptional
no_tracksOptional
no_viasOptional
no_padsOptional
no_copperOptional
no_footprintsOptional
1 required, 7 optional.
Behaviour
points is a semicolon-separated list of at least 3 x,y pairs in mm. Omitting layer applies the area to EVERY layer, which is the safe reading — a keepout that applies nowhere forbids nothing. The DRC reports violations, the router treats it as immovable, and the zone fill excludes no_copper areas from the pour.
How the agent uses it
- The agent works in a perceive / act / verify / recover loop: it describes the design, issues
place_keepoutor another command, checks the result, and undoes the change if the check fails. - Commands report what they actually did. A refusal is a result, not a silent no-op — which is what lets the agent recover instead of building on a change that never happened.
- Anything the agent can do here, you can do yourself, and the reverse.
Other board graphics and rules
Try place_keepout in the editor
Free to start on macOS, Windows and Linux. Bring your existing KiCad and Altium libraries.