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I can make "normal" footprints at ease in Altium manually or with the wizard but when it comes to abnormal footprints such as this inductor I have no idea how to go about making it and no library I have found already has the footprint premade: https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/coilcraft/LPS4018-472MRC/12714478?s=N4IgTCBcDaIDIAUDKAWADARgBwFoUHYIBdAXyA enter image description here

I suppose I could draw lines and calculate all the coordinates they are supposed to be at and fill inside the lines as the pad but that seems like a pretty tough way to do it. The easier way for me to make it is to use a CAD program like SOLIDWORKS or OnShape and draw it and extrude the shape I want. The way they dimension the footprint makes it much easier to make using one of those programs but I'd love to know if there's an easier way. If there is a way to export the file from Solidworks or Onshape, not sure what file type of how to import it. Everything I've found online suggests CAD importing is for 3D models not footprints. Here's the footprint I designed on OnShape and extruded 1mm:

enter image description here

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    \$\begingroup\$ I believe learning how to make custom pad shapes in Altium is no harder than learning how to do all that magic in Solidworks \$\endgroup\$
    – Maple
    Dec 22, 2021 at 3:40
  • \$\begingroup\$ Didn't know that was an option thanks I'll definitely give it a go! Never know what to call things so hard to find them by searching but this is what I was looking for. Thanks again! \$\endgroup\$
    – Pete
    Dec 22, 2021 at 4:21

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You can save the 'top' view as a DXF, Import into Altium ('AutoCAD') and use Tools->Convert->Create Region from Selected Primitives.

But that's a very easy pad shape to create directly in Altium, as in the link @Maple showed you. There are plenty of options and so in the SW->Altium process so it will probably take you longer that way.

Maybe if you had a very complex pad shape it would make some sense.

enter image description here

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