To restrict component placement from a specified area on the PCB requires the placement of an independent Courtyard drawing object. As expected, the empty version (outline only) of the Courtyard drawing object triggers DRC errors when components touch its boundary lines, but it does not detect any components that are completely inside and not touching its boundary lines. In order to have the independent Courtyard detect component conflicts both at its boundary and completely inside, a filled (solid) drawing object must be used.
The filled drawing object works as expected, but on the Courtyard layer it does not appear as a filled drawing object; it appears as an empty (outline only) drawing object. Fortunately, it still behaves as a filled Courtyard drawing object and triggers DRC errors even when components are completely inside its boundaries; which is a good thing. Unfortunately, the user has no way of knowing that a filled Courtyard drawing object is being used just by looking at it. The only clue would be the DRC flags that pop up on components residing well within its borders...
Shouldn't a filled drawing object on the Courtyard layer have the appearance of being filled (solid)?...
Courtyard filled drawing object bug
Re: Courtyard filled drawing object bug
Courtyard objects are designed to be part of pattern only. Therefore they are always unfilled.
You can group courtyard and one or more shapes into component. Then you can use this "fake" component as keepout object for DRC.
You can group courtyard and one or more shapes into component. Then you can use this "fake" component as keepout object for DRC.