Index: parametric/qf
===================================================================
--- parametric/qf	(revision 4826)
+++ parametric/qf	(revision 4827)
@@ -62,6 +62,10 @@
 #@@optional:cpad_height
 #@@default:cpad_height false, no central pad
 
+#@@param:cpad_mask center pad mask; if not specified, use the same gap as for the rows (pad_mask)
+#@@dim:cpad_mask
+#@@optional:cpad_mask
+
 #@@param:rpad_round when true, row pads are round
 #@@bool:rpad_round
 #@@optional:rpad_round
Index: parametric/qf.awk
===================================================================
--- parametric/qf.awk	(revision 4826)
+++ parametric/qf.awk	(revision 4827)
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 function qf_globals(pre_args, post_args    ,reqs)
 {
+	DEFAULT["cpad_mask", "dim"] = 1
+
 	if (hook_spc_conv == "")
 		hook_spc_conv = 1.8
 	if (hook_cpad_mult == "")
@@ -54,6 +56,12 @@
 	cpad_width=parse_dim(P["cpad_width"])
 	cpad_height=parse_dim(P["cpad_height"])
 
+	if (P["cpad_mask"] == "")
+		cpad_mask = (cpad_width > cpad_height ? cpad_width : cpad_height) +  either(parse_dim(P["pad_mask"]), DEFAULT["pad_mask"])
+	else
+		cpad_mask=parse_dim(P["cpad_mask"])
+
+
 	if (tobool(P["cpad_auto"]) || hook_cpad_auto) {
 		if (cpad_width == "")
 			cpad_width = (x_spacing*0.85 - int_bloat*2 - pt) * hook_cpad_mult
@@ -113,7 +121,10 @@
 
 
 	if ((cpad_width != "") && (cpad_height != "")) {
+		tmp = DEFAULT["pad_mask"]
+		DEFAULT["pad_mask"] = cpad_mask
 		element_pad_rectangle(-cpad_width/2, -cpad_height/2, +cpad_width/2, +cpad_height/2, 2*nx+2*ny+1, "square,nopaste")
+		DEFAULT["pad_mask"] = tmp
 		dimension(-cpad_width/2, -cpad_height/2, +cpad_width/2, -cpad_height/2, "@0;" (height * -0.6-ext_bloat), "cpad_width")
 		dimension(cpad_width/2, -cpad_height/2, cpad_width/2, +cpad_height/2, "@" (width * 0.8+ext_bloat) ";0", "cpad_height")
 	}