ASCII file format specification for DxDesigner symbols? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: rachaelp
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 04, 2018, 05:03:37 pm
content: Hello,I have a large library of ASCII format DxDesigner library symbols which I would like to be able to reuse elsewhere. I don't have access to my old DxDesigner license anymore so can't open and export them from there but as they are ASCII files I am fairly happy writing a bit of code to parse them and convert them into another format.So, some of the file is fairly self explanatory, some of it not so much so there would be a lot of trial and error while I tried to fathom out what was what. Does anybody have any information on the format of the DxDesigner ASCII files that might help make this task a little quicker? If you do that would be very helpful!Many thanks,Rachael

author: DerekG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 04, 2018, 07:29:58 pm
content: I'm thinking that the easiest way might be to locate another PCB design program that has an import filter that supports these ASCII files.What design software are you using now? Does it support PADS ASCII or Mentor Expedition or DxDesigner files?I have checked & DipTrace supports PADS ASCII 2005 files (might be full schematic & pcb files, rather than full libraries) & Altium supports the import of DxDesigner Designs & Library files.Just a thought.

author: rachaelp
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 04, 2018, 08:16:23 pm
content: Hi Derek,Yes I agree using another tool would be an option, but I'd like to get it working directly really, it makes the workflow nicer and, well I kinda like the challenge!If I need some inspiration on how things translate I guess I could use an intermediate tool as part of the reverse engineering process. I don't have access to Altium unfortunately.I'm using EAGLE. I've managed to parse PADS ASCII files and create some basic library elements from those, but I was able to locate a spec for PADS ASCII. No amount of Googling has turned up a valid link to a DxDesigner ASCII spec though unfortunately. I've started reverse engineering the format but it'll be a bit of a long slog I think, so I thought it might be worth asking on here in case anybody amongst the thousands of forum members had access to anything useful.Best Regards,Rachael

author: DerekG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 05, 2018, 12:16:33 am
content: Quote from: rachaelp on April 04, 2018, 08:16:23 pmPretty much all the manufacturers keep their propitiatory formats closely to themselves. In fact you will likely find some additions to their code that has been specially put there to make reverse engineering it more difficult.You will likely only locate information on their format if someone else has been out their & reverse engineered it.

author: rachaelp
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 05, 2018, 01:39:44 pm
content: Hi Derek,I managed to find a small amount of information for the original tool (ViewDraw) which Mentor purchased andmangledused as the basis for their DxDesigner products. I managed to work out what was superfluous junk info and what could be ignored because it didn't map to anything in EAGLE and I can now import DxDesigner symbols into EAGLE quite easilyMany thanks,Rachael

author: DerekG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 05, 2018, 10:28:04 pm
content: Quote from: rachaelp on April 05, 2018, 01:39:44 pmExcellent news Rachael.

author: Daixiwen
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2018, 11:08:35 am
content: Quote from: DerekG on April 05, 2018, 12:16:33 amI don't think Mentor Graphics put the effort to obfuscate their ASCII format. They have been too busy obfuscating the GUI for regular users.

author: rachaelp
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 06, 2018, 11:19:47 pm
content: Quote from: Daixiwen on April 06, 2018, 11:08:35 amThis is sooo true!I'm so glad I don't have to battle with it on a daily basis anymore!

author: PCB.Wiz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2018, 09:14:41 pm
content: Quote from: rachaelp on April 05, 2018, 01:39:44 pmThis sounds cool, did you publish this anywhere ?KiCad V5.0http://downloads.kicad-pcb.org/windows/nightly/] http://downloads.kicad-pcb.org/windows/nightly/ has a much improved Eagle importer, so it would be very interesting to see if your work gives aDxDesigner to kiCad pathway

author: Summer0228
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 17, 2019, 08:26:19 am
content: Hi,RachaelDid you work out this problem. From the ASCII file, i cannt understand what the contents mean, could you add some comments for the format for the file.Thank you!Summer

author: BrianB_NY
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 23, 2021, 01:25:09 pm
content: Just wanted to add a clarification for those who find this in the future - the DxDesigner symbol format is a text file, but the format is not the same (or even close) to the .asc ASCII netlist format that is used between DxDesigner and PADS.The schematic sheets used to be in this same format as the symbols before they moved to a binary icdb database file. I wrote a lot of programs to massage items in the ascii-text schematic file format back in the day before the tools matured to add things like net cross referencing etc.