Convert 99SE files to Kicad - current situation? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Circlotron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2025, 01:58:00 am
content: I'm wanting to move over to Kicad 9 because it looks pretty good. Trouble is, I have a number of moderately complex boards drawn using Protel 99SE that I would love to import rather than redraw from scratch. What is the current situation regarding importing these files? I did find a few posts here and there but it sounds like a work in progress.Is anyone currently pursuing this?

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2025, 04:40:50 am
content: KiCad can import a set of Gerber files. This is far from ideal, but also a lot better then "nothing", as you can recover all the tracks, zones, PCB outline, and (implicit) locations of footprints. (There are no footprints in Gerbers, but replacing them with new footprints is doable).Another option is to get a "free trial" for altium (if that exists), then use it to import into altium, and then read the altium files into KiCad. KiCad's importer of altium files is quite good, but I'm not sure if altium can read the old protel files.

author: voltsandjolts
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 29, 2025, 07:24:46 am
content: Quote from: Doctorandus_P on April 29, 2025, 04:40:50 amNever tried it but 99SE is listed.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2025, 10:14:36 am
content: Quote from: voltsandjolts on April 29, 2025, 07:24:46 amNote that that simply extracts the design files from the old .ddb project format (an Access database containing all the design files) to a folder-based project. If the project is already folder-based, this conversion isn’t necessary.Once one has a folder-based project, the design files simply open in Altium, since it’s just an earlier version of the current file formats. It will just ask if you want to update the files to the current version of the file format.

author: Circlotron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2025, 12:50:30 pm
content: Quote from: Doctorandus_P on April 29, 2025, 04:40:50 amKicad 9.0.2 only has options to import CADSTAR, EAGLE and two kinds of EasyEDA.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2025, 01:06:10 pm
content: import em as ascii into easyedahttps://prodocs.easyeda.com/en/import-export/import-protel/then export to kicad?

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2025, 01:14:25 pm
content: Quote from: Circlotron on April 29, 2025, 12:50:30 pmYou forgot to scroll down a bit inthe documentationto thesecondtable, which lists the file types that can be imported “standalone”:*.SchDoc: Altium Designer, Circuit Studio, Circuit Maker schematic documents*.PcbDoc: Altium Designer PCB*.CMPcbDoc: Altium Circuit Maker PCB*.CSPcbDoc: Altium Circuit Studio PCB*.pcb: P-Cad 200x ASCII PCB*.txt, *.fab: Fabmaster PCB

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2025, 03:20:15 pm
content: Quote from: Circlotron on April 29, 2025, 12:50:30 pmThat is for importing projects.As tooki also already mentioned, both schematics and PCB's from altium can be imported for several mayor KiCad versions (I think this works since KiCad V6 or V7). But it's still a separate schematic and PCB. As a result you have to:Update PCB from Schematicand then use theRe-link footprints to schematic symbols based on their reference designatorsoption. There are plans for direct support for importing altium projects, but it's among those other 1000+ feature requests.

author: djsb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2025, 09:23:06 pm
content: You can import Altium project files in the current nightly versions, although I have NOT tried this yet myself. YMMV as they say.