PCB design software with more control over route shapes? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: peps1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2013, 10:23:15 pm
content: Hello guys, been looking into getting gerber files from vector images/PDFs without much luck...HERESo thought I would look at the problem from another angle.I need to make gerber files for boards like this, with arcs and non parallel lines.....something impossible in Eagle (the only software Iv used)So, I was wonder if any other software give more freedom when it comes to route shapes, so I can keep that hand drawn board style?

author: marshallh
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 08, 2013, 10:25:58 pm
content: TopoR

author: peps1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2013, 10:58:23 pm
content: Quote from: marshallh on September 08, 2013, 10:25:58 pmThank you, do you know where I can find any tutorials?Iv managed to import a .brd file from eagle and can move the routes and create arc, but cant work out how to create routes between pads that are arced?

author: baljemmett
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 08, 2013, 11:29:15 pm
content: Quote from: peps1 on September 08, 2013, 10:23:15 pmEAGLE can lay boards out like that; use one of the three 'arc' wire-bend options (there's straight-then-arc, arc-then-straight, and 'freehand' arc). SET WIRE_BEND 5, 6, or 7, or alternatively use the toolbar buttons - freehand is the one shaped like an S and the other two precede it. There's also the 'straight' wire-bend (runs at any angle, not constrained to 90/45 degree runs) which looks like it might come in handy for some segments on your example.(Results of a quick play around attached for reference.)

author: peps1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2013, 11:53:24 pm
content: Thanks baljemmett, The trouble with Eagle is the depth of an arc is a constant tied to the distance between the two pads, this makes having differing severity of arcs impossible (at least iv not found a way to do it)

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 06:41:37 am
content: Altium can do that. But why on earth do you want to make such butt ugly boards?

author: kayvee
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 06:58:40 am
content: Some Bishops Graphics tape and a lightbox.Ahhh those were the days

author: WarSim
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 07:58:05 am
content: Quote from: peps1 on September 08, 2013, 11:53:24 pmYes you have to use multiple arc segments. Your board is not using Bézier curves so complex arcs are not required. If it started with Bézier curves it is now flash proximate on like all other routers will do.If you really want Bézier curves there is a cheesy router out there that used Bézier curves for entry. It is very lacking in most other areas. I don't know the name right now. The router wasn't memorable enough to remember the name.If you want to copy what you see in the picture use Adobe Illustrator to trace the plot, and export the pattern to DXF then import it into a gerber editor for board prep.If you want the old school pattern style use the old school handrolic ways. Lay down the traces on the board and seal them down.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 09:48:29 am
content: I'd like to help you out; but only If I could play Star Spangled Banner with my Fender using my soldering iron as a pick whilst I try and convert the file ?

author: peps1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 03:42:52 pm
content: Quote from: jucole on September 09, 2013, 09:48:29 amYou sir, get bonus point(and any help would e more then welcome, flaming fender or not!)Quote from: free_electron on September 09, 2013, 06:41:37 amThanks, will check out Altium.Regards the looks of the boars, I personally prefer it to all the miter leiden generic boards......(but that aside its a clone of a 1966 board that is used in restoration and retrofitting, so has to look right as well as work right.)

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 04:02:40 pm
content: If you post the original vector file I'll have a look for you.

author: peps1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 07:09:12 pm
content: Quote from: free_electron on September 09, 2013, 06:41:37 amDoes Altium support bezier curves for tracers? (googled a little and seen it supports bezier curves in the schematic capture)

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 10, 2013, 07:38:08 am
content: I managed to get the pdf2gerb working although it produced a weird large circle on my layout that I couldn't seem to get rid of; so I ended up removing it from the gerb file by hand. If you follow the steps described on the page you should be able to do what you need.This is my conversion of the sample vector file; top layer only.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 10, 2013, 08:16:13 am
content: Here's a quick version of your legendary Hendrix Arbiter Fuzz-Face and how it's possible to replicate the curves; I left in that weird circle anomaly I described in my previous post.

author: peps1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2013, 03:19:58 pm
content: I think I must have a duff version of perl running as I i just keep getting 0x0 size boards as output.......would it be ok to PM and go though what i'm doing and see if you can spot what I'm doing wrong?

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 10, 2013, 04:44:43 pm
content: Quote from: peps1 on September 10, 2013, 03:19:58 pmJust post the steps here and the file you tried.

author: peps1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2013, 05:12:51 pm
content: OK,Using Strawberry Perl for Windows, I put the pdf2gerb.pl and the 3 PDF files in 'My Documents' and open a Perl comand line, and typeCode:pdf2gerb.pl Demo-top.pdf Demo-bottom.pdf Demo-silkBut its just not extracting the compressed streams from the PDFsWhat Perl are you using, a it could be a library issue?

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 10, 2013, 05:38:52 pm
content: I'm using Activestate Perl5 v16, x64 for windows. are you not missing the ".pdf" from the last file in your commandline?

author: peps1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2013, 05:48:11 pm
content: Quote from: jucole on September 10, 2013, 05:38:52 pmYes, missed it there by mistake, but same results when I type it correctly.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 10, 2013, 05:59:18 pm
content: When I try just the "Demo-top.pdf" it seems to works fine (see attached) so it could well be your Perl setup?

author: peps1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2013, 06:58:01 pm
content: Quote from: jucole on September 10, 2013, 05:59:18 pmwill try with Activestate.How do you bring up the perl command line with Activestate? only seeing "critic" and "package manager" under Activestate in the star menu?

author: peps1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2013, 07:25:10 pm
content: Still no joy with Activestatehere is my command lineCode:Microsoft Windows [Version 6.2.9200](c) 2012 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.C:\Users\Brook>cd C:\users\Brook\Documents\C:\Users\Brook\Documents>perl C:\users\Brook\Documents\pdf2gerb.plPdf2Gerb.pl 1.6hThis is EXPERIMENTAL software.Gerber files MAY CONTAIN ERRORS. Please CHECK them before fabrication!Usage: perl pdf2gerb.pl <top-copper.pdf> [<bottom-copper.pdf>] [<top-silk.pdf>]On Windows, you may need to put "perl" at the start.Output files will be placed in the current working folder.C:\Users\Brook\Documents>perl C:\users\Brook\Documents\pdf2gerb.pl Demo-top.pdfDemo-bottom.pdf Demo-silk.pdfPdf2Gerb.pl 1.6hThis is EXPERIMENTAL software.Gerber files MAY CONTAIN ERRORS. Please CHECK them before fabrication!processing file#1: Demo-top.pdf ...processing file#2: Demo-bottom.pdf ...processing file#3: Demo-silk.pdf ...files processed: 3, layers: 3, src lines: 3, warnings: 0pcb size is 0.000 x 0.000, origin at (0.000, 0.000) inchestotal input stream size: 3K, processing time: 0.05 sec-end-And produces a sinle gerb file called demo-top-outline(OLN) that has no size or originCode:pcb size is 0.000 x 0.000, origin at (0.000, 0.000) inches

author: peps1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2013, 11:59:33 pm
content: Just gave it a go on a XP box and same single blank gerb file output.I've got to be doing some really stupid here!Im putting the PDFs and the pdf2gerb.pl in the My Documents folder, then open command prompt and typeCode:C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents>perl pdf2gerb.pl Demo-top.pdf Demo-bottom.pdf Demo-silk.pdf

author: senso
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2013, 01:20:01 am
content: Try that in the root of the C drive, something tells me that perl/that script really hate path names with spaces in them.

author: peps1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2013, 02:02:19 am
content: Quote from: senso on September 11, 2013, 01:20:01 amI move the files the D: and C: with the same problem.......but when in C: there was no gerber output all all?

author: peps1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2013, 04:32:01 am
content: Rolled back to a 2010 release of strawberry and the example pdf files now seem to work!!!!Just having trouble generating my own .pdf files that will work.....@jucole - how did you process that fuzz face board into PDF, and did you get a drill file too?

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 11, 2013, 08:43:45 am
content: Quote from: peps1 on September 11, 2013, 04:32:01 amIn the comments of the script there is a reference to "PDFCreator 1.3.2" so - I just installed that; but when you do install the PDFCreator - watch out not to install the crap-ware with it! ;-)

author: peps1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2013, 08:55:53 am
content: Yep, I got PDFCreator.But, how did you process the image of the FF board, as the one I uploaded was a raster image?

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 11, 2013, 09:24:16 am
content: Quote from: peps1 on September 11, 2013, 08:55:53 amYou need to recreate your board using a vector drawing package then you just print using the PDF driver.

author: peps1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2013, 10:03:37 am
content: Cool, was just not sure if you had been able to process a raster image though pdf2 gerb, redrawn in vector, or auto traced in illustrator....