Import graphics into PCB program

[mkruger]

anyone know of PCB layout software that can import a picture/graphic into it and maintain the correct size? Anyone ever try this? What I did was make a graphic of the PCB layout in Adobe Illustrator, which I can turn into a .GIF file if necessary. My problem is that I want to send the PCB layout to a manufacturer...

 

[daArry]

i think mr mcs has a lil app he made that can turn graphics (gif/bmp/jpeg) files in to gerbers...

 

[electronaut]

Osmond will do exactly this. You need to save your image as a PDF first, then you can place it in Osmond at 1:1 scale and trace away. The output is Gerber and/or postscript.

Here's the catch: Osmond only runs on a Mac, not windows. I love it -- use it all the time with great results.

And... for now, it's free!

http://www.swcp.com/~jchavez/osmond.html

 

[mkruger]

when you say trace what do you mean? I have to trace over the imported graphic?

 

[electronaut]

Yes. If you have vector or pixel artwork from Illustrator or Photoshop, for example, you need Mr. MCS to convert it to a gerber format. (I haven't a clue how he does that.)

If you want to use an actual PCB layout program and create gerber files complete with solder mask, silk screen, drill file, multiple layers, etc. than you need to lay out the board in that program using their tools -- placing your graphic in the background and tracing is the quickest way to go.

I used to lay out boards in Illustrator as well, which makes it easy to print a transparency, expose a board, etch, etc. But the boardhouses want Gerbers, so I now find it easier to lay the board out in a real PCB layout program, output postscript, make a PDF, print to transparency, etc. Then I can make the board myself and if I like it, it's ten more seconds to output a gerber file and send it off to a boardhouse.

 

[mcs]

What my software does is quite simple - it just converts a bitmap to a gerber bitmap. It does create quite a "big" gerber file, but it works...

If you want something converted, just send me a 200dpi B/W or greyscale TIFF, BMP, GIF etc. - not JPEG please.

Best regards,

Mikkel C. Simonsen

 

[mkruger]

mcs i think i will do that. just a few more mods and i'll send them to ya. I appreciate the offer. any chance of aquiring that program of yours?

When you say it converts it to a gerber bitmap is that different than a regular gerber file. I'm not familiar with gerbers. I usually do my own etching...

 

[Kev]

Big time Protel will do it
I think.

 

[mcs]

[quote author="mkruger"]mcs i think i will do that. just a few more mods and i'll send them to ya. I appreciate the offer. any chance of aquiring that program of yours? [/quote]
Nooo! It took years of very hard work to do (and almost 100 lines of C code) :wink:

The truth is actually that it took an hour or two - but that also means it's not very userfriendly. I should do a bit of work on it before "releasing" it...

When you say it converts it to a gerber bitmap is that different than a regular gerber file. I'm not familiar with gerbers. I usually do my own etching...

Gerber files are plotter files. Change to tool x, move to x,y and draw a line to x,y etc. To make a file like that, you would have to locate all the tracks in the original drawing, measure the thickness of the lines etc. That can be done, but not in 1-2 hours.

So what I did was just to write the lines from the bitmap in gerber format - which is a lot easier...

Best regards,

Mikkel C. Simonsen

 

[nrgrecording]

Iam using Sprint Layout. http://www.abacom-online.de/uk/html/sprint-layout.html
Costs about 40€ and it is one of the best and easiest programs i'd seen in my live :wink: ...okay you can't click on a switch while you're in scheamtic-mode to route the pcb from your schematic with rubberbands directly but for me its great.
You have to scan the original pcb (trackside), mirror it and save as *.bmp. Now you can route the pcb while you can see the bmp in the background.

If someone has an interesting peace of gear, use your scanner and send the files to me :roll: :green: those man*ley stuff looks easy, the massen*burg stuff seems to be the hardest

It would be cool to make a "group diy". So one could scan a pcb, i do the pcb layout, then he inserts the components values, another one does the parts list, another one could build the thing. I don't have much time at the moment, but a pcb layout is quickly done.

Regretfully i don't know how legal it is to copy a pcb layout. :? Iam really frightened about that. Could someone clarify... ?

 

[rafafredd]

I think copying a PCB layout is crossing the line we shouldn´t cross. Let´s keep doing our own layouts... But, old stuff, like the AM16 should be OK.