Mail Archives: geda-help/2012/04/07/12:52:57
On 04/07/2012 11:25 AM, rickman wrote:
> I have a need to generate a Gerber file for a logo. I can't find
> anything to do this with other than a few expensive commercial
> programs. Since this is a one shot deal I don't want to pay big bucks
> for it. Are there any tools in the GEDA suite that would allow me to
> input a DXF file and produce a Gerber file. The logo can also be
> output as any of several vector graphic formats as well as standard
> image formats. But how to get it into a Gerber file?
>
> Rick
>
I have been using the following well-known procedure to import a DXF
file onto a PCB layer (credits to Peter Clifton, DJ Delorie, and several
others):
Import the DXF file to qCAD; print it as ps (observe the difference
between printing and exporting); convert it to encapsulated ps with
'ps2epsi'; convert it to pcb using 'pstoedit' with the '-usbbfrominput'
and '-f pcb' options; import it to PCB and move it to the appropriate
layer if necessary.
From PCB, then, you can generate a Gerber file. I use the above
procedure to import weird board outlines and fancy fonts and graphics
into PCB. One caveat, though: The "vectorness" of the original is lost;
curves are split into short line segments. At least this has been my
experience with the gEDA I've been using; it is the one that came with
stock Ubuntu 11.11.
You should be able to generate a vector graphics file in Inkscape and
then export it as epsi, skipping the first three steps above. This
opens up a lot of possibilities, like better fonts, logos, etc.
Hope this helps.
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