X-Authentication-Warning: delorie.com: mail set sender to geda-user-bounces using -f X-Recipient: geda-user AT delorie DOT com Message-ID: <55B673E3.8050806@buffalo.edu> Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2015 14:09:39 -0400 From: Stephen Besch User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:31.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/31.8.0 MIME-Version: 1.0 To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com Subject: Re: [geda-user] bug? in Gerber Export in PCB References: <55B6674B DOT 9080108 AT buffalo DOT edu> <201507271725 DOT t6RHPkdo007711 AT envy DOT delorie DOT com> In-Reply-To: <201507271725.t6RHPkdo007711@envy.delorie.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-PM-EL-Spam-Prob: X: 10% Reply-To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com On 07/27/2015 01:25 PM, DJ Delorie wrote: >> Specifically, there are three issues. The first is simply figuring >> out how to specify the base directory for the gerber files. > Specify that path as part of gerbfile That becomes clear with trial and error. What is needed is indication that the output filename is composed of 3 parts: the base path, a file prefix, a file name and and extension. The base path is what is specified in the GerbFile text input line. The prefix is the last component of the base path which must end with a closing slash. PCB supplies the filename (such as "bottom" and the extension (such as ".gbr") For example, a gerberfile spec of /home/you/Designs/Filter/Gerbers/Gerbers/LPF/ would generate the gerbers in the folder "/home/you/Designs/Filter/Gerbers/" with names such as: "LPF.bottom.gbr". If you also use the "Single" option, the names will match whatever you have set them to in pcb. For example, if you rename "Spare" to "Cutout, then you will get a file named "LPF.Cutout.gbr" >> This bit of the GUI really needs a standard Folder Chooser. > If you can come up with a gui-independent folder chooser, sure. It > has to work under gtk, lesstif, windows, batch, and command line. > >> The second issue is the weirdness of the the output file names. > PCB drawing layers do not directly correspond to copper layers. PCB > drawing layers are combined in groups, the groups define your stackup > (including order) and those correspond to copper layers. Since we > have no concept of "group names" we assign "group%n" to internal > layers, like we assign "top" and "bottom" to those, despite what you > name the drawing layers. > >> The third issue is more serious and irritating. If I draw some stuff on >> the "Spare" layer and then generate the gerbers, the spare layer > All PCB layers are considered part of the mechanical PCB somehow. > There's no concept of a layer which doesn't end up as a copper layer > somehow, so all "pcb global" objects (i.e. holes, vias, etc) show up > on all layers. We make an exception for the "outline" layer but > that's a hack. > >