on a different size and shape board. I would like to copy/paste it. I made it using PCB. PCB only allows rectangles/squares. I need to take the layout and place it on another board I made. Can I take the gerber files and import it into another program to edit it?

Thanks.

 

I made it using PCB.

Any link to it? I doubt that a pcb software is called pcb..

 

Works great, and has full libraries. I already printed the board, came out perfect. I need to take what I made elsewhere, and place it on another board.



http://sourceforge.net/projects/pcb/

 

Could you somehow re-import the gerbers that the software produces?

 

I have the gerber files produced. I need to know what program is available that will take my files and allow me to alter the board size/shape.

Thanks.

 

You can use any program that generates a gerber file.

You just create a new gerber file that defines your outline. This file MUST have the same starting point as your other files (metal, silks, etc) but that can be checked on any gerber viewer.

If there is already a file for the outline just replace it with the new one.

However, if this was my project then I would create all the files fresh with the correct outline.

 

I already created the perfect shape I need with the holes cut out, etc. I have a .svg file of the new board. I don't understand what you mean by edit the Gerber files? How? Simple steps?

Thanks.

 

all you need to do is import the gerber layers into another program. How that is done exactly, is in the help file or tutorial for that specific program. Its very simple..

 

I already created the perfect shape I need with the holes cut out, etc. I have a .svg file of the new board. I don't understand what you mean by edit the Gerber files? How? Simple steps?

Thanks.

I did not say to edit the gerber file. I said replace it:

You just create a new gerber file that defines your outline. This file MUST have the same starting point as your other files (metal, silks, etc) but that can be checked on any gerber viewer.

If there is already a file for the outline just replace it with the new one.

 

I am not quite sure what you want to do. Can you post some pictures illustrating what you want to do? Just so we(I) know exactly what you want to do

 

OK... an uninformed question... The common link to all these pcb programs, seems to be "Gerber files"
Is there a "Gerber" PCB CAD program that will do all this without having to do the crossover work ???

 

I doubt that, gerber is a bit like a bitmamp image, it contains no information about nets or what is a pad and what is a trace, just where this line should be.
(yes gerbers are vector images written in ascii and bmp is a binary bitmap, but you get the point)

This being said, without some additional information the "gerber cad" would not be able to reasonably simply alter the work you saved on a previous run of the program.
It should be possible to somehow store this additional data in coments in the gerber, but I have never seen anything that would do this. Also an other thing is that you have one gerber for each layer (copper, silkscreen, soldermask, solder paste, milling, ...)

Basically gerber is a file for the final manufacture, a lot like a pdf is just for printing - you rarely are able to edit a pdf.

 

I gave in. I took the svg image that I made with Inkscape of the board I need to use, and created the circuit all over again with "Fritzing". It was a fair amount of work, but it came out great. Thanks for all the input.

 

Just a suggestion for Doug8 and any future projects.. I love Diptrace.. Diptrace is an excellent/easy to use schematic and circuit board layout program that many users here also use. Oh and its free. Board shape can be anything,etc.. I find it to be far superior to Eagle the other mainstream "hobbiest" PCB program.
I use Diptrace profesionally and have 0 complaints about it.