Getting a DXF or DWG file from gerber files .

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I have a set of Gerber files and want to convert them to a DXF or DWG file showing all the pcb details like pads , component outlines , part numbers etc.

Do I need a Gerber Editor to do this ? These are full fledged software I guess and not available in the freeware domain. This is just a one off job .

Waht would be the most user friendly and accurate software for this application ?
Thanks.
Ashok.
 
ashok said:
I have a set of Gerber files and want to convert them to a DXF or DWG file showing all the pcb details like pads , component outlines , part numbers etc.

Do I need a Gerber Editor to do this ? These are full fledged software I guess and not available in the freeware domain. This is just a one off job .

Waht would be the most user friendly and accurate software for this application ?
Thanks.
Ashok.

If you only need good graphical renderings of the Gerber files, then the best, easiest, cheapest, fastest way I know of, to get them, is to upload the Gerbers to the freeDFM utility, at http://www.4pcb.com . (But if you need them to stay in a vector format, I don't know if this will help you.)

During their regular business hours, at least, this will result in the freeDFM utility automatically emailing to you, usually within minutes, a set of links to PDF files that contain the images from your gerbers. And they have very high resolution.

And if they are actual PCB files, you'll get quite a bit of other good information about the layout, especially if there are any manufacturability problems.

I actually used the freeDFM images to get the images that I used to create the documentation (assembly diagrams, component-layout diagrams, etc) for a commercial project. It was way better, and also easier, than coaxing the imagery out of my "Easy-PC" layout software (Number One Systems).

(In my case, I also had 4pcb.com manufacture the boards for me. It's funny how 100 pcbs costs about the same as 5 or 10. Per-board pricing goes well below $2.00, for, say, 250 boards, IIRC, for most typical boards. You'll get a quote, too, with the freeDFM results. Try changing the quantities and see what it does to the pricing! [BTW, their service and quality are both truly excellent!])

- Tom Gootee

http://www.fullnet.com/~tomg/index.html

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You have Mac OS X?

I do. Gotta
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(Mac OS X AND)
 
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