08 Apr 2008 11:48:30

RHRRC

Gerber viewer/handler

Any recommendations for a Gerber viewer and/or handler greatly appreciated. The more the merrier (don't ask why) but I really need a good long list. Thanks

08 Apr 2008 12:11:10

JeffM

Re: Gerber viewer/handler

RHRRC wrote: >Any recommendations for a Gerber viewer and/or handler >greatly appreciated. http://www.google.com/search?q=Viewmate+gerbv+GC-Prevue&num=100 http://groups.google.com/group/sci.electronics.cad/browse_frm/thread/da8b8db74d1dab88/dcbfaedb1a9a5853?q=pick-*-right-combination+gcprevue-*-8+gerbv+But-not+zzz+easier.to.use+patterns+mix-colors+Viewmate+*-*-*-view-*-the-layers-in-different-styles

08 Apr 2008 12:30:59

Re: Gerber viewer/handler

On Apr 8, 2:48 pm, RHRRC <h.le...@connect-2.co.uk > wrote: > Any recommendations for a Gerber viewer and/or handler greatly > appreciated. > The more the merrier (don't ask why) but I really need a good long > list. > > Thanks What's a "handler"? I've honestly never heard this term in relationship to a program before... Is Notepad a text handler?

08 Apr 2008 22:37:28

Martin Riddle

Re: Gerber viewer/handler

"RHRRC" <h.lewis@connect-2.co.uk > wrote in message news:25cc00c5-2f8e-472d-8c6f-9904ea6e506d@p39g2000prm.googlegroups.com... > Any recommendations for a Gerber viewer and/or handler greatly > appreciated. > The more the merrier (don't ask why) but I really need a good long > list. > > Thanks > CAM 350 , Good package. For the free stuff I use the popular one GC-Preview. Cheers

08 Apr 2008 16:53:09

JeffM

Re: Gerber viewer/handler

>RHRRC wrote: >>Any recommendations >> Martin Riddle wrote: >CAM 350 , Good package. > http://groups.google.com/group/sci.electronics.cad/msg/93cd687a1bc0b5b5?q=CAM350+*-*-toggles-transparency-mode+*-*-see-through-to-*-*-one-layer-down+zz-zz+qq+semi-transparent.layer.representation+*.*.*.*.*.*.hide/unhide.*+license.to.try.*+sans-editing-*+*.stripped.down.*.version news:YdKZh.3343$HX7.2986@newssvr19.news.prodigy.net >For the free stuff I use the popular one GC-Preview. > Stuart recently noted a new release of Gerbv. http://groups.google.com/group/sci.electronics.design/browse_frm/thread/bc57797e0d8fd1fd/481acc0f8dbd8e56?q=*-*-*-XYRS-*-*-files+gEDA+Gerber.file+only+*-*-new-*-*-*-*-libraries+export+open.source+*-*-*-*-PNG+layer.control+*-*-also-*-Excellon-*-files+Complete-implementation-of-*-Gerber-*+an.end-to-end.tool.chain.*.*.*+viewer+qq-qq+uu+Linux news:13okbccerg4b999@corp.supernews.com and Ken Smith mentioned a minor gotcha. http://groups.google.com/group/sci.electronics.design/browse_frm/thread/bc57797e0d8fd1fd/e58462dfd07d58f6?q=*-*-*-XYRS-*-*-files+gEDA+Gerber.file+only+*-*-new-*-*-*-*-libraries+export+open.source+*-*-*-*-PNG+layer.control+*-*-also-*-Excellon-*-files+Complete-implementation-of-*-Gerber-*+an.end-to-end.tool.chain.*.*.*+viewer+qq-qq+uu+Linux news:426564bf-051f-4994-99dd-a6d7bbaf474a@i7g2000prf.googlegroups.com A bit later, Stuart announced a Windows port (installer). news:13sqgg87dmtteef@corp.supernews.com

09 Apr 2008 01:36:08

Joerg

Re: Gerber viewer/handler

a7yvm109gf5d1@netzero.com wrote: > On Apr 8, 2:48 pm, RHRRC <h.le...@connect-2.co.uk> wrote: >> Any recommendations for a Gerber viewer and/or handler greatly >> appreciated. >> The more the merrier (don't ask why) but I really need a good long >> list. >> >> Thanks > > What's a "handler"? I've honestly never heard this term in > relationship to a program before... Is Notepad a text handler? No, a text wrestler ;-) Anyway, personally I like GC-PreView but it has the same shortcoming as most (all?) Gerber viewers. It does not offer see-through planes so on RF boards you have to constantly hide/unhide layers. Does anyone know a Gerber viewer that offers transparent or at least grid-style color settings? A long time ago I had bought a DOS-based viewer from France but I can't find the disk anymore. It had transparent coloring but the menu was all en francaise. Didn't bother me much but it drove visitors crazy. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/

08 Apr 2008 21:59:32

DJ Delorie

Re: Gerber viewer/handler

Joerg <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net > writes: > Anyway, personally I like GC-PreView but it has the same shortcoming > as most (all?) Gerber viewers. It does not offer see-through planes > so on RF boards you have to constantly hide/unhide layers. Does > anyone know a Gerber viewer that offers transparent or at least > grid-style color settings? The latest (v2.0+) gerbv does translucent layers, if you set the rendering to normal or high quality. It also has an XOR mode. http://gerbv.sourceforge.net/

09 Apr 2008 09:05:51

Boris Mohar

Re: Gerber viewer/handler

On Tue, 8 Apr 2008 11:48:30 -0700 (PDT), RHRRC <h.lewis@connect-2.co.uk > wrote: >Any recommendations for a Gerber viewer and/or handler greatly >appreciated. >The more the merrier (don't ask why) but I really need a good long >list. > >Thanks http://www.pentalogix.com/Download/download.html -- Boris Mohar

09 Apr 2008 23:44:43

Anton Erasmus

Re: Gerber viewer/handler

On Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:36:08 GMT, Joerg <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net > wrote: >a7yvm109gf5d1@netzero.com wrote: >> On Apr 8, 2:48 pm, RHRRC <h.le...@connect-2.co.uk> wrote: >>> Any recommendations for a Gerber viewer and/or handler greatly >>> appreciated. >>> The more the merrier (don't ask why) but I really need a good long >>> list. >>> >>> Thanks >> >> What's a "handler"? I've honestly never heard this term in >> relationship to a program before... Is Notepad a text handler? > > >No, a text wrestler ;-) > >Anyway, personally I like GC-PreView but it has the same shortcoming as >most (all?) Gerber viewers. It does not offer see-through planes so on >RF boards you have to constantly hide/unhide layers. Does anyone know a >Gerber viewer that offers transparent or at least grid-style color settings? [Snipped] Viewmate can do transparent as well as grif-style colour layers. Regards Anton Erasmus

09 Apr 2008 21:00:40

Joerg

Re: Gerber viewer/handler

Anton Erasmus wrote: > On Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:36:08 GMT, Joerg > <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote: > >> a7yvm109gf5d1@netzero.com wrote: >>> On Apr 8, 2:48 pm, RHRRC <h.le...@connect-2.co.uk> wrote: >>>> Any recommendations for a Gerber viewer and/or handler greatly >>>> appreciated. >>>> The more the merrier (don't ask why) but I really need a good long >>>> list. >>>> >>>> Thanks >>> What's a "handler"? I've honestly never heard this term in >>> relationship to a program before... Is Notepad a text handler? >> >> No, a text wrestler ;-) >> >> Anyway, personally I like GC-PreView but it has the same shortcoming as >> most (all?) Gerber viewers. It does not offer see-through planes so on >> RF boards you have to constantly hide/unhide layers. Does anyone know a >> Gerber viewer that offers transparent or at least grid-style color settings? > [Snipped] > > Viewmate can do transparent as well as grif-style colour layers. > From Pentalogix? Thanks, Anton. Will download now, they just sent me the password. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/

09 Apr 2008 15:02:45

Joel Koltner

Re: Gerber viewer/handler

"Joerg" <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net > wrote in message news:Y7aLj.538$7Z2.175@newssvr12.news.prodigy.net... > From Pentalogix? Thanks, Anton. Will download now, they just sent me the > password. www.bugmenot.com is good for finding such passwords if you don't want to go through the whole registration procedure.

09 Apr 2008 16:13:13

Joerg

Re: Gerber viewer/handler

Joel Koltner wrote: > "Joerg" <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote in message > news:Y7aLj.538$7Z2.175@newssvr12.news.prodigy.net... >> From Pentalogix? Thanks, Anton. Will download now, they just sent me the >> password. > > www.bugmenot.com is good for finding such passwords if you don't want to go > through the whole registration procedure. > I don't mind giving my address to a reputable company. After all, it is nice of them to provide the community with a free viewer. I have tried Viewmate before and it didn't work well for my stuff but will try the new version. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.

09 Apr 2008 23:46:24

Joerg

Re: Gerber viewer/handler

Anton Erasmus wrote: > On Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:36:08 GMT, Joerg > <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote: > >> a7yvm109gf5d1@netzero.com wrote: >>> On Apr 8, 2:48 pm, RHRRC <h.le...@connect-2.co.uk> wrote: >>>> Any recommendations for a Gerber viewer and/or handler greatly >>>> appreciated. >>>> The more the merrier (don't ask why) but I really need a good long >>>> list. >>>> >>>> Thanks >>> What's a "handler"? I've honestly never heard this term in >>> relationship to a program before... Is Notepad a text handler? >> >> No, a text wrestler ;-) >> >> Anyway, personally I like GC-PreView but it has the same shortcoming as >> most (all?) Gerber viewers. It does not offer see-through planes so on >> RF boards you have to constantly hide/unhide layers. Does anyone know a >> Gerber viewer that offers transparent or at least grid-style color settings? > [Snipped] > > Viewmate can do transparent as well as grif-style colour layers. > Hey thanks! Viewmate does do some colors in transparent. Not all but some. This will be much easier on the wrist. Zoom is not as good as in GC-Preview so there will be times when one viewer is better and times where the other is better. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.

09 Apr 2008 19:54:07

Boris Mohar

Re: Gerber viewer/handler

On Wed, 09 Apr 2008 23:46:24 GMT, Joerg <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net > wrote: >Anton Erasmus wrote: >> On Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:36:08 GMT, Joerg >> <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote: >> >>> a7yvm109gf5d1@netzero.com wrote: >>>> On Apr 8, 2:48 pm, RHRRC <h.le...@connect-2.co.uk> wrote: >>>>> Any recommendations for a Gerber viewer and/or handler greatly >>>>> appreciated. >>>>> The more the merrier (don't ask why) but I really need a good long >>>>> list. >>>>> >>>>> Thanks >>>> What's a "handler"? I've honestly never heard this term in >>>> relationship to a program before... Is Notepad a text handler? >>> >>> No, a text wrestler ;-) >>> >>> Anyway, personally I like GC-PreView but it has the same shortcoming as >>> most (all?) Gerber viewers. It does not offer see-through planes so on >>> RF boards you have to constantly hide/unhide layers. Does anyone know a >>> Gerber viewer that offers transparent or at least grid-style color settings? >> [Snipped] >> >> Viewmate can do transparent as well as grif-style colour layers. >> > >Hey thanks! Viewmate does do some colors in transparent. Not all but >some. This will be much easier on the wrist. Zoom is not as good as in >GC-Preview so there will be times when one viewer is better and times >where the other is better. If your mouse has a scroll wheel, the CTRL - scroll for zoom -- Boris Mohar

10 Apr 2008 06:58:54

rickman

Re: Gerber viewer/handler

On Apr 9, 7:46 pm, Joerg <notthisjoerg...@removethispacbell.net > wrote: > Anton Erasmus wrote: > > On Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:36:08 GMT, Joerg > > <notthisjoerg...@removethispacbell.net> wrote: > > >> a7yvm109gf...@netzero.com wrote: > >>> On Apr 8, 2:48 pm, RHRRC <h.le...@connect-2.co.uk> wrote: > >>>> Any recommendations for a Gerber viewer and/or handler greatly > >>>> appreciated. > >>>> The more the merrier (don't ask why) but I really need a good long > >>>> list. > > >>>> Thanks > >>> What's a "handler"? I've honestly never heard this term in > >>> relationship to a program before... Is Notepad a text handler? > > >> No, a text wrestler ;-) > > >> Anyway, personally I like GC-PreView but it has the same shortcoming as > >> most (all?) Gerber viewers. It does not offer see-through planes so on > >> RF boards you have to constantly hide/unhide layers. Does anyone know a > >> Gerber viewer that offers transparent or at least grid-style color settings? > > [Snipped] > > > Viewmate can do transparent as well as grif-style colour layers. > > Hey thanks! Viewmate does do some colors in transparent. Not all but > some. This will be much easier on the wrist. Zoom is not as good as in > GC-Preview so there will be times when one viewer is better and times > where the other is better. > > -- > Regards, Joerg If you don't like Viewmate, try GCpreview. It does transparent colors and has the ever so nice zoom by scroll wheel. I use FreePCB for layout and the author took the scroll wheel one step further. Once you have moved the mouse, the first click of the scroll wheel does not zoom, but just pans to put the cursor at center. So you can more easily move as well as zoom using just the mouse and wheel. The issue you see with just "some colors" working in transparency is because of the way they implement it. They are just "adding" the values of the three primary colors (or maybe taking a max). So if the result is not different from one of the two colors being "mixed" it will look like it is opaque. All you need to do is to change the colors. It is hard to make a lot of planes different enough to be useful, but you can easily get some 6 or 8 planes to contrast two at a time. I think this is due to the ancient roots of layout software. In DOS days the graphics hardware was much more limited. Today the way to do this is to implement true "transparency" with a more complex mixing algorithm making one layer transparent with the other showing through. If you check out a photo/art program you can see the difference this makes. I don't know how practical this is. Two layers is one thing, but displaying a dozen layers transparently may be a real chore.

10 Apr 2008 19:22:51

Robert Baer

Re: Gerber viewer/handler

Joerg wrote: > Joel Koltner wrote: > >> "Joerg" <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote in message >> news:Y7aLj.538$7Z2.175@newssvr12.news.prodigy.net... >> >>> From Pentalogix? Thanks, Anton. Will download now, they just sent me >>> the password. >> >> >> www.bugmenot.com is good for finding such passwords if you don't want >> to go through the whole registration procedure. >> > > I don't mind giving my address to a reputable company. After all, it is > nice of them to provide the community with a free viewer. I have tried > Viewmate before and it didn't work well for my stuff but will try the > new version. > Actually, their older version works great for me - BUT - the newer version cannot work for the lack of some kind of missing module that the installer complains about.

11 Apr 2008 08:53:39

Joerg

Re: Gerber viewer/handler

Robert Baer wrote: > Joerg wrote: >> Joel Koltner wrote: >> >>> "Joerg" <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote in message >>> news:Y7aLj.538$7Z2.175@newssvr12.news.prodigy.net... >>> >>>> From Pentalogix? Thanks, Anton. Will download now, they just sent me >>>> the password. >>> >>> >>> www.bugmenot.com is good for finding such passwords if you don't want >>> to go through the whole registration procedure. >>> >> >> I don't mind giving my address to a reputable company. After all, it >> is nice of them to provide the community with a free viewer. I have >> tried Viewmate before and it didn't work well for my stuff but will >> try the new version. >> > Actually, their older version works great for me - BUT - the newer > version cannot work for the lack of some kind of missing module that the > installer complains about. You mean Viewmate? I just tried the latest and it works. The one thing it doesn't seem to do but GC-PreView does is copy the layout window without the menus to the clipboard. That way you can import it into MS-Paint, spritz some graffiti on areas to be improved and email it off. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.

12 Apr 2008 17:56:58

Joerg

Re: Gerber viewer/handler

Boris Mohar wrote: > On Wed, 09 Apr 2008 23:46:24 GMT, Joerg > <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote: > >> Anton Erasmus wrote: >>> On Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:36:08 GMT, Joerg >>> <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote: >>> >>>> a7yvm109gf5d1@netzero.com wrote: >>>>> On Apr 8, 2:48 pm, RHRRC <h.le...@connect-2.co.uk> wrote: >>>>>> Any recommendations for a Gerber viewer and/or handler greatly >>>>>> appreciated. >>>>>> The more the merrier (don't ask why) but I really need a good long >>>>>> list. >>>>>> >>>>>> Thanks >>>>> What's a "handler"? I've honestly never heard this term in >>>>> relationship to a program before... Is Notepad a text handler? >>>> No, a text wrestler ;-) >>>> >>>> Anyway, personally I like GC-PreView but it has the same shortcoming as >>>> most (all?) Gerber viewers. It does not offer see-through planes so on >>>> RF boards you have to constantly hide/unhide layers. Does anyone know a >>>> Gerber viewer that offers transparent or at least grid-style color settings? >>> [Snipped] >>> >>> Viewmate can do transparent as well as grif-style colour layers. >>> >> Hey thanks! Viewmate does do some colors in transparent. Not all but >> some. This will be much easier on the wrist. Zoom is not as good as in >> GC-Preview so there will be times when one viewer is better and times >> where the other is better. > > If your mouse has a scroll wheel, the CTRL - scroll for zoom > Aha! Thanks. I guess those are the tricks one has to find out by chance. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.

13 Apr 2008 14:09:30

Joerg

Re: Gerber viewer/handler

rickman wrote: > On Apr 9, 7:46 pm, Joerg <notthisjoerg...@removethispacbell.net> > wrote: >> Anton Erasmus wrote: >>> On Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:36:08 GMT, Joerg >>> <notthisjoerg...@removethispacbell.net> wrote: >>>> a7yvm109gf...@netzero.com wrote: >>>>> On Apr 8, 2:48 pm, RHRRC <h.le...@connect-2.co.uk> wrote: >>>>>> Any recommendations for a Gerber viewer and/or handler greatly >>>>>> appreciated. >>>>>> The more the merrier (don't ask why) but I really need a good long >>>>>> list. >>>>>> Thanks >>>>> What's a "handler"? I've honestly never heard this term in >>>>> relationship to a program before... Is Notepad a text handler? >>>> No, a text wrestler ;-) >>>> Anyway, personally I like GC-PreView but it has the same shortcoming as >>>> most (all?) Gerber viewers. It does not offer see-through planes so on >>>> RF boards you have to constantly hide/unhide layers. Does anyone know a >>>> Gerber viewer that offers transparent or at least grid-style color settings? >>> [Snipped] >>> Viewmate can do transparent as well as grif-style colour layers. >> Hey thanks! Viewmate does do some colors in transparent. Not all but >> some. This will be much easier on the wrist. Zoom is not as good as in >> GC-Preview so there will be times when one viewer is better and times >> where the other is better. >> >> -- >> Regards, Joerg > Sorry, couldn't read your post in s.e.d. because I had to block the whole gmail domain. Google lets spammers have free reign and they don't seem to do anything about it. But I still had it open in the s.e.cad group. Google used to be a good company, but ... > If you don't like Viewmate, try GCpreview. It does transparent colors > and has the ever so nice zoom by scroll wheel. I use FreePCB for > layout and the author took the scroll wheel one step further. Once > you have moved the mouse, the first click of the scroll wheel does not > zoom, but just pans to put the cursor at center. So you can more > easily move as well as zoom using just the mouse and wheel. > Hmm, got to give it another shot. I really like GC-PreView but could not make it transparent. > The issue you see with just "some colors" working in transparency is > because of the way they implement it. They are just "adding" the > values of the three primary colors (or maybe taking a max). So if the > result is not different from one of the two colors being "mixed" it > will look like it is opaque. All you need to do is to change the > colors. It is hard to make a lot of planes different enough to be > useful, but you can easily get some 6 or 8 planes to contrast two at a > time. > What they did in the DOS days was turn a layer into mesh, like a screen door. That let you see the layers below. > I think this is due to the ancient roots of layout software. In DOS > days the graphics hardware was much more limited. Today the way to do > this is to implement true "transparency" with a more complex mixing > algorithm making one layer transparent with the other showing > through. If you check out a photo/art program you can see the > difference this makes. I don't know how practical this is. Two > layers is one thing, but displaying a dozen layers transparently may > be a real chore. But in the DOS days stuff like this just plain worked ;-) -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.