Conversion? Gerber to 3D (.sat, .dxf, etc)

C

Christopher Ott

Guest
I'm curious if anyone out there knows of a method to convert Gerber-x files
to some type of 3D CAD format. I prefer .sat, but I can import most common
formats. This would be quite helpful for creating photorealistic 3D
renderings. I'm using Protel99SE in the event there is some built in method
that I haven't found.

I know that one of the versions of Protel (after 99SE) could export 3D
models from the board in 3D function, but the rest of the "upgrade" was such
a piece of shit that I couldn't bring myself to buy it...

Any ideas?

Chris
 
Chris,
I've used CircuitWorks with both PADS & ProE, great program &
not to expensive - check out the web page below.

www.priware.com

regards

Steve in New Zealand


Christopher Ott wrote:
I'm curious if anyone out there knows of a method to convert Gerber-x files
to some type of 3D CAD format. I prefer .sat, but I can import most common
formats. This would be quite helpful for creating photorealistic 3D
renderings. I'm using Protel99SE in the event there is some built in method
that I haven't found.

I know that one of the versions of Protel (after 99SE) could export 3D
models from the board in 3D function, but the rest of the "upgrade" was such
a piece of shit that I couldn't bring myself to buy it...

Any ideas?

Chris
Click to expand...
 
Chris,

Gerber data is 2-D data. That is, X & Y co-ordinates.

What you are wanting is 3-D. You would need a third dimension (let's call it
Z) that is not in the Gerber data.

Regards,

James Jackson
Oztronics

"Christopher Ott" <chrisott *at* ottelectronics *dot* com> wrote in message
news:x9SdnYENBuLHnODYnZ2dnUVZ_r-onZ2d@giganews.com...
I'm curious if anyone out there knows of a method to convert Gerber-x
files to some type of 3D CAD format. I prefer .sat, but I can import most
common formats. This would be quite helpful for creating photorealistic 3D
renderings. I'm using Protel99SE in the event there is some built in
method that I haven't found.

I know that one of the versions of Protel (after 99SE) could export 3D
models from the board in 3D function, but the rest of the "upgrade" was
such a piece of shit that I couldn't bring myself to buy it...

Any ideas?

Chris
Click to expand...
 
Looks kind of like what Altium built in the newer versions of Protel.
Unfortunately Protel99SE does not offer IDF as an export option.

Chris


uldn't see where this handles gerber data, just IDF files which Protel
cannot export.
"surtees" <surteess@ihug.co.nz> wrote in message
news:1165881509.082269.149140@j72g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Chris,
I've used CircuitWorks with both PADS & ProE, great program &
not to expensive - check out the web page below.

www.priware.com

regards

Steve in New Zealand


Christopher Ott wrote:
I'm curious if anyone out there knows of a method to convert Gerber-x
files
to some type of 3D CAD format. I prefer .sat, but I can import most
common
formats. This would be quite helpful for creating photorealistic 3D
renderings. I'm using Protel99SE in the event there is some built in
method
that I haven't found.

I know that one of the versions of Protel (after 99SE) could export 3D
models from the board in 3D function, but the rest of the "upgrade" was
such
a piece of shit that I couldn't bring myself to buy it...

Any ideas?

Chris
Click to expand...
 
Yes, the Z axis would need to be extruded by a nominal distance to show the
depth of the copper.

Chris


"James Jackson" <JOJ@Texas.net> wrote in message
news:wNydnUwGDJDyP-PYnZ2dnUVZ_v-tnZ2d@texas.net...
Chris,

Gerber data is 2-D data. That is, X & Y co-ordinates.

What you are wanting is 3-D. You would need a third dimension (let's call
it Z) that is not in the Gerber data.

Regards,

James Jackson
Oztronics

"Christopher Ott" <chrisott *at* ottelectronics *dot* com> wrote in
message news:x9SdnYENBuLHnODYnZ2dnUVZ_r-onZ2d@giganews.com...
I'm curious if anyone out there knows of a method to convert Gerber-x
files to some type of 3D CAD format. I prefer .sat, but I can import most
common formats. This would be quite helpful for creating photorealistic
3D renderings. I'm using Protel99SE in the event there is some built in
method that I haven't found.

I know that one of the versions of Protel (after 99SE) could export 3D
models from the board in 3D function, but the rest of the "upgrade" was
such a piece of shit that I couldn't bring myself to buy it...

Any ideas?

Chris
Click to expand...
 
Chris,

So... all you want to see is the bare board copper, and its' associated
height? What about the components on the PCB?

Regards,

James Jackson
Oztronics


"Christopher Ott" <chrisott *at* ottelectronics *dot* com> wrote in message
news:Aa-dncky0aoz2uLYnZ2dnUVZ_segnZ2d@giganews.com...
Yes, the Z axis would need to be extruded by a nominal distance to show
the depth of the copper.

Chris


"James Jackson" <JOJ@Texas.net> wrote in message
news:wNydnUwGDJDyP-PYnZ2dnUVZ_v-tnZ2d@texas.net...
Chris,

Gerber data is 2-D data. That is, X & Y co-ordinates.

What you are wanting is 3-D. You would need a third dimension (let's call
it Z) that is not in the Gerber data.

Regards,

James Jackson
Oztronics

"Christopher Ott" <chrisott *at* ottelectronics *dot* com> wrote in
message news:x9SdnYENBuLHnODYnZ2dnUVZ_r-onZ2d@giganews.com...
I'm curious if anyone out there knows of a method to convert Gerber-x
files to some type of 3D CAD format. I prefer .sat, but I can import
most common formats. This would be quite helpful for creating
photorealistic 3D renderings. I'm using Protel99SE in the event there is
some built in method that I haven't found.

I know that one of the versions of Protel (after 99SE) could export 3D
models from the board in 3D function, but the rest of the "upgrade" was
such a piece of shit that I couldn't bring myself to buy it...

Any ideas?

Chris
Click to expand...
 
Hi James,

Actually, I have my components modeled up separately.

My primary goal is to get the top silkscreen layer converted to 3D so when I
do a wireframe rendering, the silkscreen shows up. I use wireframe
renderings with a white background for my data sheets (it gives the look of
being pencil drawn). My current method of applying an image of the
silkscreen to the surface of the PCB model works nicely for when I want full
color renderings with shadows and ray tracing and such. But the surface
imagery doesn't show up in wireframe for obvious reasons.

Also, on really high end boards, I sometimes like the top layer traces to
show up in the color renderings. It gives more of a photorealistic effect. I
currently accomplish this with a surface image as well.

Chris



"James Jackson" <JOJ@Texas.net> wrote in message
news:-sSdnYnjsaaj3BzYnZ2dnUVZ_tadnZ2d@texas.net...
Chris,

So... all you want to see is the bare board copper, and its' associated
height? What about the components on the PCB?

Regards,

James Jackson
Oztronics


"Christopher Ott" <chrisott *at* ottelectronics *dot* com> wrote in
message news:Aa-dncky0aoz2uLYnZ2dnUVZ_segnZ2d@giganews.com...
Yes, the Z axis would need to be extruded by a nominal distance to show
the depth of the copper.

Chris


"James Jackson" <JOJ@Texas.net> wrote in message
news:wNydnUwGDJDyP-PYnZ2dnUVZ_v-tnZ2d@texas.net...
Chris,

Gerber data is 2-D data. That is, X & Y co-ordinates.

What you are wanting is 3-D. You would need a third dimension (let's
call it Z) that is not in the Gerber data.

Regards,

James Jackson
Oztronics

"Christopher Ott" <chrisott *at* ottelectronics *dot* com> wrote in
message news:x9SdnYENBuLHnODYnZ2dnUVZ_r-onZ2d@giganews.com...
I'm curious if anyone out there knows of a method to convert Gerber-x
files to some type of 3D CAD format. I prefer .sat, but I can import
most common formats. This would be quite helpful for creating
photorealistic 3D renderings. I'm using Protel99SE in the event there
is some built in method that I haven't found.

I know that one of the versions of Protel (after 99SE) could export 3D
models from the board in 3D function, but the rest of the "upgrade" was
such a piece of shit that I couldn't bring myself to buy it...

Any ideas?

Chris
Click to expand...
 
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