Welcome to the Numerical Innovations Community Support Center!

Layers import from Cadence display.drf file

okguy — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 04:54:24 GMT

Can Visual Chip import display.drf file from Cadence to setup GDSII layers colors and patterns ?
It will avoid to resetup everything from the most popular chip layout editor.

Forum: Visual Chip (GDSII Software)

How can I only show the flash objects in a layer (hide all draws like traces and polygons)?

Admin — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:56:50 GMT

To show only flashes:
1. Goto menu: View | View Filter...
2. Press Button "Hide All" (this will uncheck all object types)
3. Check "Flashes", and press OK.
Now only Flashes will be displayed.

Forum: Fab It! (Gerber/CAM Software)

How do I generate Drill Files using EasyGerb?

Admin — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:11:14 GMT

Start EasyGerb, and inside the EasyGerb Layers Table check options 'DRL' for the layer(s) that contain drill data.

Note: Whenever the DRL option is checked both a gerber and drill file will be created. The drill file will have the layer name along with an extension ".drl"

Note: We recommend that you draw drill holes with "Circles", place all related drill holes on the same layer, and also check layers option "FRD".

Forum: EasyGerb (AutoCAD to Gerber)

EasyGerb ARX 2.2 Released

Admin — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:53:05 GMT

EasyGerb ARX Version 2.2.0 - Released April 2nd, 2008
=======================================
New! Support for Windows Vista
New! Using FLEXnet License Manager
Improved: Drill output for AutoCAD 2007-2008
Improved: Arc Deviation
Improved: Dialog Interface
Improved: Support with Fab It! 2008
Improved: Over 25 other improvements

Forum: EasyGerb (AutoCAD to Gerber)

Visual Chip 2008 (version 3.3) Released

Admin — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:04:47 GMT

Visual Chip 2008 (version 3.3) Released - March 17th, 2008

New & Improved Features:
===================
*Improved! - License Key Detection.
*Improved! - Convert to Polygons.
*Improved! - 2D Boolean Operations.
*New!      - Find License Key. Manually locate license key if Visual Chip cannot find it.
*Improved! - Gerber Import now handles extremely large polygons generated from Mentor.
*Improved! - Selection Filter.
*Improved! - Performance and Stability using new compiler.
*New!      - Gerber Export
*New!      - "Output Folder" instantly takes you to translated files.
*Improved! - Join Wizard: Improved logic used when processing very small segments.
*Improved! - Using FlexNet License Manager
*New! - Fill Option for DXF Export. For documentation purposes it can be desired to have the DXF file appear exactly the same as a GDS-II file (i.e. filled polygons, composites). The user has the option to fill with a Solid Hatch or Multiple Solids.
*Improved! - DXF Import can now handle complex Solid Hatches.
*Improved! - Selection Tools
*Improved! - DXF Import can perform Join (Lines/Arcs) selectively per Layer.
*Over 30 other improvements

Forum: Visual Chip (GDSII Software)

Fab It! 2008 (version 3.3) Released

Admin — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:57:56 GMT

Fab It! 2008 (version 3.3) Released - March 24th, 2008

New & Improved Features:
===================
*Improved! - Aperture Table.
*Improved! - License Key Detection.
*Improved! - Convert to Polygons.
*Improved! - 2D Boolean Operations.
*New! - Find License Key. Manually locate license key if Fab It! cannot find it.
*Improved! - Gerber Import now handles extremely large polygons generated from Mentor.
*Improved! - Selection Filter.
*Improved! - Performance and Stability using new compiler.
*Over 30 other improvements

Forum: Fab It! (Gerber/CAM Software)

Panning & Zoom seem a bit slow, what can I do to improve performance?

Admin — Thur, 13 Mar 2008 16:44:23 GMT

1. Goto menu: Setup | Preferences..., and click on tab "Rendering".
2. Set "Level of Detail" to 2, 3 (or higher) and press OK.

The "Level of Detail" omits any objects from rendering that are smaller (in pixels) than this value, which can greatly increase the redraw speed.

We are always working on new methods to improve overall performance and speed; our goal is to have the fastest gerber software available for Windows & Linux users.

Forum: Fab It! (Gerber/CAM Software)

Using AutoLoad gerbers load fine, but the drill didn't import correctly.

Admin — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:22:33 GMT

AutoLoad defines the default decimal digits for drill files as 4 (i.e 1/10 mil accuracy).
In most cases if your drills are not loading correctly, your drill file is probably using decimal digits of 3 (i.e 1 mil accuracy)

Please perform the following:
1. Goto AutoLoad (menu: File | Import | AutoLoad...)
2. Select button "Format Settings...".
3. Click tab "Drill", and change "Decimal Digits" to 3.
4. Click OK, and then proceed as normal.

Forum: Fab It! (Gerber/CAM Software)

I don't have a drill file - is there a way I can create one?

Admin — Thur, 28 Feb 2008 19:05:37 GMT

If you have a specific gerber file that contains all required drill holes, you can create a drill file by performing the following:
1. Goto menu: Windows | NC Editor Mode
Note: This puts Fab It! in NC mode
2. Goto menu : Tools | Gerber to Drill...
This will create a drill layer for you.
3. Go back to CAM mode (menu: Windows | CAM Editor Mode...)

If you don't have a gerber file that contains all require drill holes, please perform the following:
1. Goto menu: Windows | NC Editor Mode
Note: This puts Fab It! in NC mode
2. Goto menu : Tools | Create Drill Layer (PTH)...
This will create a drill layer for you.
3. Go back to CAM mode (menu: Windows | CAM Editor Mode...)

Note: This feature will determine if a pad exists on both the top & bottom sides; if so, a drill hole will be added.

Forum: Fab It! (Gerber/CAM Software)

How do I extract some figures from a design file for analysis, etc?

Admin — Thur, 28 Feb 2008 18:58:04 GMT

To extract geometries from a GDSII, please perform the following:
1. Load your GDSII, and display the cell you want to extract geometries from.
2. Goto menu: Tools | Cut Out...
3. Select the fence, for the cut out region; and right click when done. (Right click will automatically close the fence).
4. Select a GDSII file name to export. (ie. "extraction.gds")
Note: The extracted GDSII file is flat and can be processed by any analysis tool in your design flow.

Forum: Visual Chip (GDSII Software)

How do I merge layers in order to output proper gerbers and drills?

Admin — Thur, 28 Feb 2008 18:55:31 GMT

To merge gerber files, please perform the following:
1. Goto menu: Tools | Composite | Build...
Repeat step 1 until you have created all of your merged files.

2. Delete old Gerber layers (Goto menu: Edit | Layers | Delete Layers....)

Forum: Fab It! (Gerber/CAM Software)

Is it possible to get Fab It! to output a PDF file with each layer on a separate page?

Admin — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:53:12 GMT

Yes, you can output a PDF with a separate page for each layer. Please perform the following:

1. Load gerbers that you want to include in your PDF.
2. Goto menu: File | Plot to PDF...
3. Click button "Advanced Options"
4. Check option "Separate page for each Layer"
5. Press button OK, and proceed with PDF Plotting

Forum: Fab It! (Gerber/CAM Software)

When I zoom all, I can't see all details on the screen

Admin — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:46:26 GMT

To improve the viewing resolution, please change the "Level of Detail (LOD)":

1. Goto the Preferences dialog: (menu: Setup | Preferences...)
2. Click on tab "Rendering", and decrease the number of "Level of Detail" to 1 or 2.

Note: Any objects that are smaller than the LOD will be omitted from rendering. When you zoom-in closer these objects will appear. This feature helps enhance display speed by leaving off objects that are too small to be drawn with any detail. (This technique is also used in "high-speed" IC viewers to improve speed.)

Forum: Fab It! (Gerber/CAM Software)

How do I make Draw & Flash colors the same for each layer?

Admin — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:20:30 GMT

To make Draw and Flash colors the same:
1. Goto menu: Setup | Preferences...
2. Click Tab "Rendering", and check the option "Use same Draw/Flash Color".

By default, Fab It! shades the flash colors for each layer. This makes it easy to visibly determine which Gerber objects are flashes.

Why is it important to know which Gerber objects are flashes?
Gerber flashes are important for creating paste stencils; improving performance during DRC & netlist extraction, and many other reasons.

Forum: Fab It! (Gerber/CAM Software)

What's the purpose of your new product Fab It! Designer?

Admin — Thur, 14 Feb 2008 21:28:15 GMT

Nowadays, in order to keeps costs down and increase turn-around times, many PCB fabricators only accept your gerber data 'as is' and/or provide very limited data support. Any small flaw in your gerbers can cause your entire lot of boards to be scrapped; resulting in a waste of money, project delays, and upset customers. Fab It! 'Designer' provides everything a designer needs to prepare their gerbers for successful fabrication of their boards. Fab It! Designer sells for only $399.

Forum: Fab It! (Gerber/CAM Software)