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halcyonrichard
United Kingdom
16 Posts |
 Posted - 10 Jan 2014 : 18:11:43
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Hi,
I am working on a project with Easy PC. The customer uses Altium and wants all the data in Altium format so he can modify and control the issue of data. I do not want to use Altium or manually re-enter any data. Is there any way to export the data from easy PC to Altium ? Or what is the easiest way to achieve this ?
Many thanks Richard
Richard |
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Iain Wilkie
United Kingdom
1016 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jan 2014 : 19:02:38
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I think it very odd that the developer of a layout tool would provide a utility that allows it to output to a rivals tool.
The only way this can be achieved is if Altium provides an import facility that would read EasyPC files.
Or maybe Altium has an intelligent gerber importer that can reconstruct a design from gerbers. Of course this would only recreate the actual pcb layout and not the associated schematic capture.
Iain |
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Mike Warren
Australia
124 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jan 2014 : 20:53:37
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I get asked that all the time by manufacturers. My guess is that they have software for their CAM systems that makes it easier to import Altium files .
I just supply Gerbers+Excellon and component positions in CSV.
It seems like Altium has become some sort of de-facto standard, at least in Australia.
http://mike-warren.net |
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Iain Wilkie
United Kingdom
1016 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jan 2014 : 22:35:44
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Mike, I have never come across a manufacurer who wants data in any native layout tool. Gerbers or ODB++ seems to be what they all use. In any case the OP doesn't mean for a manufacturer, but for his customer who wants to edit his easypc design but to do that in Altium.
Iain |
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Mike Warren
Australia
124 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jan 2014 : 22:48:59
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I expect that it would be quite large a job for Number One, so I doubt they would do it, but it's not unheard of for other programs to be able to save in a competitor's format. For example, Corel Draw can export in Adobe Illustrator format.
http://mike-warren.net |
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Iain Wilkie
United Kingdom
1016 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jan 2014 : 23:06:18
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Even Pulsonix .... easypcs big brother does not export to easypc. I have asked for this before, so that I could use the more powerful Pulsonix, and then send files to my customers who use the easypc so they can then do any future editing. But numberone have told me that due to licence agreements this would never happen.
Iain |
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halcyonrichard
United Kingdom
16 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jan 2014 : 14:30:43
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Hi Iain and Mike,
Thanks for the replies they are much appreciated. I have sent the easy PC files over and he could not import them into Altium He is USA based. I did not hold out much hope for an easy way to do it. It is nice to know that there is no easy way before we produce the production schematics and layouts. I can understand PCB software vendors wanting to protect their investments so this does not surprise me.
Many thanks for your replies
Richard
Richard |
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tmd63
United Kingdom
18 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jan 2017 : 16:18:05
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There is a way.
Altium can import ODB++ files. EasyPC can export ODB++ files. SO just export the ODB++ from your EasyPC and get them to import the ODB++ into Altium.
I have checked for the importers in Altium 13. There are not many but the ODB++ is there. |
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Iain Wilkie
United Kingdom
1016 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jan 2017 : 19:50:44
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I think you will find that ODB++ predominantly holds PCB manufacturing data so is simply a more wrapped up container for gerbers, drills, layers, etc etc. It does not hold schematic capture info linked to the layout so you cannot use this to re-create the full editing environment of one tool in another tool.
Iain |
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John Baraclough
United Kingdom
129 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jan 2017 : 15:17:15
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I hope you included a clause in your contract which specified in what format you would supply design files and output files. I always specified Gerber and Easy PC as the supplied data to the contractor. Sometimes they baulked but I never lost a contract for that reason and, if there was any question, I told them that they could purchase EasyPC themselves at a very reasonable price.
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Birthdays are good for you: the more you have, the longer you live ... and I've had lots of them so I should know! |
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Transfer of layouts to other packages(Altium)