Nice looking Component side Preview for PCBs

This instructable will teach how to make a nice looking image of the component side of your printed circuit boards made with Cadsoft's EagleEagle. The process can also be easily adapted to other PCB Cads. The software tools needed are:

-IrfanviewIrfanview
-MS Paint

Comparing the crude looking of the original green/blue/white image with the sharp look of the
salmon/white image one can see that it worths the effort!!!

Step 1: Exporting the Background

Open your board with Eagle PCB editor.

Click in "Display" icon at Eagle pallete and then in "None" button. Then reselect the following layers
- Bottom
- Pads
- Vias
- Dimension

Click "Ok" button and you'll see the blue and green image of the bottom copper layer with pads and vias.

Click in File->Export, then select "Image"

Now check the "Clipboard" and "Monochrome" boxes and set the resolution to 300dpi. Then click Ok

button.

Comments

[circuitpeople]

Another, perhaps simpler way to visualize boards is with http://www.circuitpeople.com. Just output gerbers and upload them to the site. Also, they're working on a downloadable viewer that does really nice WYSIWYG images.

[westfw]

You can do this more automatically if you have gerbview (gerbv?) (or perhaps other gerber viewers) installed. OTOH, installing and using gerbview is sufficiently obnoxious that it's not immediately obvious that this would easier overall.

[danjovic]

Another option would be to modify the color scheme of Eagle, to get, for example gray tracks over a white background and export the image straightly. I´ve tried this, but I can´t get use to route the tracks using a shiny background. (PS: I never use autoroute)

[matseng]

Ok, that's nice if you like salmon/pink.

I prefer the 3D rendered look you get when postprocessing the eagle files with eagle3d and povray.

[danjovic]

The 3D preview is really impressive, but I think it´s more useful to preview how do the board will look after it has been assembed. The Salmon/White preview is intended to help you to assemble (and even troubleshoot) the board, showing the value and the location of each component. I use to print my drawings in a monochrome Laser printer and it looks very well.

[matseng]

Ah, I see you mean now.... Your color reversed / lower contrast color combo is easier to use than the default. An idea: Maybe it's possible to do the color changes and layer settings in an ULP, and then just print directly from eagle? I really don't know since I've never written an ULP myself, maybe it's time to do that some day when I feel bored :-)

[westfw]

I keep waiting for someone to post an instructable on using Eagle3d. hint, hint.

[matseng]

Really? There's no Eagle3d instructable? Hmmm.... I might give it a shot...