Whether you're a first-time circuit board designer or you've been doing it for years, you know how difficult it can be to visualize layout, spacing, and relative size in PCB layout software. You might have also experienced that uneasy "I hope everything is right" feeling when you submit your design files for manufacturing. You're not alone! I've ordered boards with silkscreen text way too small to read, components on the wrong side of the board, and even had my silkscreen and soldermask layers reversed by mistake! Each of these times, the real problem was not having a good view of the design.
I came up with a solution to these problems and designed (with the help of a web developer) an online 3D Gerber viewer that anyone can use. If you're not familiar with Gerber files, they are the files that layout software (like Eagle, Altium, etc) export for manufacturing. They describe everything pertinent about your board that will be required to actually create your PCB.
With the 3D Gerber Viewer, you'll be able to upload your Gerber files and zoom, pan, and rotate your board to have a realistic view of your PCB and all of the layers that it contains. You can use this viewer as you develop your board and also before you ship your final CAD files off to be manufactured.
Using the 3D Gerber Viewer is pretty straightforward, but the following steps will take you through the process and at the end, you'll have some images of your PCB that you can post somewhere or use to show off. More importantly, you'll be confident that your design is exactly what you had in mind!
I came up with a solution to these problems and designed (with the help of a web developer) an online 3D Gerber viewer that anyone can use. If you're not familiar with Gerber files, they are the files that layout software (like Eagle, Altium, etc) export for manufacturing. They describe everything pertinent about your board that will be required to actually create your PCB.
With the 3D Gerber Viewer, you'll be able to upload your Gerber files and zoom, pan, and rotate your board to have a realistic view of your PCB and all of the layers that it contains. You can use this viewer as you develop your board and also before you ship your final CAD files off to be manufactured.
Using the 3D Gerber Viewer is pretty straightforward, but the following steps will take you through the process and at the end, you'll have some images of your PCB that you can post somewhere or use to show off. More importantly, you'll be confident that your design is exactly what you had in mind!
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Signing UpStep 1: Export Gerber CAD Files From Your Layout Software
Before you can visualize your PCB design, you'll need to generate the Gerber files needed. There are a lot of PCB design programs out there, but one of the more common free programs is CadSoft Eagle. I will describe how to output Gerber files from Eagle; If you are using another program, you will have to find directions elsewhere. Regardless of the program you use, the 3D Gerber Viewer will handle your files.
Steps to generate Gerber files in Eagle:
1. Eagle creates the necessary Gerber files with its 'Cam Processor'. To launch it, go to File -> Cam Processor.
2. You will now need to give the Cam Processor directions on which layers mean what. To simplify this, I created a CAM job file.
a. Download this file and put it in you Eagle installation directory inside the folder 'cam' (on a Mac: Applications->Eagle->cam)
b. Back in Eagle, with the Cam Processor pulled up, go to File ->Open->Job. Load in the file you just downloaded
c. Look through each tab and verify that the layers you have used are included (for example, if you used layer 200 for extra silkscreen, you will need to include it on one of the silkscreen tabs).
d. Click 'Process Job' at the bottom of the Cam Processor window
3. Go look in your Eagle design folder (typically in Documents). You should see some new files that were just created.
If this explanation doesn't do it for you, check out this Sparkfun tutorial on Eagle. About halfway down the page there is a detailed explanation of generating Gerbers and what each file represents.
Steps to generate Gerber files in Eagle:
1. Eagle creates the necessary Gerber files with its 'Cam Processor'. To launch it, go to File -> Cam Processor.
2. You will now need to give the Cam Processor directions on which layers mean what. To simplify this, I created a CAM job file.
a. Download this file and put it in you Eagle installation directory inside the folder 'cam' (on a Mac: Applications->Eagle->cam)
b. Back in Eagle, with the Cam Processor pulled up, go to File ->Open->Job. Load in the file you just downloaded
c. Look through each tab and verify that the layers you have used are included (for example, if you used layer 200 for extra silkscreen, you will need to include it on one of the silkscreen tabs).
d. Click 'Process Job' at the bottom of the Cam Processor window
3. Go look in your Eagle design folder (typically in Documents). You should see some new files that were just created.
If this explanation doesn't do it for you, check out this Sparkfun tutorial on Eagle. About halfway down the page there is a detailed explanation of generating Gerbers and what each file represents.
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sooo awesome
Keep developing!
Wow, really nice idea! I use Altium, so i have good 3D view already, but sometimes (ok, almost always) could be good to take a final look on the gerber in 3D before send to manufacture (maybe my last mistake with a coil without solder mask could be revealed in time...). But, now i get an error (?) message after i try an Altium(10.5) built CAM to make live.
It sounds: "Error with loading xxxxxx.CAM
Reference error: hasY is not defined"
Im not sure its not my fault :) Its after i drag the CAM into the area, and rty to assign layers. After the first "done" i got this. No further progress allowed.
Keep up anyway! I made a very important bookmark for myself.
THX!
Thanks for the feedback!
Thx, You doing great job, it actually works!! :)
One question. I made 2 shots. On the first, You can see, everything is fine. No special things on that, nor extra pads. On the second pic, You can see the other side of the panel, with QFN and SO footprints, and via-s. My eyes got a glitch, and again, i dont know i made something differently in my gerber, but all the fottprints distorted (curved).
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/46856621/Trial%201.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/46856621/Trial%202.jpg
You"re welcome, glad to provide feedback for a great project!
Actually, even making the top copper a bit transparent so you can see the bottom traces even though area fills would be nice, if not totally real. Maybe as a second option?
I think it's just a single property in the WebGL object so that should be easy to implement. (says the guy who isn't doing the work) ,o)
This is just a totally excellent viewer even as it is. Nice work!
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D10*
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D03*
Thanks for the feedback!
Nice job, Mayhew!
Thanks for the feedback!