Feature #5095
closedexport project in ASCII interchange format for other eCAD prgms
100%
Description
As this round of design improvements comes closer to its end, it would be nice to have the major design files also saved in another interchange format to gain access with other eCAD software for wider spread.
A way would be exporting from Altium into Specctra/P-CAD ASCII format, but it looks like as if comtemporary Altium is no longer able to export schematic editor files to PCAD ASCII but only PCB editor's content (which IIRC was different some years ago)? If so, then only a *.pcb file would come out. An ASCII netlist could help additonally. Library elements could be rebuilt and are not a major concern.
(The eagle import for PCAD/Protel/Accel ASCII is far from perfect (see https://theanythingapprentice.wordpress.com/2017/06/28/altium-files-in-eagle-incompatibility-issues/), but basically works with an additional amount of manual extra work. - KiCAD got an native Altium import a year ago. - Freerouting can interface via a Specctra .dsn file from both KiCAD or Eagle).
What do you think cibomahto ? Also, is there still the possibility to export an Altium schema to PCAD-ASCII?
Files
Updated by cibomahto about 3 years ago
- File ov_ftdi_pcad_test.zip ov_ftdi_pcad_test.zip added
- File eagle import pcb.png eagle import pcb.png added
- File eagle import schematic.png eagle import schematic.png added
There appear to be P-CAD exporters for both the PCB ("P-CAD ASCII") and schematic ("P-CAD V16 Schematic Design" ). I set up an output job to generate them, and they're attached.
I tried importing them into Eagle 7.7 (the last one I have a license for), and the PCB kinda works, but the schematic threw up a large number of errors and wasn't able to import any of the components.
Can you try the KiCaD importer? Last time I checked, it could only handle ASCII-format Altium files. The project files appear to be binary, but I can switch that if needed.
Updated by mschramm about 3 years ago
mschramm wrote:
from Altium into Specctra/P-CAD ASCII format
err: here not Specctra, but Accel was meant.
Updated by mschramm about 3 years ago
- Status changed from Feedback to In Progress
Thanks for the update, I'll try today!
Updated by mschramm about 3 years ago
- % Done changed from 0 to 80
cibomahto wrote:
There appear to be P-CAD exporters for both the PCB ("P-CAD ASCII") and schematic ("P-CAD V16 Schematic Design" ). I set up an output job to generate them, and they're attached.
Great, thanks.
I tried importing them into Eagle 7.7 (the last one I have a license for)
(same here; except s/I/we/)
the PCB kinda works, but the schematic threw up a large number of errors and wasn't able to import any of the components.
ACK, also same here. This is the 'expetced' output of that import plugin, as is does not produce consistent sch and brd, the PCB result is always much better than this what ought to become the schema.
Can you try the KiCaD importer? Last time I checked, it could only handle ASCII-format Altium files. The project files appear to be binary, but I can switch that if needed.
As I run Kicad 5.1 , there is only a native Altium PCB import, no schema import (is announced for KiCAD6). There is a variety of stand-alone Altium2KiCAD converters, I use that perl variant which IMO is fast, feature-rich and reliable, however, not perfect as well: https://github.com/thesourcerer8/altium2kicad . So with the inbuilt PCB importer as well as with the stand-alone converter I could sucessfully convert what they were each able to parse and support and got more or less working files (all would need additional manual work though).
Obviously your P-CAD ASCII export formats worked well, also the native PCA import worked even with this binary file format. We can't fine-tune any parameters there, so the results are as good as it gets.
Updated by cibomahto about 3 years ago
Ok, great. To resolve this, would you like the P-CAD files checked in? I can run them as part of the output job, which would place them in a similar location to the Gerbers and other files.
Updated by mschramm about 3 years ago
cibomahto wrote:
would you like the P-CAD files checked in? I can run them as part of the output job, which would place them in a similar location to the Gerbers and other files.
Yes, please do it this way.
Updated by cibomahto about 3 years ago
Updated by mschramm about 3 years ago
- Status changed from In Progress to Resolved
- % Done changed from 80 to 100
works for me!
