Author Topic: GC Prevue not free any more...Need Basic gerber viewer (Read 22220 times)

ocset · « **on:** April 08, 2018, 04:52:31 pm »

Hello
My GC Prevue software to view gerbers with has stopped working....gc-prevue told me its because we need to pay now to continue with it ($50/yr).
We also use the free "viewmate", but do you agree, that the free version of viewmate is not as good as gc-prevue basic gerber viewer?

Basic gerber-viewer GC Prevue seems more flexible and better than basic gerber viewer viewmate?

Or is it that i just dont know how to use the free viewmate?...certainly swapping which layer "goes on top" doesnt seem possible with viewmate.
Also, the grid in free viewmate doesnt seem to be changeable manually?

Also, i cant seem to find the "z" function in free viewmate, where you push "z" and then the cursor is at reference zero and you can measure from it. (you can do this in gc-prevue.)

nali · « **Reply #1 on:** April 08, 2018, 05:41:33 pm »

https://www.zofzpcb.com/

chris_leyson · « **Reply #2 on:** April 08, 2018, 05:53:03 pm »

Pentalogix Viewmate is free, https://www.pentalogix.com/

james_s · « **Reply #3 on:** April 09, 2018, 03:23:49 am »

KiCAD comes with a gerber viewer, the entire package is free.

BravoV · « **Reply #4 on:** April 09, 2018, 03:35:19 am »

Quote from: nali on April 08, 2018, 05:41:33 pm

https://www.zofzpcb.com/

+1 for zofzpcb and free too.

Also the author is active here in this forum and has his own thread here.

Just watch this video, recommended to watch it till finished.

https://youtu.be/kA22chYE71A

Deridex · « **Reply #5 on:** April 09, 2018, 04:13:32 am »

Quote from: nali on April 08, 2018, 05:41:33 pm

https://www.zofzpcb.com/

I did not know of this one. It looks at first sight highly impressive

. I think i need to take a look at it in the next days.
Another Gerberviewer that can be usefull is viewplot. Good thing about it: There is no need to install it.

james_s · « **Reply #6 on:** April 09, 2018, 04:44:02 am »

That's pretty nifty, I hadn't seen that either.

rx8pilot · « **Reply #7 on:** April 09, 2018, 05:36:04 am »

The Zofz software is really great..... I have been using it for quite a while now.

Short and misplld from my mobile......

apurvdate · « **Reply #8 on:** April 09, 2018, 10:48:25 am »

I've used "gerbv" from the begining.. runs on windows and linux both, supports merging of gerbers, export to svg & ps files..
https://sourceforge.net/projects/gerbv/
get windows installer from sourceforge or installed directly by apt-get in ubuntu..

zofzpcb looks interesting.. i'll give it a try..

nicknails · « **Reply #9 on:** April 09, 2018, 04:21:22 pm »

I use Camtastic 2000 (not sure if it's still available) and GerberLogix, both free for non-commercial. Gerberlogix can move layers up and down, and I like that it can measure center to center for checking hole locations.

ar__systems · « **Reply #10 on:** April 10, 2018, 01:05:55 pm »

I used VewMate in the past, but they kept annoying me with forced updated and ads, so I switched to gerbv. Works fine for what I use.

Mattylad · « **Reply #11 on:** April 10, 2018, 10:03:59 pm »

Way to go Graphicode!
Get millions of users so entwined and used to it for many years, then start charging.... lol

ZOF looks excellent, Im going to try that again, being able to talk to the developer is a definite plus.

ocset · « **Reply #12 on:** April 12, 2018, 05:13:27 am »

Thanks, that Zofz looks great...my company are relutant to download it for us because they think it may contain malware/virus's etc. I presume not though?

ar__systems · « **Reply #13 on:** April 12, 2018, 01:57:16 pm »

Re: zofs - I see lots of cool bells and whistles, which are pretty much useless...

rx8pilot · « **Reply #14 on:** April 12, 2018, 05:34:12 pm »

Quote from: ar__systems on April 12, 2018, 01:57:16 pm

Re: zofs - I see lots of cool bells and whistles, which are pretty much useless...

For the purpose of basic pre-manufacturing Gerber checks, there are some over-the-top features. I have, however, found a number of silly design mistakes by using the spread layers and orbit around with my space mouse.

Deridex · « **Reply #15 on:** April 14, 2018, 07:36:56 am »

I played a bit with zofs ... and i think i will stay with viewplot.
It looks realy cool etc ... but i think a 2D-View is more usefull and i could not find it in zofs.

RomDump · « **Reply #16 on:** April 14, 2018, 06:24:21 pm »

Quote from: treez on April 08, 2018, 04:52:31 pm

My GC Prevue software to view gerbers with has stopped working....gc-prevue told me its because we need to pay now to continue with it ($50/yr).

I should probably make a new thread for this. What is the deal with subscription based Model? Everyone is doing this now. I can see in the future so many software packages going into the blackhole of history because they can't be executed anymore.

bson · « **Reply #17 on:** April 15, 2018, 03:29:16 am »

ZofZ is great! But for just a quick sanity check of a zip before submitting it I use the completely redone gerber viewer in KiCAD. Very bare bones, but unlike the old one is actually usable. But for more detailed inspection of internal layers, masks, etc, ZofZ is da bomb.

Mattylad · « **Reply #18 on:** April 15, 2018, 08:13:09 pm »

Quote from: ar__systems on April 12, 2018, 01:57:16 pm

Re: zofs - I see lots of cool bells and whistles, which are pretty much useless...

Yet they thought that the free GC-Prevue did not?
Try it, its easy enough to see if it phones home.

sebtux74 · « **Reply #19 on:** April 03, 2019, 01:15:46 pm »

You can find (without registration) free old version of GC-Prevue 9.06 from 2000 here:
https://uk.beta-layout.com/pcb/technology/downloads/?PHPSESSID=17e8f7cbcbfc3b8aed69515d67691153
direct link:
https://uk.beta-layout.com/download_tar/gcpvw906.zip
It's working en windows 10 64bits

koncernadkin · « **Reply #20 on:** December 26, 2019, 09:51:36 am »

GC-Prevue ver. 24.3.6 works when system time is 2016 year.
So, before run the GC-Prevue, change the Windows date to 2016 year.
After starting GC-Prevue, you can turn back time to today year.

Another hint
8196Bh : 7Ch to EBh
819D0h : 7Ch to EBh

mikeselectricstuff · « **Reply #21 on:** December 26, 2019, 10:21:56 am »

I like this online viewer
http://www.pcbxprt.com/


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Author Topic: GC Prevue not free any more...Need Basic gerber viewer (Read 22220 times)

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