Best Gerber DFX ODB++ editor?

[geekpcbguy]

Hi I'm looking for opinions and advice about different editors. I have some options in mind, I've been comparing DownStream CAM350, Pentalogix ViewMate PRO and GraphiCode GC-Prevue. Has anyone worked with any of those? Any advice? Thank you

[marshallh]

I use GC-Prevue and it's sufficient for viewing, haven't tried panelization in it

[free_electron]

If you really need an editor then the best ones are Frontline's Genesis 2000 or Ucamco's Ucam.

Those are real gerber / odb editors.
Those two tools alone cover 95% of the pcb manufacturers.

[geekpcbguy]

Thanks for the advice! I'm going to try the trials.. I don't plan to spend so much money on this..

[jahonen]

I have used CAM350 with option 110. It works quite nicely for basic editing, for example, combining different gerber files into one or doing some very basic verification of gerber data against rules. Can't really say if it suits your needs as you don't tell what you are going to do with it.

I guess that CAM350 is not so sophisticated than those tools mentioned by free_electron but I it is probably not so expensive either.

Regards,
Janne

[free_electron]

Cam350 is a basic tool where you can indeed do some panelisation work , but it ' nowhere near Genesis or Ucam. I know CAM350 also has problems with certain gebrer features ( complex polygons and some arcs ).

Ucam has NO problems with gerber. They own the standard  Ucam is the direct descendant from the Gerber corporation , sold to intergraph , then to Barco thento Mania and now incorporated as UcamCo.

Genesis is another 'old name'.

Go to any pcb fab and ask them what they run to do their fab processing. It's going to be either Ucam or Genesis (frontline)  you can do things like pattern shrinking or expansion to compesate for etching , all kinds og logic operations on layers , converting flashes to strokes and reverse , converting polygons to strokes or meshes to polygons and much much more. Boolean operations between layers / entities.

Of course, the question is : do you need that ? A pcb fab does, but a pcb designer doesn't. If it can't be done in the pcb design tool , you probably won't need it as it is fab related. Leave the fab stuff to the fab. You don't have the expertise anyway.

[Bloch]

Thanks for the advice! I'm going to try the trials.. I don't plan to spend so much money on this..

At my first job we used bat files to move / rotate gerber files to make panels.