Adding IPC356 bare board flying probe test file, enables design browsing and components display. At the moment, there is no component library. Instead I am guessing using geometry of pads and components designator names from IPC356 testpoints. There is also a cross-check interface to OrCad schematic, see youtube video:
2 screen crosscheckFree download
zofzpcb.com
Interesting. I hadn't seen your program before. For others equally ignorant, here is a link.
http://www.zofzpcb.com/
Your software looks interesting, but your
EULA scares me to shit pure steel bricks.
Why are you so restrictive on freeware? I don't get it!
What about FOSS and Linux support?
If memory serves, there's a thread on here somewhere where Free_Electron and the OP exchanged ideas to improve it a year or so ago
Judging from those images, it looks like it has come a long way since then
At first glance it looks great! good job!
The EULA is not that bad, it's freeware and you can basically do anything you want with it except sell it, decompile it, or otherwise try to figure out how it works. Other than those restrictions, it's not that bad for a EULA.
It's not FOSS.
I am running it on Linux, and it runs OK under Wine. So far no major problems, and I've tried many features. The application says it uses DirectX 9 and Wine emulates/translates DirectX calls so it runs fast and is quite usable There is some font issues that make the text of the menus difficult to read. I've never had font issues under Wine before, so I attribute this to the home-brew menu system this application is using.
I would love to see the cross-probing interface opened up, so that someone can plug it into KiCad.
Good job @zofz !
Great stuff , thank you !
I would love to see the cross-probing interface opened up, so that someone can plug it into KiCad.
+1
And if the cross-probing interface is opened up, I'd like to see it done over TCP/IP, even for a local connection. This means that the app can run in Wine and still communicate to KiCad which will be running in Linux. If it's a Windows DLL or some other proprietary windows message passing interface then it's not going to work cross platform or under emulations...
Using TCP for cross probing also opens up interesting other possibilities. For example, cross probing could also be be done between two gerber viewers on different hosts, not just between the gerbers and schematic capture. Then you and a coworker can look at gerbers together for a collaboration. Or you and your board house...
Thanks,
TCP or UDP interface, crossprobe and navigation - i mean exact the same camera position and rotation, that is what i am thinking of. To form something like shared desktop.
Later, to overcome "corporate firewalls", it shoukd be using http and third server, maybe.
At the moment there are two: WM_COPYDATA and file based. I will put them to the webpage.
Wow! Really cool stuff
What lib are you using for 3d rendering?
The library: I needed to compress the layer vertex data, it is only 2D + Z[n] as constant. That somehow forced me to do direct shader programming. But there is a DXUT as a starting point.
Thanks,
TCP or UDP interface, crossprobe and navigation - i mean exact the same camera position and rotation, that is what i am thinking of. To form something like shared desktop.
Later, to overcome "corporate firewalls", it shoukd be using http and third server, maybe.
At the moment there are two: WM_COPYDATA and file based. I will put them to the webpage.
Your software seems very interesting, really.
Can you explain your reason to make a freeware with that kind of restrictive license? Or do you plan to eventually make it commercial?
If you plan to keep it freeware? Why that EULA? Why not making it Open Source?
Despite your software seems really very interesting with many nice feature, I'm afraid of propietary software these days for different reasons. Some of them are: Vendor lock-in, expensive cost, security, unable to modify or port it to other platforms...
Thanks,
TCP or UDP interface, crossprobe and navigation - i mean exact the same camera position and rotation, that is what i am thinking of. To form something like shared desktop.
Later, to overcome "corporate firewalls", it shoukd be using http and third server, maybe.
At the moment there are two: WM_COPYDATA and file based. I will put them to the webpage.
Your software seems very interesting, really.
Can you explain your reason to make a freeware with that kind of restrictive license? Or do you plan to eventually make it commercial?
If you plan to keep it freeware? Why that EULA? Why not making it Open Source?
Despite your software seems really very interesting with many nice feature, I'm afraid of propietary software these days for different reasons. Some of them are: Vendor lock-in, expensive cost, security, unable to modify or port it to other platforms...
yes, This is a question I ask myself too. The most important is: how can I continue to provide this software free of charge, and realize many ideas I have? vendor lock: I will not close any feature I have already opened. I might include some new features for a commerce, however. I may also convert zofzpcb to truly free software. I do not know. I am letting to know, anyone who bothers to read, about any internet communication, in the help file, and I can expose the sources to some trusted authority, if required. What I have at the moment is a http query for a current version, a single text file loaded, containing the version number.
zofzpcb.com/version/info.txt . I run your default browser, to display the help page. actions defined in the help menu. I have bought a certificate, so I am traceable and the program is protected against third party modifications on the download way. At the moment of crash, there is a possibility to automatically send a crash log/info/etc. all you can examine before sending, or chose not to send. (any way I need gerbers in case of debugging, so I need a email contact anyway). I was concerned that such question will be asked, but it was asked much later then I expected. hmm. anyway, the program is clean, the website uses google analytic. That is all.
The current cross-check interfaces description: WM_COPYDATA and file, can be downloaded at http://www.zofzpcb.com/Cross-Check.html
Excellent! Thanks for your quick response to the suggestion too. I think the file based interface can work between Windows app on Linux and a native Linux app like KiCad
The current cross-check interfaces description: WM_COPYDATA and file, can be downloaded at http://www.zofzpcb.com/Cross-Check.html
Excellent! Thanks for your quick response to the suggestion too. I think the file based interface can work between Windows app on Linux and a native Linux app like KiCad
Anyway, i am willing to create the tcp interface. And maybe Kicad have already something done about this. There also is a idea to make adobe pdf plugin, many cad systems create schematics with rich annotations. Then click able pdf.
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bug report...
1) color preset not saved correctly. when i set all layers colors and save, next time i changed color preset and set back to my theme, color changed to what i did not pick. the only way afaik to restore desired color is by saving rendered board in a file.
2) gui issue: why dont pan with right click? universe rotate for right click is less practical imho. keep pressing shift may induce carpal tunnel on my left hand. any other sw capable of single hand navigation.
3) gui issue: mousewheel scroll zoom too slow, i cant set the zoom rate. many scroll to get desired zoom may induce carpal tunnel in my index finger.
4) sometime saving and reloading color preset generates error (see attached picture)
my platform, WinXP SP3 32bit. anyway some of the previous issues discussed sometime ago have been solved, keep up the good work. i'm learning to populate 3d component, any easy clue without using orcad?
also how do it make the core/prepeg opaque? i dont have specific whole opaque gerber for the board, i only have board outline and zofpcb just render it as... an outline. i dont want to keep disabling and enabling the bottom (or top) layers/slikscreen/mask while rotating the pcb top to bottom and back. non opaque board messing the view with crisscrossing bottom and top traces (and copper pours) as arrowed below...
ok got it with "auto load function". i must say this App is several magnitude better than gEDA Gerber Viewer, gerv (functionally), even without 3d components i'm currently in. except the gui and some issues i raised earlier. i believe this App must be told to the world, it deserves recognition, keep it up!...
I'll give it a try when the open-source native Linux version has been released.
...
Despite your software seems really very interesting with many nice feature, I'm afraid of propietary software these days for different reasons. Some of them are: Vendor lock-in, expensive cost, security, unable to modify or port it to other platforms...
Uh... I'm pretty sure the OP said it's free...
And to the OP - impressive job!
I'll give it a try when the open-source native Linux multiplataform multiplatform version has been released.
Fixed! 
Fixed!
... until then, let us wingows and wine people enjoy the nice app, you can continue with gEDA.
I'll give it a try when the open-source native Linux multiplataform multiplatform version has been released.
Fixed!
Fixed! ... until then, let us wingows and wine people enjoy the nice app, you can continue with gEDA.
I don't use gEDA. I'm an Eagle user slowly transitioning to KiCad.
I don't know weird programming languages and fork my EDA tool. I barely know about programming at all.
I'm a newbie and KiCad might be more than enough, just I miss better file format interoperability and better UX.
By the time I would need something like Altium, I hope KiCad got improved a lot and even being a contributor of it in some form.
bug report...
1) color preset not saved correctly. when i set all layers colors and save, next time i changed color preset and set back to my theme, color changed to what i did not pick. the only way afaik to restore desired color is by saving rendered board in a file.
2) gui issue: why dont pan with right click? universe rotate for right click is less practical imho. keep pressing shift may induce carpal tunnel on my left hand. any other sw capable of single hand navigation.
3) gui issue: mousewheel scroll zoom too slow, i cant set the zoom rate. many scroll to get desired zoom may induce carpal tunnel in my index finger.
4) sometime saving and reloading color preset generates error (see attached picture)
my platform, WinXP SP3 32bit. anyway some of the previous issues discussed sometime ago have been solved, keep up the good work. i'm learning to populate 3d component, any easy clue without using orcad?
Thanks,
1. color save/restore bug report is clear.
2. Possibly no one uses right-drag anyway. I would not destroy too much, if I make camera rotation on shift-right drag and use right drag for moving. I will consult a long time user for this. The other way is to make everything configurable, but that makes me feel pain.
3. OK, I will think about a nice and simple way to adjust (or dynamically auto-adjust) the zoom speed.
4. A troll must have been changing the code when I was not looking OR unknown are paths of the user.