CircuitCAM DXF output???

[JMcC]

I've not used CircuitCAM in many years (so long that I had to dig out an old PC to find it). I have some gerbers that I'd like to create a DXF from & CircuitCAM has a DXF output function. However I'm not getting any useful outpt from it and it appears that there is quite a bit of setup involved to input tools in the DXF tool list.

I'm hoping there is someone out there who has already done this and would be willing to share a CircuitCAM CAT file (template file) which already has this stuff entered (at least thats where I think it is stored!). I'm using CircuitCAM 5. Failing that, any info on how to do it would be appreciated.

Thanks for any guidance/help,

J

[phil from seattle]

If you have the gerbers, there are lots of ways to convert to DXF.  Gerbview can do it.  Flatcam is a free option but I find it quirky. I bet there are lots of others out there.

[Accu-Sembly]

It's been many years since I looked into this.  We are running V7, but if I recall, the DXF output was never implemented by Aegis correctly and they did not fix it or put resources toward correcting it.  That's a nice way of saying that I've never got it to work either.

I would explore other options.  I export my DXFs from GC Preview.

[JMcC]

Thanks for those responses guys, I'll take a look.

By the way I got dxf export to sort of work but it was a process that was convoluted and I doubt I could replicate.

The outpost was terrible looking😃

Joe

[PCBA Partner]

If the DXF is only needed for mechanical reference, I would avoid spending much more time on CircuitCAM’s exporter. Gerber-to-DXF conversion is often fragile because aperture definitions, arc handling, polarity, units and layer mapping do not translate cleanly.

A practical workflow is:
1. Export only the layers actually needed for the mechanical drawing — usually board outline, cut-outs, tooling holes, and perhaps a keep-out layer.
2. Import the DXF back into a viewer/CAD tool and overlay it with the original Gerber. Check scale, origin, plated vs non-plated holes, arcs, and any slots.
3. Keep the Gerbers as the manufacturing authority; use the DXF only as a reference or for enclosure/mechanical coordination.

GC-Prevue/GerbView or a Gerber viewer with DXF export is usually more reliable for this than trying to rebuild a legacy CircuitCAM template.

[JMcC]

Yep, I've pretty much given up on DXF export. My use case in this instance was that I have some antennas which are broken. They have an LNA embedded in an encapsulant & I need to excavate said encapsulant to expose the pad(s) the antenna wire connects to (need to attach new wire). I have some good reference points in the form of the power/RF connectors to the LNA so figured I could program a CNC to do this. I think I have enough info on the XY pad center positions & depth w.r.t. the RF connectors to manually make a toolpath for the machine so thats what I'll be trying.

Thanks so much for the replies and suggestions. I'll need that info again for certain!

J