PCB Problem!!!

[yatoof]

Hi, all I worked on easy pc v7.0 for making pcb designs. But I am facing a problem.
i got a pcb from somewhere in pdf format . i want to make some changing in that, and translate that into easy pcb(better) or any other pcb software's pcb file.

how i can trace that pdf or pictured form pcb.
is there any method to set bmp or pdf into background especially in easy pc or any other pcb soft?

.Yatoof
. (Sorry for poor English i am not English)

 

[duffy]

What kinds of files can you import? The usual technique is to find what you can import, then look for some program that can convert from .pdf to that format. Either get that program, of find someone who is using it and ask them if they will convert it for you.

 

[microtexan]

I just opened a PDF file from another question on this forum and was able to simply left click on the schematic and "copy" from the edit menu and then "paste" it into MS Paint which allows saving as a BMP. Will that work for you?

 

[jpanhalt]

Will any of the PCB layout programs import something that is not in their board format? Eagle will not. If you can find a PCB program that will import a vector format (such as dwg or dxf), then getting from pdf to vector is relatively easy. In my experience the results aren't great, but they are adequate for tracing a clean vector drawing. John

 

[duffy]

Orcad will import DXF. Yatoof needs to find something he can import, then work on getting to that.

 

[jpanhalt]

Correction:

After your comment Duffy, I checked further into Eagle. There is not a direct drop-down dialog for importing anything, including bitmaps, but there is a ULP for importing a BMP into the board for the explicit purpose of tracing.

John

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Sprint layout allows a BMP file to trace on.

 

[yatoof]

Re:

first Thanks all of you people for your replies. Its a nice members forum.
jpanhalt. I have easy-pc7(pcb soft) which imports dxf. but normally we see pcb designs in form of pictures. can you name any good converter from picture to dxf(vector pic form).
If this conversion will not give good results,
then anyone of you people knows how to put simple bmp pic into background of easy-pc software. as proteus's pcb soft ares allows you to do this for manually tracing.?
blueroomelectronics: says, Sprint layout allows a BMP file to trace on. what is sprint layout

 

[jpanhalt]

For conversion of an image to DXF, I would use Adobe Illustrator. I am sure there are other programs that can do the same. When faced with a similar problem of converting a scanned image to vector, I used the AI auto trace feature, exported to my CAD in DXF, then retraced manually and fixed any dimensions that were a little off. Relative dimensions were generally fine. I had to shrink or stretch the entire drawing/component to get it just right . That seems like a lot of work, if your PCB program will simply accept a bmp that you can trace.

It seems that three common PCB layout programs accept a BMP for background tracing. Are you sure your program doesn't have that capability too?

John

 

[yatoof]

re

Thanks John,
My easy-pc7 is an older version. i am downloading new one but trial.May be it supports for bmp as a background image.i will check it.

 

[duffy]

.pdf is usually vector. Lots of people use Adobe Illustrator - look in the art department for some guy wearing sandals who smells like weed, ask if he will convert the file for you.

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Sprint Layout is here.

 

[colin mac]

Sprint is unpredictable buggy software. If possible I'd stay away from it.