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History of PCB CAD Software and the Gerber Plotter concept, influences the design of the CAD software up to now.
Polygons and higher level constructs are available in the Gerber file format, actually since a very long time. Despite this, the tendency to paint (e.g. use track to paint a polygon) still persists in designer’s habits and in the Gerber export functions of the CAD software. Display 'engine' of ZofzPCB 3D Gerber Viewer makes serious use of a 3D graphic card. The biggest task is to generate optimal mesh, so, the viewer needs to reconstruct a hierarchy of PCB objects. Optimization principles are simple: The fastest triangles to draw are the non-existent ones. The slowest are semi-transparent.
The program generates the mesh in two steps. Adding, subtracting and negating circles, tracks and polygons, as described in the Gerber File, is the first operation. The result is a set of flat, non-overlapping polygons. Polygons with arc edges – strictly speaking. The image at this point is already very useful for fast netlist assignment, searches and distance measurements. Layers and drills are logically connected now. The next step is arc-to-fan conversion resulting in only straight line segments. Then applying effects (hollow and layer thickness) and finally triangulation – generation of triangular mesh. Mesh of triangles is what the GPU eats. As gratitude for all that effort, GPU gives speed. Adding the First Person Perspective or Airplane camera, creating 3D game-like feeling, makes the PCB inspection much nicer task.
Recently added IPC-356 file reading, completes the hierarchy re-synthesize.
Software is available for free download at ZofzPCB: FREE 3D Gerber Viewer
If you have contemporary (gamer) graphic hardware – do it now.
History of PCB CAD Software and the Gerber Plotter concept, influences the design of the CAD software up to now.
Polygons and higher level constructs are available in the Gerber file format, actually since a very long time. Despite this, the tendency to paint (e.g. use track to paint a polygon) still persists in designer’s habits and in the Gerber export functions of the CAD software. Display 'engine' of ZofzPCB 3D Gerber Viewer makes serious use of a 3D graphic card. The biggest task is to generate optimal mesh, so, the viewer needs to reconstruct a hierarchy of PCB objects. Optimization principles are simple: The fastest triangles to draw are the non-existent ones. The slowest are semi-transparent.
The program generates the mesh in two steps. Adding, subtracting and negating circles, tracks and polygons, as described in the Gerber File, is the first operation. The result is a set of flat, non-overlapping polygons. Polygons with arc edges – strictly speaking. The image at this point is already very useful for fast netlist assignment, searches and distance measurements. Layers and drills are logically connected now. The next step is arc-to-fan conversion resulting in only straight line segments. Then applying effects (hollow and layer thickness) and finally triangulation – generation of triangular mesh. Mesh of triangles is what the GPU eats. As gratitude for all that effort, GPU gives speed. Adding the First Person Perspective or Airplane camera, creating 3D game-like feeling, makes the PCB inspection much nicer task.
Recently added IPC-356 file reading, completes the hierarchy re-synthesize.
Software is available for free download at ZofzPCB: FREE 3D Gerber Viewer
If you have contemporary (gamer) graphic hardware – do it now.