Re: Need a Way to Get Rid of CAM .GPI Files

James Morrison wrote on Tue, 18 January 2011 16:48

I know this has come up before but I'm having to delete a lot of these

lately and it is annoying.

They are generally small, so what's the big deal just leaving them there?

My automated script that makes the ZIP file for board fab includes the GPI

file, although I don't know if any board house has ever looked at it.  I

figure if it resolved even one confusion once it will have been worth it.

It really takes no extra time to deal with since it's all automated.  The

README file that the automated script creates lists the GPI file as "Human

readable photoplotter information", so it can be easily ignored by anyone

that doesn't care.

--

Web access to CadSoft support forums at www.eaglecentral.ca.  Where the CadSoft EAGLE community meets.

Olin wrote on Tue, 18 January 2011 17:56

James Morrison wrote on Tue, 18 January 2011 16:48

I know this has come up before but I'm having to delete a lot of

these lately and it is annoying.

 

They are generally small, so what's the big deal just leaving them

there?  My automated script that makes the ZIP file for board fab

includes the GPI file, although I don't know if any board house has ever

looked at it.  I figure if it resolved even one confusion once it will

have been worth it.  It really takes no extra time to deal with since

it's all automated.  The README file that the automated script creates

lists the GPI file as "Human readable photoplotter information", so it

can be easily ignored by anyone that doesn't care.

Hi Olin,

The reason I specifically delete them is because I was asked a few times by

different manufacturers about those files--they seemed to confuse them.  So

to reduce the confusion I stopped sending them.  Now no one complains.

They are small but it doubles the numbers of files for absolutely now

reason.  If there was a value then it might be different but to this point

no one can tell me why I'd ever want them.

A good tool should clean up after itself.

And being able to run arbitrary commands from the CAM processor would be

very useful in general, this would just be one use of that.

James.

--

James Morrison  ~~~  Stratford Digital

Specializing in CadSoft EAGLE

• Online Sales to North America

• Electronic Design Services

• EAGLE Enterprise Toolkit

--

Web access to CadSoft support forums at www.eaglecentral.ca.  Where the CadSoft EAGLE community meets.

Am 19.01.2011 00:24, schrieb James Morrison:

Olin wrote on Tue, 18 January 2011 17:56

>> James Morrison wrote on Tue, 18 January 2011 16:48

>> > I know this has come up before but I'm having to delete a lot of

>> > these lately and it is annoying.

>>

>> They are generally small, so what's the big deal just leaving them

>> there?  My automated script that makes the ZIP file for board fab

>> includes the GPI file, although I don't know if any board house has ever

>> looked at it.  I figure if it resolved even one confusion once it will

>> have been worth it.  It really takes no extra time to deal with since

>> it's all automated.  The README file that the automated script creates

>> lists the GPI file as "Human readable photoplotter information", so it

>> can be easily ignored by anyone that doesn't care.

 

Hi Olin,

 

The reason I specifically delete them is because I was asked a few times by

different manufacturers about those files--they seemed to confuse them.  So

to reduce the confusion I stopped sending them.  Now no one complains.

 

They are small but it doubles the numbers of files for absolutely now

reason.  If there was a value then it might be different but to this point

no one can tell me why I'd ever want them.

 

A good tool should clean up after itself.

 

And being able to run arbitrary commands from the CAM processor would be

very useful in general, this would just be one use of that.

 

James.

James,

you could use a simple batch file that executes

DEL /S *.gpi

for example when you are starting Windows.

It would also be possibe to start EAGLE with a batch file that deletes

theses files before.

--

Mit freundlichen Gruessen / Best regards

Richard Hammerl

CadSoft Support -- hotline@cadsoft.de

FAQ: http://www.cadsoft.de/faq.htm

Richard Hammerl wrote on Wed, 19 January 2011 02:01

Am 19.01.2011 00:24, schrieb James Morrison:

Olin wrote on Tue, 18 January 2011 17:56

>> James Morrison wrote on Tue, 18 January 2011 16:48

>> > I know this has come up before but I'm having to delete a lot of

>> > these lately and it is annoying.

>>

>> They are generally small, so what's the big deal just leaving them

>> there?  My automated script that makes the ZIP file for board fab

>> includes the GPI file, although I don't know if any board house has

ever

>> looked at it.  I figure if it resolved even one confusion once it

will

>> have been worth it.  It really takes no extra time to deal with

since

>> it's all automated.  The README file that the automated script

creates

>> lists the GPI file as "Human readable photoplotter information", so

it

>> can be easily ignored by anyone that doesn't care.

 

Hi Olin,

 

The reason I specifically delete them is because I was asked a few

times by

different manufacturers about those files--they seemed to confuse

them.  So

to reduce the confusion I stopped sending them.  Now no one

complains.

 

They are small but it doubles the numbers of files for absolutely

now

reason.  If there was a value then it might be different but to

this point

no one can tell me why I'd ever want them.

 

A good tool should clean up after itself.

 

And being able to run arbitrary commands from the CAM processor

would be

very useful in general, this would just be one use of that.

 

James.

 

James,

 

you could use a simple batch file that executes

 

DEL /S *.gpi

 

for example when you are starting Windows.

It would also be possibe to start EAGLE with a batch file that deletes

theses files before.

Yes I know Richard.  I can do that.  I do something similar but it uses a

GUI instead.

The point is that the tool should allow a way to do this automatically.

Those files cause confusion with manufacturers because no other CAD tool

that I know of produces them.

From a manufacturer's point of view I understand.  If they don't make

exactly what the customer wants the won't get paid.  So they look at every

file that gets sent and if they don't know then they ask.  I would do the

same and I expect that from all my PCB suppliers.   So these extra files

cause extra work for them too and delay PCB manufacturing.

In the close to 1000 PCB's that I have done with EAGLE I have never had a

use for these files.  And no one has ever asked for them.  And no one

(CadSoft or a user)has ever given me one reason for keeping them here in

the forums.  That tells me they are useless.  Useless files that only

hinder or confuse manufacturers.

So why would EAGLE want to keep them?

But in the end, I'm a user telling you a small, easily fixable, frustration

that I need a way for the tool to NOT create these.  Isn't that enough?

Others have chimed in saying the same thing.  Give us a box or something to

stop this or another way to have the tool cleanup after itself.  Those who

want the current way (and remember, no one has ever stated that they use

these files as far as I can tell) can keep it.

James.

--

James Morrison  ~~~  Stratford Digital

Specializing in CadSoft EAGLE

• Online Sales to North America

• Electronic Design Services

• EAGLE Enterprise Toolkit

--

Web access to CadSoft support forums at www.eaglecentral.ca.  Where the CadSoft EAGLE community meets.

Richard Hammerl wrote on Wed, 19 January 2011 02:01

Am 19.01.2011 00:24, schrieb James Morrison:

Olin wrote on Tue, 18 January 2011 17:56

>> James Morrison wrote on Tue, 18 January 2011 16:48

>> > I know this has come up before but I'm having to delete a lot of

>> > these lately and it is annoying.

>>

>> They are generally small, so what's the big deal just leaving them

>> there?  My automated script that makes the ZIP file for board fab

>> includes the GPI file, although I don't know if any board house has

ever

>> looked at it.  I figure if it resolved even one confusion once it

will

>> have been worth it.  It really takes no extra time to deal with

since

>> it's all automated.  The README file that the automated script

creates

>> lists the GPI file as "Human readable photoplotter information", so

it

>> can be easily ignored by anyone that doesn't care.

 

Hi Olin,

 

The reason I specifically delete them is because I was asked a few

times by

different manufacturers about those files--they seemed to confuse

them.  So

to reduce the confusion I stopped sending them.  Now no one

complains.

 

They are small but it doubles the numbers of files for absolutely

now

reason.  If there was a value then it might be different but to

this point

no one can tell me why I'd ever want them.

 

A good tool should clean up after itself.

 

And being able to run arbitrary commands from the CAM processor

would be

very useful in general, this would just be one use of that.

 

James.

 

James,

 

you could use a simple batch file that executes

 

DEL /S *.gpi

 

for example when you are starting Windows.

It would also be possibe to start EAGLE with a batch file that deletes

theses files before.

Yes I know Richard.  I can do that.  I do something similar but it uses a

GUI instead.

The point is that the tool should allow a way to do this automatically.

Those files cause confusion with manufacturers because no other CAD tool

that I know of produces them.

From a manufacturer's point of view I understand.  If they don't make

exactly what the customer wants the won't get paid.  So they look at every

file that gets sent and if they don't know then they ask.  I would do the

same and I expect that from all my PCB suppliers.   So these extra files

cause extra work for them too and delay PCB manufacturing.

In the close to 1000 PCB's that I have done with EAGLE I have never had a

use for these files.  And no one has ever asked for them.  And no one

(CadSoft or a user)has ever given me one reason for keeping them here in

the forums.  That tells me they are useless.  Useless files that only

hinder or confuse manufacturers.

So why would EAGLE want to keep them?

But in the end, I'm a user telling you a small, easily fixable, frustration

that I need a way for the tool to NOT create these.  Isn't that enough?

Others have chimed in saying the same thing.  Give us a box or something to

stop this or another way to have the tool cleanup after itself.  Those who

want the current way (and remember, no one has ever stated that they use

these files as far as I can tell) can keep it.

James.

--

James Morrison  ~~~  Stratford Digital

Specializing in CadSoft EAGLE

• Online Sales to North America

• Electronic Design Services

• EAGLE Enterprise Toolkit

--

Web access to CadSoft support forums at www.eaglecentral.ca.  Where the CadSoft EAGLE community meets.