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

The gpi files are generated for each job. Normally you see only the last

job's gpi file cause the others are overwritten. The filename of the info

file can be altered (look for "%I" placeholder in the manual). I use

".[ext]%I{.info}" for my cam data file name, so I get an info file for each

job, and it also shows you explicitly that the "xxx.yyy.info" file belongs

to the "xxx.yyy" cam data. This removes the gpi related questions from the

manufacturer.

Now, this filename ought to be the standard filename in the cam files that

comes with eagle so that people learn how to use it.

Also I agree with you that the info file should not be written unless you

use the %I placeholder.

"James Morrison" <james@eaglecentral.ca> wrote in message

news:ih51qv$cl$1@cheetah.cadsoft.de...

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

lately and it is annoying.

 

I have no use for the .gpi files that are generated when creating gerbers.

We need a way to add a tab to the CAM file (last one I would think) that

can specify a system command to run.  Then users could do all kinds of

things for production file generation, including running a command line to

remove those silly .gpi files.

 

I can't count how many thousands of those files I have deleted--that is

all

wasted time that I'll never get back.  And I don't want to have to go to a

command line to do it manually--the tool should allow a way to clean up

automatically.

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

On 1/18/2011 2:56 PM, Olin Lathrop wrote:

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.

 

iirc, they only show the last section of the job processed, rather than

the parameters for each file. that could be misleading. the information

in there is of questionable value. probably more useful would be a file

that listed all the extensions and the title that went with that job

section that produced them. A boilerplate addendum of whatever options

may have been in effect could be added, if EAGLE indeed uses anything

that's not standard.

I can easily see how they would be confusing to a manufacturer, seeming

by their inclusion, to require a special setup. Yet giving no clear

information what that setup might be. They are certainly not organized

with the board house in mind, having lots of extraneous info like file

dates. imo, they are only barely human readable.

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.

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.