Hi, guys!
I've been using EAGLE since 4.16 version as a hobbyist and bought
non-profit license some time ago. Making PCBs with EAGLE and "laser printer
and iron" is just perfect and there are very few things that can be added
in there. But when I decided to "upgrade" to photoresist method I faced a
strong problem. Here (in Russia) it's much easy to get negative photoresist
since it's more popular among PCB manufactures. And getting a negative
template from EAGLE became an endless disaster for me (and, as I figured
out after some googling - not only for me).
I found some workarounds like:
1. use CAM job to output to "PS_INVERTED" device and get a PostScript
inverted image file - fail. It ignores everything placed on pads and output
pads as they are in libraries. That will not suites hobbyists since it's
very difficult to drill "regular" pads and they have to be enlarged (I
place vias with a big outer diameter and small inner for center drill
manually drilling the PCB). Even drill-aid script isn't working.
2. print to a PostScipt file with a regular Print dialog. Than, you have to
invert a needed part of sheet manually or use some other tools (I've tried
Imagemagick set). By manually inverting you loose time, lots of time. If
using scripts, you face some problems, that are very difficult to solve:
very hard to figure out what area to invert (for the script), and very hard
to make a new blank file with inverted image with a correct size/resolution
and hard to place PCB dawning on it. And all methods are anyway leads to
quality loss and some toolchain/third-party software on you hard drive -
fail.
3. use the exp2image script to get a png image. Easy to use, but very hard
to print because of placement troubles and resolution/scale/size
discrepancy. And external mirroring needed anyway. A print, got by that
method anyway differs from a print, that can be made with a "regular" print
command or printing to PostScript. It's almost OK for small PCBs, but will
make garbage for PCBs at least 10 cm by any dimension - fail.
If you search through the forum, you can find many questions about how to
print in negative. I think, it's a good time for fixing that issue.
And sure, there is a nice and clear solution: add "Negative" checkbox to
the printing dialog of the program. It will illuminate all the pains of
hobbyists, trying to make a negative template. So, all the options, that
are so helpful like image position predefinition (Alignment), Mirror,
Rotating and Black with "Invert" will make a perfect and comprehensive
software for those part of EAGLE users, that using it at home and don't
order PCBs in pcbhouses, but make them thyself. And even to improve it, a
border width edit should be added under "Negative" checkbox, so users can
set black border around Dimension line, that will became "white" after
inverting - for the sake of comfort.
-
P.S. I'm a week of searching an easy and suitable way of getting negatives
from EAGLE and steal in progress.
P.P.S. As I work for well known here software company, I know that you may
think it's a minor request and there are lots of urgent stuff to do, but
usability is that thing that should be thought about. By fixing that
request you will make life of hobbyists much and much easy and more
pleasant, especially if you are offering a special license for nonprofits.
Thank you.
--
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