CAM Process Create Directories

On 7/22/2011 7:45 AM, James Morrison wrote:

Hello,

 

I would like to suggest that there be a way for the CAM processor to

automatically create any sub-directories it needs based on the file

specified for a given layer.  For instance, I have the following file

specified for my top layer:

 

%P/gerbers/01-top.grb

 

This structure helps keep the design files separate from the manufacturing

file output.

 

But I have to manually create the gerbers folder which is a bit of a pain.

There is more to this folder structure so it's not just one folder, but

actually a whole tree of folders for various outputs and formats.

 

It would be nice if I could set a switch in the CAM processor to simply

create any sub-directories that it needs that don't exist.

 

James.

 

or even not a switch... just do it.

On 7/22/2011 7:45 AM, James Morrison wrote:

Hello,

 

I would like to suggest that there be a way for the CAM processor to

automatically create any sub-directories it needs based on the file

specified for a given layer.  For instance, I have the following file

specified for my top layer:

 

%P/gerbers/01-top.grb

 

This structure helps keep the design files separate from the manufacturing

file output.

 

But I have to manually create the gerbers folder which is a bit of a pain.

There is more to this folder structure so it's not just one folder, but

actually a whole tree of folders for various outputs and formats.

 

It would be nice if I could set a switch in the CAM processor to simply

create any sub-directories that it needs that don't exist.

 

James.

 

or even not a switch... just do it.

"Gary Gofstein" <nospam@use.forum.net> wrote in message

news:j0cpc0$jne$1@cheetah.cadsoft.de...

On 7/22/2011 7:45 AM, James Morrison wrote:

or even not a switch... just do it.

+1

I think this is the reasons "folders" were invented after all: to sort

things. Currently an Eagle "project" is just a bunch of files, most of them

unassociated in OS with any executable (eagle or other). Eagle should sort

them (by default) by functionality.

Gary Gofstein wrote on Fri, 22 July 2011 17:16

or even not a switch... just do it.

No!  Don't "just do" something that is incompatible with the current

behavior.

If Eagle had always created subdirectories then I'd probably have my system

set up to work with that now.  But it doesn't, so I've created my workflow

around what Eagle does now.  DON'T CHANGE THE DEFAULT.

I use a separate directory for every version of every board, and just put

all the files in there as one flat pile.  I just checked, and a fairly full

directory has around 40 files.  That's easily managable without

subdirectories.  I do have scripts that know the various file name suffixes

and build the zip files for the board house and for assembly.  These take

care of the details of grabbing appropriate files from the pile so I don't

have to.  When I want a file, I know its name and use it directly, so the

fact that there are 39 other files in the directory is irrelevant.

So for me there is no problem to solve as I've already adapted to how Eagle

does things.  Add new features if you want, but make sure the default is to

do the same thing as before.  It would really piss me off if the next

verion of Eagle did something different out of the box, and I had to waste

time digging around figuring out how to get it back as it was.

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HI James,

I was going to ask this exact same question!

I instead, create a folder on my desktop called "Gerber Files" Once that is

created, I then run my CAM Processor and all the files are named as I like

them and put into that folder, The only thing I can't automate is the

creation of the folder as you said yourself.

I dont think there is any "Tricks" in the cam processor to create folders

though.

My file is named as follows in the CAM Processor ( eg)

"/Users/Me/Desktop/Gerber Files/%N SILK TOP.GBR"

I am wondering, Could a ULP Script be written so that it ?

1) Creates the Folder(s)

2) Runs the CAM Processor of your choice

3) Run Other scripts like Pick & Place, drilling and even a BOM.

Then we could assign a button in the LAYOUT to run that script?

What do you think?

Dave M

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