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.

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.

--

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

"Olin Lathrop" <eagle@embedinc.com> wrote in message

news:j0ek49$bhl$1@cheetah.cadsoft.de...

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

With this attitude, over 5 years we will use Eagle10, with the same "default

functionality" as now, and it will be ten thousands "new" features hidden

well in some command-line-only-editable file.

On 7/23/2011 6:59 AM, Olin Lathrop wrote:

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.

 

to clarify, i'm not saying that eagle should create subdirectories by

default. just that if i put a path  in the cam processor with a

subdirectory that doesn't already exist, eagle should create the

directory for me like any other program. on v4, it does not, but perhaps

this was already fixed in v5.

HI,

It's very simple, all EAGLECAD need's is an extra feature (Placeholder)

like they already have

we currently have

%D      a string that is inserted only into the data file name %E      the loaded file's extension (without the '.') %H     the user's home directory %I    a string that is inserted only into the info file name

%L     the layer range for blind&buried vias (see below)

%N     the loaded file's name (without path and extension)

%P    the loaded file's directory path (without file name)

%%    the character '%'

So why don't we have one for for creating a folder?

eg for the first process, set up your folders ( if needed)..

/Users/Me/Desktop/%F %N Gerber Files/%N LAYER TOP.GBR

This would create a folder on my desktop called

"MyProject Gerber files". where %N is the name of the board ( It would be

nice to have the revision field in here as well!!)

or something along those lines.  so..

/Users/Me/Desktop/%F %N Gerber Files/%N LAYER TOP.GBR

%F means create a folder ( for the string that follows including other

placeholders), If the folder is already there is uses the same folder.

If the gerber files( or any files)  are already there, it  overwrite them.

How hard is that, this maintains consistency with they way Eaglecad

currently works and cause NO new changes in current behaviour.

But having said that, we still need to create maybe several folders ( a

bunch of files customised for each of our suppliers)

i.e One for PCB Manufacturing, One for the Assembly and another for

purchasing or whatever, as well as an official one say for in house

documentation. That way we can customise a document "Package" exactly the

way our suppliers or our business wants them.

If you want to have say a BOM & pick & Place files or whatever than these

need to be options in the cam processor, Either built in or be able to call

a ULP as part of the processing.

And just to finish off,

I cannot currently see how a ULP calls the cam processor, so a small added

function call in the scripting language for calling the Cam processor would

be a very simple ( But very useful) addition. And If that can happen, I

would suggest that a one button export of manufacturing data ULP be

included with the eagle cad release so that NEW USER'S Dont get confused

and frustrated.

What we also need to be able to do is LINK a CAM Processor JOB Description

to a project, So that if you need to produce a specific set of documents

that are different for each board, then this setup will be kept for each

job, we can still set these with a cam job, but customising it for each

project.

I would firstly suggest that the quickest and most useful change that

eaglecad could make is just add a hook in the ULP for CAM Processor. Then

lets see what we can get up to !!!

thanks

Dave M

--

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

On 7/25/2011 4:32 PM, davem wrote:

HI,

 

It's very simple, all EAGLECAD need's is an extra feature (Placeholder)

like they already have

 

we currently have

 

%D      a string that is inserted only into the data file name > %E      the loaded file's extension (without the '.') > %H     the user's home directory > %I    a string that is inserted only into the info file name

%L     the layer range for blind&buried vias (see below)

%N     the loaded file's name (without path and extension)

%P    the loaded file's directory path (without file name)

%%    the character '%'

 

So why don't we have one for for creating a folder?

 

eg for the first process, set up your folders ( if needed)..

 

>

/Users/Me/Desktop/%F %N Gerber Files/%N LAYER TOP.GBR

 

This would create a folder on my desktop called

 

"MyProject Gerber files". where %N is the name of the board ( It would be

nice to have the revision field in here as well!!)

 

or something along those lines.  so..

 

>

/Users/Me/Desktop/%F %N Gerber Files/%N LAYER TOP.GBR

 

>

  %F means create a folder ( for the string that follows including other

placeholders), If the folder is already there is uses the same folder.

If the gerber files( or any files)  are already there, it  overwrite them.

 

How hard is that, this maintains consistency with they way Eaglecad

currently works and cause NO new changes in current behaviour.

 

But having said that, we still need to create maybe several folders ( a

bunch of files customised for each of our suppliers)

i.e One for PCB Manufacturing, One for the Assembly and another for

purchasing or whatever, as well as an official one say for in house

documentation. That way we can customise a document "Package" exactly the

way our suppliers or our business wants them.

 

If you want to have say a BOM&  pick&  Place files or whatever than these

need to be options in the cam processor, Either built in or be able to call

a ULP as part of the processing.

 

And just to finish off,

 

I cannot currently see how a ULP calls the cam processor, so a small added

function call in the scripting language for calling the Cam processor would

be a very simple ( But very useful) addition. And If that can happen, I

would suggest that a one button export of manufacturing data ULP be

included with the eagle cad release so that NEW USER'S Dont get confused

and frustrated.

 

What we also need to be able to do is LINK a CAM Processor JOB Description

  to a project, So that if you need to produce a specific set of documents

that are different for each board, then this setup will be kept for each

job, we can still set these with a cam job, but customising it for each

project.

 

>

I would firstly suggest that the quickest and most useful change that

eaglecad could make is just add a hook in the ULP for CAM Processor. Then

lets see what we can get up to !!!

 

>

thanks

 

Dave M

 

to link a job to a project, just store it in the project's folder, not

the CAM folder. The CAM folder is just meant to give you some starting

points for creating cam jobs. I put the CAM job in the project folder

and give it the name of the manufacturer.

On 7/25/2011 4:32 PM, davem wrote:

HI,

 

It's very simple, all EAGLECAD need's is an extra feature (Placeholder)

like they already have

 

we currently have

 

%D      a string that is inserted only into the data file name > %E      the loaded file's extension (without the '.') > %H     the user's home directory > %I    a string that is inserted only into the info file name

%L     the layer range for blind&buried vias (see below)

%N     the loaded file's name (without path and extension)

%P    the loaded file's directory path (without file name)

%%    the character '%'

 

So why don't we have one for for creating a folder?

 

eg for the first process, set up your folders ( if needed)..

 

>

/Users/Me/Desktop/%F %N Gerber Files/%N LAYER TOP.GBR

 

This would create a folder on my desktop called

 

"MyProject Gerber files". where %N is the name of the board ( It would be

nice to have the revision field in here as well!!)

 

or something along those lines.  so..

 

>

/Users/Me/Desktop/%F %N Gerber Files/%N LAYER TOP.GBR

 

>

  %F means create a folder ( for the string that follows including other

placeholders), If the folder is already there is uses the same folder.

If the gerber files( or any files)  are already there, it  overwrite them.

 

How hard is that, this maintains consistency with they way Eaglecad

currently works and cause NO new changes in current behaviour.

 

But having said that, we still need to create maybe several folders ( a

bunch of files customised for each of our suppliers)

i.e One for PCB Manufacturing, One for the Assembly and another for

purchasing or whatever, as well as an official one say for in house

documentation. That way we can customise a document "Package" exactly the

way our suppliers or our business wants them.

 

If you want to have say a BOM&  pick&  Place files or whatever than these

need to be options in the cam processor, Either built in or be able to call

a ULP as part of the processing.

 

And just to finish off,

 

I cannot currently see how a ULP calls the cam processor, so a small added

function call in the scripting language for calling the Cam processor would

be a very simple ( But very useful) addition. And If that can happen, I

would suggest that a one button export of manufacturing data ULP be

included with the eagle cad release so that NEW USER'S Dont get confused

and frustrated.

 

What we also need to be able to do is LINK a CAM Processor JOB Description

  to a project, So that if you need to produce a specific set of documents

that are different for each board, then this setup will be kept for each

job, we can still set these with a cam job, but customising it for each

project.

 

>

I would firstly suggest that the quickest and most useful change that

eaglecad could make is just add a hook in the ULP for CAM Processor. Then

lets see what we can get up to !!!

 

>

thanks

 

Dave M

 

to link a job to a project, just store it in the project's folder, not

the CAM folder. The CAM folder is just meant to give you some starting

points for creating cam jobs. I put the CAM job in the project folder

and give it the name of the manufacturer.