Re: gEDA-user: Inkscape text->pstoedit->pcb and importing PostScript/PDF/EPS vector graphics with holes

[Colin D Bennett <colin@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 22 Nov 2010 23:21:17 +0100
Jan Martinek <honza@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> > I really wanted to create a logo/description label in Inkscape and
> > put it on a board I recently made, but after trying for an hour or
> > two to get pstoedit to import text elements properly (holes in
> > letters like 'B' or 'o' were getting filled in when exported to the
> > 'pcb' file format), I gave up.  I tried the '-ssp' option to
> > pstoedit but it crashed every time an assertion failure.  Have you
> > had better luck with converting text or graphics to pcb format?
> >
> 
> I am not sure if this can help you, but I usualy do the other way. 
> Export PCB board into ps, then open in inkscape. In inkscape you can
> do whatever you like - mirror the PCB, do some post-processing (try
> ungroup before), add text, logos, cutting guidelines, place several
> PCBs on one page etc.

Ah, thinking outside the box.  Sounds like a very manual process,
though.  I have tried using Inkscape to panelize PCBs before in this
manner and I found it tedious, and in particular you lose the ability
to have the assembly drawing, drill files, etc. to be synchronized with
the layout... at least the way I was doing it.

I mean that if you modify the board layout in pcb at all, you'll have
to re-export and re-modify the postscript output. Also, how would you
make gerbers using this process?  I guess it would work best for
quick-and-dirty one-off boards made at home rather than sent out for
fab?

Also, if you are editing the silkscreen layer in Inkscape, wouldn't it
be hard to make sure you put the graphics/text/etc. in a place that
doesn't conflict with elements on other layers?  Unless you load each
PCB layer into an Inkscape layer... that would help.

Regards,
Colin


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