topic Re: Cannot Export PCB files?? in Fusion Electronics Forum

Cannot Export PCB files??

zigzag2015 — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 04:00:20 GMT

Hi,

I have for some years exported Fusion PCB files to EAGLE that I can further process it. Today I find that the option to export in an EAGLE format is no longer an option. I can export a Fusion file format but thats no good within EAGLE.

I last used this option just this morning. Whats changed?

Craig

Re: Cannot Export PCB files??

zigzag2015 — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 04:06:52 GMT

Hi,

it seems to have come right, I have just exported a file that had been converted to EAGLE format....whereas for the previous half hour I could not.

Craig

Re: Cannot Export PCB files??

LMerchell_1 — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 19:14:44 GMT

Again, the option to export in an EAGLE format is no longer an option.

Re: Cannot Export PCB files??

jorge_garcia — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 21:01:45 GMT

Hello everyone,

The options have not been removed. If you are going to export a schematic do the export in the schematic file, if you are exporting the board do the export in the 2D PCB. If you are trying to do the export from the Electronics Design file you are not going to get anything there since EAGLE doesn't have any equivalent to the electronics design file.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

Re: Cannot Export PCB files??

LMerchell_1 — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 22:04:10 GMT

Thank you, it would be helpful if that information was indicated in the export window.

Re: Cannot Export PCB files??

zigzag2015 — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 23:35:12 GMT

Hi,

I'm having no trouble exporting the 2d PCB file to EAGLE. Note that you do have to select the correct file type (.brd) because EAGLE cannot digest .fbrd files.

The only reason I export to EAGLE is because I use a CNC machine to make my boards and I need to use the EAGLE

ULP program PCB-GCode to generate the required Gcode. I've been using it for ten years, and it works great.

When Autodesk ported EAGLE to Fusion they changed the POUR function which broke the PCB-GCode ULP and consequently I cannot use PCB_GCode from Fusion. What I'd like is for Autodesk to alter the POUR function so that

PCB_GCode works as it does in EAGLE. I use this feature daily for business.

If anyone tries to tell me that you can cause Fusion to generate Gcode from its own files.....then I'll say well you f*****king try! Its an excerise is extreme patience. It works but can take hours to get useful results, whereas using

PCB-GCode to get good code takes 30 seconds. If Autodesk finally remove EAGLE altogether then I'll have to consider migrating to Altium.......I just cannot afford the time waste that Fusion Electronics imposes because of the breaking of the PCB-Gcode ULP.

Craig

Re: Cannot Export PCB files??

jorge_garcia — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 18:08:16 GMT

Hey @zigzag2015 ,

If that's all that's holding you back, let me get one of the CNC experts involved and see if we can figure out a workflow for you. If you can in the meantime, take a quick screen capture of you using the PCB-GCode ulp so that I can see the settings you use and let me know what type of mill you use to make your PCBs.

Best Regards,

Re: Cannot Export PCB files??

seth.madore — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 18:18:06 GMT

Resident CAM/Milling expert chiming in here 🙂

To echo @jorge_garcia comments; could you share a file here? While it may not be 30 seconds to get a board milling program, we can certainly get pretty darn close. If we can't, we're doing something wrong and that points us towards either a bug or area that needs definite improvement. Any PCB you can share here would be helpful and I'll get with Jorge to make sure we have a suitable process for you!

Re: Cannot Export PCB files??

zigzag2015 — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 19:25:43 GMT

Hi,

this is a board I designed yesterday. I used the EAGLE ULP to get the Gcode files. I have only included three files while in fact the ULP generates at least six files but the forum limits the number of files that can be posted. The files are top etch, bottom etch, top drill, bottom drill, top mill, bottom mill. The ULP generates these files within 30 seconds or so, seamlessly and has been doing so for years. Had not the POUR function been altered when EAGLE were ported to Fusion then I suspect Fusion could also generate Gcode seamlessly.

Craig

Re: Cannot Export PCB files??

zigzag2015 — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 19:39:08 GMT

Hi,

for some reason the extra files did not attach, maybe an incompatible file type? Anyway this is a couple of screen shots of the settings I use commonly in the ULP, and they in turn influence how the Gcode is generated. Probably 90% of my boards are made with these setting, but there are a number of boards that I make that have extremely thick copper (420um) and for those boards I cannot use an engraving tool but rather a genuine two flute endmill, albeit 0.5mm in diameter. Clearly you need to set the parameters of pcb-gcode appropriately to use such a tool.

As you can see I have used pcb-gcode extensively and on a daily basis, and it is the ONLY thing that I require of EAGLE. In all and every other respect Fusion Electronics works perfectly. I ask again if someone would be kind enough to look critically at how the POUR function was altered with a view to resurrecting its function so that the ULP would work within Fusion.

Re: Cannot Export PCB files??

zigzag2015 — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 19:45:18 GMT

Hi, damned difficult to get files to attach!!!

Re: Cannot Export PCB files??

seth.madore — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 20:01:03 GMT

The easiest way to share files is to drag and drop them. If they are rejected, you can put them in a .zip file and drag/drop that file here.

Re: Cannot Export PCB files??

zigzag2015 — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 20:23:39 GMT

Hi,

yes I've found that the Gcode files would not attach, they are of type .tap and that is causes the forum software to reject them. In any event the Gcode is probably of little value to this discussion which is more about seeing if we could not get Fusion to successfully host and run a ULP as had been the case in EAGLE.

A feature that I liked about EAGLE that I wish Fusion Electronics had is the ability to attach a brief description to the filename. Many of my boards are variations 'on a theme'. That is to say the same circuit is used in two boards, but one is installed in a different vehicle which requires a circular board whereas the other is rectangular. Very often I find myself searching for a design/board that I have made previously that I wish to repeat or maybe edit slightly for the job de jour.

Trying to find a particular design, unless I can remember the customers name or job number is very difficult and slow as you have to open each job to view the

contents. With Eagle is was possible to attach a brief description which would identify a particular variant of a design, and that reduced the search effort very considerably.

Craig

Re: Cannot Export PCB files??

smannino — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 22:44:07 GMT

Buonasera, sto realizzando il tuo progetto di volante. Ho avuto un problema, i pcb sono di sola lettura e non riesco a portarli in 2d per vedere lo schema 2d per poterli realizzare. Come faccio?

Re: Cannot Export PCB files??

jorge_garcia — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 18:53:40 GMT

Hi @zigzag2015 ,

We are working on a solution, it would really help us to have the GCode the ULP generates for you, that way we can compare it with our solution. Just take all of the GCODE files and put them in a folder and zip it. Then you can upload the zip file with all of the GCODE.

The description function is still available, if you go into the the Command line type Description and press enter. Fill out the description. Is this what you are referring to?

You'll also find it in the Electronics Design file on the bottom left, there is a description field.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

Re: Cannot Export PCB files??

zigzag2015 — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 19:06:17 GMT

Hi Jorge,

OK, have attached a zipped file that should have all the Gcode files in them. Please note there are three files that I do a manual edit on.......I add an 'Snnnn'

block to induce my machine to run at the nominated speed. The ULP does not natively produce that particular block. The files so modified are: BotEtch.tap,TopEtch.tap and BotMill.tap. Within the exception of these three files the Gcode is obtained by use of the ULP alone

'The description function is still available, if you go into the the Command line type Description and press enter. Fill out the description. Is this what you are referring to?

You'll also find it in the Electronics Design file on the bottom left, there is a description field.'

Ok, that's sounds like a solution to the search problem. I will try it out and report.

Craig

Re: Cannot Export PCB files??

zigzag2015 — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 19:26:46 GMT

Hi Jorge,

I've tried the two methods and while they work, that is to say you can attach a description to a design, or a schematic or whatever that description is not readable UNLESS you open the document. I had hoped that I could place a brief description of the design but in the Fusion directory rather than buried down inside the design file.

I attached a suitable brief description to a design file, but unfortunately it does not display in the Fusion directory.

Craig

Re: Cannot Export PCB files??

lmerchellP2N5U — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 19:51:31 GMT

What I have found is that when the exported files are imported into another program the polygon cutouts, from inside a pour, are now plain polygons. I have to manually recreate them as cutouts. This may be a limitation of the import function of the other program. This may be related to the G-Code issue.

Larry

Re: Cannot Export PCB files??

jorge_garcia — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 20:22:46 GMT

Hello @zigzag2015 ,

Thank you so much for sharing the G-Code we'll analyze them and get back to you.

I'll talk to the developers to see if there's anyway to surface the description to the data panel.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

Re: Cannot Export PCB files??

zigzag2015 — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 20:39:06 GMT

Hi,

I'm right at the extent of my knowledge here....but here goes.

If I understand correctly the ULP generates Gcode (with a tool diameter allowance) around the periphery of a trace. Once that has been completed the

trace and the width of cut are added together to form a new somewhat larger shape. The process repeats, namely the ULP generates Gcode around the periphery of this new and larger trace. This is repeated as many times as in necessary to achieve the desired isolation. Thus the total tool path is generated sequentially with each pass being just that little further (the tool width) away from the original trace.

Again it is my understanding that the POUR function is critical to the ULP 's function.

As I have described I use the ULP regularly, and thus I have to export a Fusion Electronics board into EAGLE so that I can use the ULP. I have had no real difficulty

in exporting a Fusion generated board into EAGLE which leads me to believe that whatever Autodesk did in porting EAGLE into Fusion was not a huge change but sufficient that the ULP would no longer work.

It would be a major time saver to be able to use the ULP from within Fusion WITHOUT the need to export it to EAGLE......and even more importantly Autodesk have indicated that they wish to end all support for EAGLE altogether in a years time. In that case I need an alternative.

Have you tried generating tool paths (for PCB isolation routing)from within Fusion using the regular Contour and Adaptive methods? I have and had very little success and extremely time consuming. Maybe there is a better way or workflow that would achieve an acceptable result.....but this is the frustrating part.......the ULP within EAGLE already did that seamlessly, no need for some specialist workaround!

Craig