ODB++ when will it finally be available?

[Anonymous]

Hi there,

I think it was in November 2017 when here was anounces that ODB++ extport for Eagle is on the roadmap and might be released by the end of the year 2017. Now 2 years later I am still waiting for it. Many serial manufacturers demand on ODB++ instead of Gerber.

Since I am very familar with Eagle and pleased with it in general, I've always resisted to swap to Altium - they try to catch us Eagle users all day long... But based on the demand in my business it would be very helpful to see this feature in near future.

Best Regards, Steffen

[silvio3105]

Is there any blog update/topic on forum that tells us what will happen with EAGLE(not Fusion 360 Electronics)?

[edwin.robledo]

Hi steffenPBMWG,
I hope all is well and thank you for your active participation in the Forum. I wanted to let you know that the Fusion 360 August 2021 update is able to export ODB++ files.  EAGLE files are 100% compatible with Fusion 360.

Best Regards,

Ed

[one-of-the-robs]

---

@edwin.robledo wrote:

 EAGLE files are 100% compatible with Fusion 360.

---

That may be so but for quite a few of us out here, Fusion360 is absolutely 0% compatible with our work flow. Please either admit you've abandoned Eagle or back port some of the features.

[Anonymous]

Trying to export ASCII files from Eagle for import into Aegis. The instructions from Aegis say to do the following

-Extraction Procedure:
Visit www.cadsoft.de – Download - ULPs - User Language Programs
Download the gencad.ulp or fabmst12.ulp which uses the FABMASTER import.

Since the www.cadsoft.de website is dead how can I download the two ulp's referenced?

[benjamin.jordan]

That list basically made it's way to here, so I suggest looking here first:
http://eagle.autodesk.com/eagle/ulp

If it's not there, chances are you may find it somewhere around the Element 14 EAGLE forums.

I can't help but ask what kind of software wants GenCam files though... that's 20+ years out of date and was never very widely implemented outside the east-coast of the USA.

If the Aegis (is it MES software?) tools are relatively up to date, I'd be surprised if they do not accept Gerber or ODB++. Is there any way you could ask them or check?

[benjamin.jordan]

They are here -----^ I just checked.

[rwyoungUV248]

Please backport ODB++ to Eagle as we are somewhat restricted from using Fusion360 for certain projects due to restrictions placed on us concerning "cloud computing" and "cloud storage". 

[Paul.MooreQGPPG]

I need ODB++ to operate in Eagle on the PCB layout.  Importing Eagle into Fusion leaves out all PCB details, seems to only bring in components.  Running ODB++ in Fusion is not useful to me.

Will you be working on getting ODB++ conversion running in Eagle soon?

[jorge_garcia]

Hi @Paul.MooreQGPPG ,

I hope you're doing well. I regret to inform you that for now, there are no plans to backport the ODB++ exporter to EAGLE. That's for now, like I said, given enough demand that could change.

Sorry I don't have better news for now.

Best Regards,

[isabelle.de-oliveiraMCSSY]

Hello Jorge,
I agree with greenacresee, while there are still plenty of manufacturers that accept gerber files, there are also plenty of others who overprice their quotes if you only have gerbers. Some outright refuse multi-layered projects if only gerber formats are provided.
Eagle has always been a practical application for all small projects, Cadsoft was attentive to the needs and requests of its users, it is unfortunate that Autodesk takes us so little into consideration. I wanted to take over a more recent Eagle license, thinking I would benefit from certain improvements, in particular ODB, but in the end, I'm going to think about it again given the lack of interest that Autodesk has for us users and especially given that ODB is still not available under eagle..

[mevans89MVW]

"there are no plans to backport the ODB++ exporter to EAGLE."

There has been talk of Eagle being killed off by Autodesk for a while.

Seems like this will finally do it. 😞

[vmanW5QSE]

@jorge_garcia Every time I have a concern/question with Eagle CAD functionality and take to the Autodesk forums, it ends up being the same every time. No plans to support Eagle CAD and that there isn't enough demand. How can there be not enough demand if this entire thread originated specifically asking for ODB++ for Eagle and not Fusion with majority of the replies being the same?

I understand that now Fusion has ODB++ functionality however currently I am not confident that Eagle to Fusion or Fusion to Eagle file conversions are 100% as claimed. A few months back I made a PCB in Fusion as I was checking to see how different it was from Eagle and at the end had to export the project to Eagle format such that another engineer, that preferred Eagle, can make some modifications. I assumed the conversion would be straight forward and we only figure out that we have an issue only after we manufactured the board and tried to populate them. Turned out that for a component, one of its major pads was changed in size and shape during the project conversion as well as whatever was left of it did not even have a break in the silkscreen. Since then we never used this import/export feature again as it's too time consuming to do more manual checks for every little component. 

Please add me to the list of people that request ODB++ to Eagle not Fusion, even though I have little hope it will make a difference. 

[silvio3105]

Eagle is dead, do they really need to write that publicly?

[bwa5DZJV]

I guess everybody in the industry is moving on already. 

We see startups move to Kicad and professionals move to Altium and Pads.
Even in education Eagle is replaced by Kicad rather quickly (by my teachers that have been teaching Eagle since version 2.0).

It is really a shame with Autodesk - under the reigns of Element14 there was progress.

Now Eagle is dead and product managers think this is ok, because (some) people use Fusion as MCAD (while the ECAD abilities die silently as they are unusable). 

Anyway - we bought some Altium Licenses (and developed tools for Kicad) and will not renew our Eagle licenses. 

Good Luck Autodesk, I hope you wake up at some point!

[peter.bradbury]

This is pathetic. Definitely canceling my license and moving to Altium or Cadence. Eagle was cheap, but the lack of tools (bom exporter is a joke) is just maddening.

They are definitely killing it off while trying to get the last pennies of revenue. sad.

[MaryHBridges]

It's definitely frustrating when expected features take longer than anticipated to arrive. As an Eagle user, it makes sense to hold out for ODB++ support, especially since many manufacturers are leaning toward that format. 

[MaryHBridges]

It's definitely frustrating when expected features take longer than anticipated to arrive. As an Eagle user, it makes sense to hold out for ODB++ support, especially since many manufacturers are leaning toward that format.

[jorge_garcia]

Hello @MaryHBridges,

I hope you're doing well. So this feature was implemented in Fusion and has been available for some time. EAGLE itself will be End of Lifed on June 7,2026 and no new development is taking place. So EAGLE will not be receiving ODB++ output.

I think the clarity is helpful, EAGLE is included as part of the Fusion subscription so if you are using a recent release of EAGLE then you already have access to Fusion.

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

Best Regards,