Awful unintuitive and buggy CAM exporting

[robZDWS7]

Problem: I have a simple PCB and want to print onto paper the component overlay with values. Why? So that I can place the sheet of paper next to the PCB and assemble it.

Comment: Altium (Protel) could do this in about 5 seconds 30 year ago.

After trying for 2 hours to find a way to do this...

Solution: It seems there is no solution to for this. One forum thread says it is not implemented and it keeps the layout "clean" if you don't have component values scattered all over it. Well, sure, that's why you have layers and turn them off as required.

Then is suggests using the CAM output. Okay, select CAM Processor, go down to Image to produce a PDF and select the layers: Dimension + tPlace (20 and 21) and Process Job. The image files do not appear, even though about 10,000 other files do.

Why is this so **** difficult?  Good grief, am I the only person on the planet who wants to simply print the top overlay??? 

[robZDWS7]

Problem: I have a simple PCB and want to print onto paper the component overlay with values. Why? So that I can place the sheet of paper next to the PCB and assemble it.

Comment: Altium (Protel) could do this in about 5 seconds 30 year ago.

After trying for 2 hours to find a way to do this...

Solution: It seems there is no solution to for this. One forum thread says it is not implemented and it keeps the layout "clean" if you don't have component values scattered all over it. Well, sure, that's why you have layers and turn them off as required.

Then is suggests using the CAM output. Okay, select CAM Processor, go down to Image to produce a PDF and select the layers: Dimension + tPlace (20 and 21) and Process Job. The image files do not appear, even though about 10,000 other files do.

Why is this so **** difficult?  Good grief, am I the only person on the planet who wants to simply print the top overlay??? 

[robZDWS7]

Further issues: Print appears to ignore the "Border" value. I have it set to zero to make the print as large as possible on the page, yet there is an enormous border of probably 10-15 mm between the visible edge of the PCB an the edge of the page.

Further: The print preview shows Layers: Dimension and tPlace (Black is ticked). Yet print to PDF does not print what is previewed -- it misses the Dimension layer !!!

Further: Alignment = Center does NOT center the preview on the A4 page.

[robZDWS7]

Further issues: Print appears to ignore the "Border" value. I have it set to zero to make the print as large as possible on the page, yet there is an enormous border of probably 10-15 mm between the visible edge of the PCB an the edge of the page.

Further: The print preview shows Layers: Dimension and tPlace (Black is ticked). Yet print to PDF does not print what is previewed -- it misses the Dimension layer !!!

Further: Alignment = Center does NOT center the preview on the A4 page.

[robZDWS7]

It would appear as if the export CAM is dumping files into the incorrect folder.

 If I click "Process Job" and select the default folder:

C:\Users\my_name\AppData\Local\Autodesk\webdeploy\production\dbb8db0b3b946100c5939310d59a7748950fd047\Applications\Electron\LibEagle\examples\cam\examples\CAMOutputs\ImageFiles

then I get a PDF file exported into this folder.

If however I click "Process Job" and select another folder (such as Downloads) I get folders "%PREFIX" and "CAMOutputs". The PDF is placed into the CAMOutputs folder.

BUT !!! If I click "Process Job" and select a folder on my Synology NAS:

\\synologynas\CAD\PCB CAD\Exports from F360\CAMOutputs

then I get ONLY ONE folder "%PREFIX" and no PDF is placed into there (however "gerber_job.gbrjob" is placed into that folder).

[robZDWS7]

It would appear as if the export CAM is dumping files into the incorrect folder.

 If I click "Process Job" and select the default folder:

C:\Users\my_name\AppData\Local\Autodesk\webdeploy\production\dbb8db0b3b946100c5939310d59a7748950fd047\Applications\Electron\LibEagle\examples\cam\examples\CAMOutputs\ImageFiles

then I get a PDF file exported into this folder.

If however I click "Process Job" and select another folder (such as Downloads) I get folders "%PREFIX" and "CAMOutputs". The PDF is placed into the CAMOutputs folder.

BUT !!! If I click "Process Job" and select a folder on my Synology NAS:

\\synologynas\CAD\PCB CAD\Exports from F360\CAMOutputs

then I get ONLY ONE folder "%PREFIX" and no PDF is placed into there (however "gerber_job.gbrjob" is placed into that folder).

[jorge_garcia]

Hi @robZDWS7,

Let's simplify this a little. If all you want is a print out, then you don't need the CAM processor.  Do this.

1) Make sure you have whatever layers you want printed visible.

2) Go to the print command.

If the view as shown is not what you want or you need a custom paper size then choose the print to PDF button and then you can use the printing facilities of Adobe PDF.

Let me know if you continue to run into problems.

Best Regards,

[jorge_garcia]

Hi @robZDWS7,

Let's simplify this a little. If all you want is a print out, then you don't need the CAM processor.  Do this.

1) Make sure you have whatever layers you want printed visible.

2) Go to the print command.

If the view as shown is not what you want or you need a custom paper size then choose the print to PDF button and then you can use the printing facilities of Adobe PDF.

Let me know if you continue to run into problems.

Best Regards,

[robZDWS7]

Jorge, thanks. 

I have opened a PCB in Fusion 360. I cannot get the component values to display.

If I add a new component, then the value displays fine, and I can turn on and off the value using tValue.

Existing components however do not display. Is there a hidden setting somewhere? 

[robZDWS7]

Jorge, thanks. 

I have opened a PCB in Fusion 360. I cannot get the component values to display.

If I add a new component, then the value displays fine, and I can turn on and off the value using tValue.

Existing components however do not display. Is there a hidden setting somewhere? 

[jorge_garcia]

Hi @robZDWS7,

Are you using custom components? If they are your components make sure that in the library you have >VALUE and >NAME placeholders. Without those you won't be able to see the values in the 2D PCB.

If that checks out then then next thing to do is to apply Autoposition to all of the components, this will restore them in the case that the values were accidentally deleted. Here's the procedure.

1. Select all of your components

2. Activate the AUTOPOSITION command. Make sure it's set to Restore Default
3. Hold ctrl then right-click one of the components to apply the autoposition command to all of your parts

Are the values visible?

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

Best Regards,

[jorge_garcia]

Hi @robZDWS7,

Are you using custom components? If they are your components make sure that in the library you have >VALUE and >NAME placeholders. Without those you won't be able to see the values in the 2D PCB.

If that checks out then then next thing to do is to apply Autoposition to all of the components, this will restore them in the case that the values were accidentally deleted. Here's the procedure.

1. Select all of your components

2. Activate the AUTOPOSITION command. Make sure it's set to Restore Default
3. Hold ctrl then right-click one of the components to apply the autoposition command to all of your parts

Are the values visible?

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

Best Regards,