GerberTools

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    <div class="warning">
        <h1>Welcome!</h1><br />
        NO WARRANTIES!<br /><br />
        NO BATTERIES INCLUDED!<br /><br />
        ALWAYS CHECK YOUR OWN PANEL RESULTS BEFORE SENDING THEM TO THE FACTORY!        
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        <h1>If you have enjoyed this tool</h1><br />
        Please send me pictures (or actual pcbs for on my wall of fame!) of the things you have made with it! :-)<br /><br />
        I am available for consultancy. Contact me for details.<br /><br />
        Stijn Kuipers <br />
        Witte de Withstraat 20hs<br />
        1057XW Amsterdam<br />
        The Netherlands<br />
        <a href="mailto:stijnkuipers@gmail.com">stijnkuipers@gmail.com</a>  / <a href="http://www.thisisnotrocketscience.nl" target="_blank">www.thisisnotrocketscience.nl</a> / <a href="http://www.twitter.com/rocket_not" target="_blank">@rocket_not</a> / <a href="http://www.twitter.com/blok2009" target="_blank">@blok2009</a><br />
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        <h1>Notes on usage:</h1>
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            <li>
                Make sure your gerber files are in order. The program uses a "1 pcb = 1 folder" rule. Do not put files from different boards in the same folder - this will end in tears.
                <ul>
                    <li>.txt or .xln = excellon drill file.</li>
                    <li>
                        .gko = outline file.
                    </li>
                    <li>
                        .gml = mill file. MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT INCLUDE THE BOARD OUTLINE IN THE MILL FILE AGAIN!!!
                    </li>
                    <li>
                        gbl/gbo/gbs/gtl/gto/gts and the above will be used for image generation
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                    <li>
                        all other files (if gerber) will be combined with files with matching extension (case insensitive!)
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            <li>Start a new document or load an older one (this can also be done by dragging folders to the main area - this will start a new document and add all the folders)</li>

            <li>Add folders that contain the files for -1- PCB at a time.  (or drag a folder to the board - this will add an instance)</li>

            <li>Drag instances around until you are happy. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO KEEP AT LEAST 2 MM BETWEEN THE BOARDS - the mill the boardhouse uses to separate the boards is not infinitely thin!</li>

            <li>Add tabs breaktabs by rightclicking and adding tabs. A good guideline for tabs is to keep them about 3 or 4 mm wide, and have one about once every 3 cm on a shared side. Try using 2 tabs as a minimum for each connected board or you might get a handful of separated boards back from the post because they broke off (this happened to one of my tryouts)</li>

            <li>Edit instances in the treeview or numerically</li>

            <li>Make sure you dont have crosses or floating stuff that might end up loose.</li>

            <li>Export the combined thing and enjoy your new gerbers/images.</li>
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        <h1>Issues/bugs/known things:</h1>
        <ul>
            <li>geometry is not always perfect.. always use sanity and check the exported gerbers like you would usually do before sending anything to a factory.</li>
            <li>interface does not always directly update after a number-edit. drag something to make it recalculate the output.</li>
            <li>yes the userinterface could do with zooming/moving/3d/partrendering/autorouting and all that stuff... my time is not infinite.</li>
            <li>merge is currently slow but acceptable. boardimages are slower. (but the merged files should be done before the images anyway.)</li>
            <li>paths saved in the set-files are absolute.</li>
            <li>boardhouses might reject your generated boards. I have exclusively tested this tool in combination with the services provided by DirtyPCBs.</li>
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