Convert Gerber into PDF file

Sure. You write a routine to read and decode the gerber data into a data structure, then write a routine to encode and write the data in PDF format. Simple? No. Easy? No (unless you have the PDF format manual and the Gerber RS274C specification and a couple months to read them). Efficient, Absolutely not. :@

My opinion: Just because you CAN do something does not necessarily make it the best solution. Nor does it make SKILL the best language to do it in. Since both formats are saved on a disk, write it in another general purpose language (python comes to mind since it's supposed to be good with graphic manipulation), sell it, and retire to Tahiti. :)

My suggestion: Use a third party tool such as GCPrevue or Viewmate to load the gerbers, then print them to an accrobat print queue (you can set this up when you buy the accrobat editor). Voila! Doesn't automate too well though. We use ghostscript and some of the built-in capabilities of linux to just print the layers out of Allegro in postscript format, then concatenate and merge them into a multipage document. Ugly, but automated :}

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George Patrick
Tektronix, Inc.

Sure. You write a routine to read and decode the gerber data into a data structure, then write a routine to encode and write the data in PDF format. Simple? No. Easy? No (unless you have the PDF format manual and the Gerber RS274C specification and a couple months to read them). Efficient, Absolutely not. :@

My opinion: Just because you CAN do something does not necessarily make it the best solution. Nor does it make SKILL the best language to do it in. Since both formats are saved on a disk, write it in another general purpose language (python comes to mind since it's supposed to be good with graphic manipulation), sell it, and retire to Tahiti. :)

My suggestion: Use a third party tool such as GCPrevue or Viewmate to load the gerbers, then print them to an accrobat print queue (you can set this up when you buy the accrobat editor). Voila! Doesn't automate too well though. We use ghostscript and some of the built-in capabilities of linux to just print the layers out of Allegro in postscript format, then concatenate and merge them into a multipage document. Ugly, but automated :}

--
George Patrick
Tektronix, Inc.