ProE to ECAD import

[ptc-1151073]

Hello ProE gurus,

I have a client for whichwe design handheld electronic products. We create the mechanical design, which includes parts like the housings for the product. We collaborate with them on the PCB design. Many time they ask us to provide them with a board outline, keepouts, etc... Our current process is to save out a .dxf file and provide them with a dimensioned .pdf file and any jpegs for clarification. They have been having problems importing the .dxf file into their program, and end up having to redraw the board outline from the provided .pdf file. As you can imagine this opens many possibilities for errors which makes the pocess take longer. Does anyone have a solution to a similar problem?

We are currently using WF4.0 and we do not use any other PTC product like Windchill or ProductView. We only have the what I believe to be the standard modules in the foundations package plus ISDX and Mechanica. I am hoping for a solution which does not require a significant cost.

My client is using Mentor Graphics PADDS.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Casey Stahl

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[ptc-1140560]

Hi Casey,

Export the file as a .emn (IDF) file. Make sure the cooridinate system is in the location where your customer requires it.

Keith

Keith Richman
Simplified Solutions Inc.
410-420-7853 (United States)
-

[ptc-1151073]

Thank you to all those who have helped thus far. This is still an active issue. We have gotten busy and I haven't had much time to dedicate to the problem but here is the current status.

We have sucessfully exported a board shape to PADDS but none of the keepouts are showing up when our client opens the IDF3 file. Originally the keepouts had no depth, then we tried them with depth as well. We also tried just sketches.

Ideally we would like to export the board from ProE with the components whose locations are mechanically revavent.

Thank you in advance for any additional input.

[kwsauter]

I have the same problem. I can create keepouts, keepins, place regions,
etc., in Pro, but none of it comes into Allegro; just the board outline
and the keepouts as a rule. If I put down a pad layout for a component,
Allegro complains about multiple board outlines. Why can't the IDF
people require a file format that the various packages can actually do
something useful with, rather than just import/export board outlines and
keepouts. That much is useful, but I need more functionality to really
make this function useful.


Ken Sauter
DRS Reconnaissance Surveillance and Target Acquisition
Infrared Technologies Division
PO Box 740188
Dallas, TX 75374
469-221-5430
- <">mailto:->

[wfalco]

I'm pretty sure we DXF'd in that stuff after the IDF???

[BrentDrysdale]

Hi Casey and others,
Our ECAD Admin wrote a specific IDF importer rather than use the default CADENCE (Allegro) one which he described as "rather limited". It may be the PADDS IDF importer that has the problem. We can export to CADENCE; the PCB outline, component placements for relevant components, Place Keepout (height restrictions) and Route Keepout using the IDF3 option. Place Keepin is not a valid choice for us, we do not use Place region as this is really covered by Place Keepout and we no longer use Route Keepin (PCB designers make their own standard offset from the perimeter). The last option of Via Keepout we have not seen a reason to use. We have guidelines for how areas are to be specified and this is to do with the fact that overlapping areas cause problems. The practical upshot is that we end up with a bunch of Place Keepouts.

From the ProE side you can check your .emn export file (in either IDF2 or IDF3) using a basic text editor. This will show you the various things in the export file. You can see the board outline and Place Keepouts and Route Keepouts etc as well as part placements and rotations in this file. The info in the file is pretty crude, mostly vector start and end points, but it does have headings for the various feature groups plus it has the name of the exported part for its location. If you can see all this stuff in your export file then the problem lies with the import into your ECAD system.

Good luck.


Regards, Brent Drysdale
Regards, Brent Drysdale
Mechanical Designer
Tait Electronics Ltd (www.taitworld.com)
New Zealand
Ph. +64 3 358 1093

Casey Stahl wrote:
Thank you to all those who have helped thus far. This is still an active issue. We have gotten busy and I haven't had much time to dedicate to the problem but here is the current status.
We have sucessfully exported a board shape to PADDS but none of the keepouts are showing up when our client opens the IDF3 file. Originally the keepouts had no depth, then we tried them with depth as well. We also tried just sketches.
Ideally we would like to export the board from ProE with the components whose locations are mechanically revavent.
Thank you in advance for any additional input.

[bfrandsen]

Here we are using the default Cadence Allegro IDF interface for transfer.
We are able to transfer the same restrictions as Brent mentions.

A few restrictions need to be keeped in mind, when defining the PCB in
Pro/E:

1) Place Keepout areas must not be nested inside each other in the same
feature. It is possible in Pro/E, but is not supported with IDF and the
transfer will give you wrong heights.
2) If you transfer component placements, the coordinate system used for
transfer must not be placed below the board surf. It must be aligned with
it or offset outwards. Otherwise the component is simply ignored in
Pro/E's export.

Regards,
Bjarne



Brent Drysdale <->
16-12-2009 22:47
Please respond to
Brent Drysdale <->


To
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cc

Subject
[proecad] - RE: ProE to ECAD import






Hi Casey and others,
Our ECAD Admin wrote a specific IDF importer rather than use the default
CADENCE (Allegro) one which he described as "rather limited". It may be
the PADDS IDF importer that has the problem. We can export to CADENCE;
the PCB outline, component placements for relevant components, Place
Keepout (height restrictions) and Route Keepout using the IDF3 option.
Place Keepin is not a valid choice for us, we do not use Place region as
this is really covered by Place Keepout and we no longer use Route Keepin
(PCB designers make their own standard offset from the perimeter). The
last option of Via Keepout we have not seen a reason to use. We have
guidelines for how areas are to be specified and this is to do with the
fact that overlapping areas cause problems. The practical upshot is that
we end up with a bunch of Place Keepouts.

From the ProE side you can check your .emn export file (in either IDF2 or
IDF3) using a basic text editor. This will show you the various things in
the export file. You can see the board outline and Place Keepouts and
Route Keepouts etc as well as part placements and rotations in this file.
The info in the file is pretty crude, mostly vector start and end points,
but it does have headings for the various feature groups plus it has the
name of the exported part for its location. If you can see all this stuff
in your export file then the problem lies with the import into your ECAD
system.

Good luck.


Regards, Brent Drysdale
Mechanical Designer
Tait Electronics Ltd (www.taitworld.com)
New Zealand
Ph. +64 3 358 1093


Casey Stahl wrote:
Thank you to all those who have helped thus far. This is still an active
issue. We have gotten busy and I haven't had much time to dedicate to the
problem but here is the current status.
We have sucessfully exported a board shape to PADDS but none of the
keepouts are showing up when our client opens the IDF3 file. Originally
the keepouts had no depth, then we tried them with depth as well. We also
tried just sketches.
Ideally we would like to export the board from ProE with the components
whose locations are mechanically revavent.
Thank you in advance for any additional input.