This command allows you to export one or more Gerber files from the current design.
Select the File|Export|Gerber command. The Export Gerber dialog box appears.
By default, files are exported to the Samples folder. If you would like your files exported to a different folder, click the Browse button next to the Destination Folder box, and find a different or new folder to export your files to.
A summary of the Gerber file format that will be used in your exported file is indicated next to the Data Format button. In this order, it shows the dialect, coordinate format, coordinate mode, units of measure, and zero suppression. If you want to change these or other format settings in your Gerber files, click the Data Format button. The Gerber Export Data Format dialog box appears, with the following options:
Dialect
This is the specific format of the Gerber file, either RS274D, RS274X, or FIRE9XXX.
M.N
This is the coordinate format, which specifies the decimal digits before and after the implied decimal point. Therefore, in a 2.4 format, 122550 would represent 12.2550. During export, the importance of the coordinate format is in the precision of your data. The more trailing digits (the "N"), the more precise your data will be. If you have a dense design, you should use a higher number of trailing digits.
Terminator
Indicate the desired block terminator (EOB). Usually this an asterisk. If desired, use \r to indicate a carriage return (ASCII 13), and \n to indicate a line feed (ASCII 10).
Apply To
These settings will be applied to all files that you select to export at this time.
Coordinate Mode
Absolute mode is when all X:Y coordinates are referenced to a common origin. Incremental mode is when each X:Y coordinate is a displacement from the previous coordinate.
Zero Suppression
No zero suppression allows coordinates to have zeroes in front or back of integers. Leading zero suppression shows zeroes only at the end of a number, trailing zero suppression shows zeroes only at the beginning of a number.
‘G’ Commands
Indicate whether G commands (i.e. G01) should be included when exporting Gerber files.
Character Set
Indicate the character text used in the file.
Special
You may select Metric mode to indicate that your files are in metric format. Otherwise the format will be Imperial (inches).
Modal mode reduces the size of your files by removing all redundant draft codes and coordinates.
The Optimize Polarity option only applies to exporting 274-X data. It minimizes the number of polarity changes in your Gerber files. For example, if Optimize Polarity is not selected, you could have several contiguous LPD or LPC commands in your Gerbers (these are commands that indicate dark or clear polarity). Other systems may read these commands and produce unnecessarily complex composite layer structures, instead of a single layer containing just one set of dark and clear data. If Optimize Polarity is selected, any contiguous LPD or LPC commands are combined into single LPD or LPC commands.
Select Comments to save G04 comments.
You can select to export User Data information, if you inserted any in your database.
If a netlist exists in your database, the Netlist option exports netlist information embedded within the Gerber files.
Extended Gerber
These options only apply if you are exporting 274-X data.
Selecting the Short 274-X Macro Names option exports all 274-X macro names using a 7 character limit. This setting is for compatibility with plotters that have limited support for the 274-X extended Gerber format.
Selecting the Include Unused Apertures and Macros option specifies that all aperture definitions (custom or otherwise) will be exported, whether they are used or not.
When you are finished defining your data format, click the OK button to return to the Export Gerber dialog box.
Select the layers you wish to export in the Filename column. For your reference, the associated layer's name and number are listed in the adjoining columns. Each layer type is represented by an icon. For an icon reference list, see the Color Bar topic. If you have a large number of layers, but only wish to export a few, click the Unselect All button, then individually select the desired layers. If you wish to change any of the file names, double-click on the filename you wish to change and then enter the new name.
When you are finished making your selections, click the OK button to export your files.
If you exported your files in the 274-D format, use the File|Export|Aperture List command to export the aperture list.