Best gerber file viewer?

Community PCB Design
1

Hi there,

Can somebody suggest a good gerber file viewer?

By good, I mean

It should work with Windows Vista 64, XP and if possible with Linux

It should be simple. That is you just open the gerber file and view it. No complexity because there is not time to learn complicated stuff

Thanks

2

Viewmate looks simple enough.

3

Only one I’ve used is Viewmate, but I can confirm it works on Vista64.

4

I use GCPrevue on Windows XP Pro. I’ve never used Vista. Normally, Gerber viewers show the board from the component (top) side. One of GCPrevue’s features is that it can also show the board view from the bottom. This makes it easy to see bottom side text (copper or silk) left-to-right (normal reading) rather than reversed.

5

For pure simplicity, and the ability to download high-quality PNG images of each file, give www.circuitpeople.com a try. Here is a sample of what the output looks like:

http://www.circuitpeople.com/ViewPackag … 50d5eac2f2

You’ll need to package all the files into a single ZIP, then upload it (right there on the homepage). Let me know how it goes, I’m always looking for suggestions.

6

that sounds like a bunch of work just to look at gerbers.

7

Yeah Viewmate lets you see more file types, is faster, lets you zoom in really far, etc. And its save-enabled big brother ViewMasterEZ is worth way more than the $49 they charge. I’d consider it a necessity if you ever plan to make more than two or three PCBs in your life.

8

I like gerbv a lot more than viewmate. It DOES work with vista64, as that is what I run.

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfile … _id=655414

9

While we are on the topic, is anyone aware of a gerber viewer built in PHP?

10

smdFan:
Hi there,

Can somebody suggest a good gerber file viewer?

By good, I mean

It should work with Windows Vista 64, XP and if possible with Linux

It should be simple. That is you just open the gerber file and view it. No complexity because there is not time to learn complicated stuff

Thanks

gc-prevue from graphicode is a really good free gerber viewer - i have found some of the older versions more “user friendly” but these versions are not available to download any longer.

PCB-POOL have a version on their website which is really good.

http://www.pcb-pool.com/ppus/service_downloads.html

11

I’d recommend a Gerber Viewer called FAB 3000 - Free DFM Checker. It views gerber/drill files plus it includes a free DRC/DFM checker to verify gerbers and drills for any violations (like minimum spacing, acid traps, power/ground shorts, etc). It runs on both Windows and Linux. Here’s the link to download:

http://www.numericalinnovations.com/ind … stom&ID=37