Re: [PROTEL EDA USERS]: Drill Drawing

["Geoff Harland" <gharland@ingenico.com.au>]

<snip>
> The NC Drill file (ASCII file extension .TXT, EIA extension .NCD)
> is a totally different thing from the drill DRAWING - with the
> extension .GD1     The .TXT file is generally preferred, as the old
> EIA paper tape codes are officially obsolete.  The .TXT file
> specifies the hole locations, and nothing else.
>
> The .GD1 file is a DRAWING, to be plotted by a Gerber-compatible
> photoplotter or just examined on the screen.  If you include the
> ...LEGEND text on that layer, a drill legend with the associated
> symbol will be part of the drawing.
>
> Don't try to look at the .TXT file with a gerber file viewer.  Although
> these files are both variants of RS-274D (or X) syntax, the Gerber
> files are generally created with leading zeroes suppressed and no
> decimal points, and the drill files are generally created with TRAILING
> zeroes suppressed, and no decimal points.  For this reason, the files
> will massively corrupt the interpretation of coordinates.  Drill files
> select tools with commands like T03, while the gerber files select
> apertures with commands like D14.  So, these files are effectively
> incompatible.
<snip>
> Jon Elson

I have yet to come up to full speed with using Camtastic 2000 Designers
Edition (provided by Protel to owners of Protel 99 SE), but I am pretty sure
that I have previewed (Protel generated) .TXT files (ASCII format NC Drill
files) with this. And although a bit of extra work is required, it is
certainly possible to preview these files with GC-Prevue.

It is a complication that these files using trailing zero suppression
(whereas the Gerber files use leading zero suppression), but that doesn't
prevent these files from being viewable.

Regards,
Geoff Harland.
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