gerber-to-svg

gerber-to-svg

Gerber file to SVG converter for Node and the browser.

usage

command line (with Node already installed)

1. $ npm install -g gerber-to-svg
2. $ gerber2svg /path/to/gerber (writes to stdout)

• $ gerber2svg /path/to/gerber > file.svg will write to a file

api (node and browser)

For Node and Browserify:

1. $ npm install --save(-dev) gerber-to-svg
2. Add var gerberToSvg = require(gerber-to-svg); to your JavaScript

If you'd rather not manage your packages:

1. Download the standalone library or minified library
2. Add <script src="path/to/gerber-to-svg.js"></script> to your HTML before your application

Use in your app with:

var svgString = gerberToSvg(gerberString);

Where gerberString is the gerber file (e.g. from fs.readFile encoded with UTF-8 or FileReader.readAsText).

what you get

Not a whole lot, for now. This converter uses RS-274X and strives to be true to the latest format specification. Most all of the Gerber file features are there.

The returned SVG is going to be black, but you can specify color either in the XML or with CSS to change it.

things to watch out for

Step and repeat is very much a work in progress. If your Gerber file is only one polarity (i.e %LPC*% doesn't appear anywhere in your file), you should be fine. But otherwise, don't trust whatever it returns (if it doesn't throw).

Arcs should work, but they've tended to give me trouble. If you see something circular and weird, that could be why.

If it messes up, open up an issue and attach your Gerber, if you can. I appreciate files to test on.

building from source

1. $ git clone https://github.com/mcous/gerber-to-svg.git
2. $ npm install && gulp

Library files for Node and Browserify live in lib/, standalone library files live in dist/, and the command line utility lives in bin/.

unit testing

This module uses mocha and shouldjs for unit testing. To run the tests once, run $ gulp test. To run the tests in watch mode, run $ gulp testwatch.

There's also a visual test suite. Run $ gulp testvisual and point your browser to http://localhost.com:4242 to take a look.