GraphiCode GC-PrevuePlus – Gerber Editing & PCB Data Translation Software

GraphiCode GC-PrevuePlus is professional Gerber editing and PCB manufacturing data translation software designed for PCB designers, fabricators, assemblers, engineers, and electronics manufacturers.

Building on the viewing and verification capabilities of GC-Prevue, GC-PrevuePlus adds data editing, creation, conversion, and translation tools. Users can modify Gerber and PCB manufacturing data, convert between Gerber and DXF, create drill and rout information, and prepare data for downstream manufacturing processes.

Core Capabilities

• Gerber Editing – Edit pads, traces, drills, and other PCB manufacturing data.
• Data Creation – Create new pads, traces, drills, text, and manufacturing information.
• Gerber to DXF Conversion – Export PCB manufacturing data into AutoCAD DXF format.
• DXF to Gerber Conversion – Translate AutoCAD data into Gerber manufacturing formats.
• Drill & Rout Translation – Import, edit, and export NC drill and rout information.
• PCB Data Verification – View, inspect, measure, and verify manufacturing data before production.

Gerber Editing

GC-PrevuePlus provides editing tools that allow engineers and manufacturing personnel to modify PCB data before fabrication. This can help correct manufacturing information, prepare customer-supplied data, and make production-related modifications without returning every change to the original PCB CAD environment.

• Change pad and drill sizes
• Add new pads
• Create and modify traces
• Add or modify drill information
• Cut, copy, and paste data
• Edit feature properties
• Create text using TrueType fonts

Gerber & DXF Data Translation

GC-PrevuePlus supports translation between common PCB manufacturing and CAD formats, making it useful for organizations that receive manufacturing information from multiple design systems.

• Gerber to DXF
• DXF to Gerber
• Gerber RS-274-D output
• Gerber RS-274-X output
• AutoCAD DXF and DWG
• Excellon Drill and Rout
• Barco DPF
• HPGL

Supported Input Formats

• Gerber D and Gerber X
• AutoCAD DXF and DWG
• Barco DPF
• HPGL
• EDIF 4.0.0
• NC Drill and NC Rout
• Emma
• ODB++ with optional module

Supported Output Formats

• Gerber X (RS-274-X)
• AutoCAD DXF and DWG
• Excellon Drill and Rout
• Barco DPF
• Component Placement List with optional Assembly Programming module

Sketched Pad Conversion

GC-PrevuePlus can convert sketched or drawn pads into flashed pads. This helps simplify PCB manufacturing data and provides more useful information for downstream CAM and manufacturing processes.

Silkscreen OCR

Silkscreen OCR functionality helps identify reference designators contained within PCB silkscreen data and converts the information into searchable data for manufacturing and assembly workflows.

PCB Measurement Tools

The measurement tools in GC-PrevuePlus allow users to determine distances between selected PCB entities and data points.

• Edge-to-edge measurement
• Center-to-center measurement
• Center-to-edge measurement
• Edge-to-center measurement

Drill Drawing Creation

GC-PrevuePlus can be used to create drill drawings from PCB manufacturing information, helping engineers produce documentation for fabrication, manufacturing review, and communication.

Optional ODB++ Import

An optional ODB++ Import module is available for organizations that need to import ODB++ manufacturing data into GC-PrevuePlus.

Optional Design Rule Checks (DRC)

An optional Design Rule Checks (DRC) module adds PCB design verification capabilities for identifying potential manufacturing issues before production.

Optional Assembly Programming

The optional Assembly Programming module enables GC-PrevuePlus to create component placement information for electronics assembly applications.

• Create component placement files
• Extract placement information from PCB data
• Prepare data for assembly equipment
• Support PCB assembly programming workflows

Typical Use Cases

• Editing Gerber files before PCB fabrication
• Converting Gerber files to DXF
• Converting DXF files to Gerber
• Creating and modifying PCB manufacturing data
• Translating drill and rout information
• Creating drill drawings
• Verifying PCB manufacturing data
• Preparing customer-supplied PCB data for manufacturing
• Performing DRC with the optional module
• Creating component placement files with the optional Assembly Programming module

Benefits

• Combines Gerber viewing, editing, and translation in one application
• Allows manufacturing data to be corrected before fabrication
• Simplifies conversion between Gerber and AutoCAD formats
• Reduces dependence on the original PCB CAD application for manufacturing-related changes
• Supports PCB fabrication and assembly data preparation
• Expandable with optional DRC, ODB++, and Assembly Programming capabilities

Ideal For

• PCB fabrication companies
• Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) companies
• PCB assembly companies
• PCB designers and engineers
• Contract electronics manufacturers
• Manufacturing engineers
• CAM and production engineering teams

GC-PrevuePlus vs GC-Prevue

GC-Prevue is primarily designed for viewing, measuring, printing, documenting, and verifying PCB manufacturing data. GC-PrevuePlus extends these capabilities with data editing, creation, and translation tools.

GC-PrevuePlus is the more suitable option when users need to modify Gerber data, convert between Gerber and DXF, create manufacturing data, or add optional DRC, ODB++ import, and assembly programming capabilities.

Licensing

• Annual subscription licensing
• Single-user license available
• Network / floating license available
• One year of technical support included with annual subscription
• One year of product updates included with annual subscription
• DRC available as an optional module
• ODB++ Import available as an optional module
• Assembly Programming available as an optional module