GerbTool

[Tom]

It looks like GerbTool is starting to take off....

This is where the Ex-CAM350 Team went.

http://www.gerbtool.com/index.htm

Hello Tom,

Thank you for considering GerbTool for your CAM needs.

For our pricing structure, you get a lot of bang for the buck in comaprison to other CAM products on the market.

We handle step and repeat data just great.

Please see attached pricing list. Also note that we do offer an educational discount.

We are also one of the last few who are actually moving forward with product development and focus on Customer needs.

If you are still interested, please follow the accompanying instructions in order to receive a full operating demo:

Go to http://www.gerbtool.com/

1. Please submits a download response to our web site, which enables you to download the software.
2. Upon receipt of that response we auto-generate a message with the following text:

Dear CAD/CAM Professional,

Thank you for your interest in our GerbTool software. Since you have
already taken the time to download our demo software, we would like to
offer you a FREE Evaluation License for a fully functional GerbTool CAM
to use with your own data files.

Following are the instructions to obtain your FREE evaluation license for the full version of GerbTool.

Windows NT: You must be logged in as Admin before you begin the installation.
Windows 2000: You must be logged in as the user not the administrator when you do the installation.
Windows 9X: Administrative privileges are not a factor in the installation of GerbTool.

Install GerbTool onto the computer where you want to use the software.
During the installation you will be prompted to enter your name, company and serial number.
Enter the word "DEMO" for your serial number.

After the installation is complete.

Click on the GerbTool License Manager icon or go to Start\Programs\GerbTool 10.0\GerbTool License Manager request tab, make sure your Phone, FAX and E-mail address are filled in and click on the "Send Request" button to "print" and FAX or "e-mail" the license request form to WISE Software for your Trial Authorization Code.

Please note: if you have any problems with e-mailing your request to our license department, please click the "Send Request" button again, choose "Text file", name and save the file, and send this text file as an attachment to licenses@wssi.com.

We will send back an authorization code along with instructions on how to activate the GerbTool software.

If you would like further information please feel free to contact me again.

Also, be looking for the release of the NEW V11 shortly!

Clay Wescott (formerly with ACT)
North American Sales Manager
WISE Software Solutions Inc. / GerbTool
clay@wssi.com
Phone: 503-554-8855 X228
Fax: 503-554-1220
Cell: 408-832-8142

[Jeff Miller]

Tom -- Yes some of us ended up here -- but not all... WISE picked only two of the key developers for CAM350, Clay Wescott in Sales, and myself... The remaining 9 people ended up at Cadence, Simplex, and various other places.

WISE's objective for GerbTool is not to be another CAM350, rather it is to go beyond and do the things that we were never able to do in CAM350.

CAM350 is a good product (I invested 10-years of my life to it) but it has run its course and is in despirit need of a major overhaul.

The great thing about GerbTool is that it has already undergone the necessary overhauls in order to allow it to continue for a good number of years. The GUI is modern and current and the core architecture is on par as well. In the near term users can look forward to a broadening of the GerbTool functionality. Long term holds even more in store as we towards next generation tools with next generation technology.

Regards,
Jeff Miller
Vice President
Sales & Marketing
WISE Software Solutions, Inc.

[Tom]

Jeff,

It's always good to get the story straight on who went where. I have some GerbTool questions for you....

How is GerbTool compatible with PowerPCB? Can it import a PowerPCB V4.0.1 ASCII file? Can it import anything besides Gerber data?

Can GerbTool export ODB++ data?

Is GerbTool a PCB designers tool? Or a manufacturers tool?

I have to agree with you that CAM350 needs a major overhaul. It cannot handle PowerPCB's Split/Mixed plane technology or any Copper Pour in a timely manner. It takes 24 - 36 hours to run the necessary DRC checks on a 10 layer design with 4 Split/Mixed layers on a Pentium 1 Gig machine. No wonder Innoveda dropped the product, but we're still hopefull that Rick Alameda & Downstream Technologies can "Overhaul" the code and create a better product. Once again, we'll see.

[Jeff Miller]

Tom -- GerbTool does not read PADS ASCII directly yet. We are just releasing version 11 which will include ODB++ and DirectCAM imports.

We have an ASCII interface in development, but quite honestly are not sure we want to go there... Most of the problems with the ASCII interface to CAM350 were do in part to the poor documentation of the ASCII format itself. So to go through those pains again is not something that I'd look forward to.

The GerbTool product is targeted both at Designers and Small-to-Medium Fabrication shops. The vast majority of our systems, like CAM350, are installed within the design community. To date we have some 35,000+ systems out there.

As for Innoveda dropping the product -- needing an overhaul was not the reason. An overhaul was in the plans after version 8.0. Quite honestly it was never really clear as to why they decided to drop it. As I look back at it, it isn't even clear as to why they bought PADS either.

I'm sure that Rick will be able to create a better something -- what that something is at this point nobody really knows. I'll leave it at that...