PCB Libraries Forum : IPC-2581 & Graphicode https://www.PCBLibraries.com/forum/ Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:51:34 +0000 Thu, 29 Nov 2012 05:30:45 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 12.07 360 https://www.PCBLibraries.com/forum/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=712 <![CDATA[PCB Libraries Forum]]> https://www.PCBLibraries.com/forum/forum_images/PCBLForumLogo.gif https://www.PCBLibraries.com/forum/ <![CDATA[IPC-2581 & Graphicode : GC Prevue has a SAVE AS IPC-2581...]]> https://www.PCBLibraries.com/forum/ipc2581-graphicode_topic712_post2446.html#2446 Author: jameshead
Subject: 712
Posted: 29 Nov 2012 at 5:30am

GC Prevue has a SAVE AS IPC-2581 option, as below, but I haven't had any success using it.



The resultant XML file cannot be read by WiseView nor Vu2581, my two viewers.  It appears to be a binary format file rather then the ascii that I've been advised should be present.



I've been told that the format of a correct file should be:

<?xml version = "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?>

<IPC-2581 xmlns="http://webstds.ipc.org/2581"xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">

  <Content>

    <FunctionMode mode="FULL"level="1"/>

    <StepRef>PCB</StepRef>

    <LayerRef>BOTTOM</LayerRef>

    <LayerRef>TOP</LayerRef>

    <LayerRef>L7</LayerRef>

    <LayerRef>L6</LayerRef>

    <LayerRef>L5</LayerRef>

    <LayerRef>DRILLPADS</LayerRef>

    <LayerRef>L4</LayerRef>

    <LayerRef>L3</LayerRef>

    <LayerRef>L2</LayerRef>

    <LayerRef>R2</LayerRef>

    <LayerRef>R1</LayerRef>

    <LayerRef>DRILL_1-9</LayerRef>

    <LayerRef>P2</LayerRef>

    <LayerRef>M2</LayerRef>

    <LayerRef>outline</LayerRef>

    <BomRef>AllBOM</BomRef>

    <DictionaryStandardunits="MILLIMETER">


GCPrevue will open it okay, not unsurprisingly, but WiseView displays the error:



I appreciate this is a very new standard that's still being developed.  The only sample files I have at the .cvg format ones, not .xml so wasn't entirely sure if there'd be a difference in the two different formats.

Has anybody used the GC Prevue IPC-2581 output sucessfully in something else?

My current theory is that they've put it in there only as a test at this stage and hoped no one would start to play around with it and that they've encoded it so only GC Prevue can open it before they release it officially.

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