I designed a board in EasyEDA and exported the gerber files. I want to use KiKit in KiCad to panelize the design so I launched KiCad 7.0 Gerber Viewer and opened the gerber zip file. I clicked File > Export to PCB Editor and this pop-up was presented saying “Gerbers with known layers: 8” (screenshot below).
Layers 1 (Drill_PTH_Through.DRL) and 2 (Drill_PTH_Through_Via.DRL) seem like they are important but their names aren’t prefixed with ‘Gerber’ - maybe it’s JLCPCB’s way of throwing a spanner in the works for people who try to use other PCB manufacturers? I don’t know how to proceed if KiCad doesn’t know what the layers are. I cancelled the process came here to ask.
There’s a tool for converting EasyEDA JSON files into KiCad PCB files but it doesn’t keep/convert the fonts in the silkscreen correctly, causing the text to get too big and move around.
Thanks for any information or push in the right direction.
You may try new EasyEDA importers integrated in the nightly 7.99 version.
Though they may not import fonts correctly as well. You have to install fonts used in the design onto your system and adjust text sizes to match.
If you want to panelize boards from Gerber files, it’s generally better to use tools like GerberPanelizer. Though you may need to compile it yourself to get the latest bugfixes.
The reason I wanted to use KiKit/KiCad is because GerberPanelizer uses mouse bites and I want to use v-grooves. Also, if you want to put 50 boards in a panel, you have to do over 100 clicks just to get them into GerberPanelizer; it’s only really suited to small numbers/larger boards.
Those are drill files and not Gerbers. Generally Gerbers define pads, traces, masks, but the drill sizes. Drilling and Masking are separate steps in the manufacturing process.
So it is correct to NOT recognize those 2 as Gerbers.
