Converter tool from QCAD to Altium

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prabhakar
Newbie Member
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2025 7:51 am

Converter tool from QCAD to Altium

Post by prabhakar » Tue Jan 21, 2025 8:02 am

Hi,
Please help me to find converter tool from my QCAD files ( Schematic and Layouts) to Altium files?
If you can suggest Third part tool is also ok

Thanks

CVH
Premier Member
Posts: 4872
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2017 4:17 pm

Re: Converter tool from QCAD to Altium

Post by CVH » Tue Jan 21, 2025 8:22 am

Hi, and welcome to the QCAD forum.

First, QCAD is essentially 2D.
I read that Altium components can handle 3D models.

The native file format for CAD is DXF/DWG and those are also supported by QCAD (Pro).
At least I found that the Altium Designer also supports these formats.
Other components probably just the same.

I don't think that you need a file converter .... Simply import a DXF or DWG drawing created by QCAD.

Regards,
CVH

prabhakar
Newbie Member
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2025 7:51 am

Re: Converter tool from QCAD to Altium

Post by prabhakar » Tue Jan 21, 2025 8:32 am

Hi
Thanks for your quick reply
Is it work for schematic file and layout files( 2layers)?

CVH
Premier Member
Posts: 4872
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2017 4:17 pm

Re: Converter tool from QCAD to Altium

Post by CVH » Tue Jan 21, 2025 8:54 am

For the record: I am a QCAD user ....

Yes, QCAD supports layers although they have a very different meaning from CAD perspective.

CAD layers are not some sort of stacked transparent levels to draw on.
There is no top or bottom level, layers are simply listed in alphanumerical order.
For CAD purposes layers are used to control the general properties of the entities that live on them. (Tutorial: Working with Layers)
We have thus layers for construction lines, for thing in red, for dashed lines, for center lines, and so on.
There is no drawing order based on layers, the drawing order is entity based.
The higher the drawing order, the more in front.

You can however draw things that belong to 'schematic' on one layer and those of 'layout' on another layer.
How Altium Designer imports these is beyond my knowledge.

Remark that a Layout (on paper) is yet something completely different.
In CAD that is accomplished by a Viewport of your Model_Space in a Layout Block.
Tutorial: Working with Layout Blocks and Viewports

Regards,
CVH

prabhakar
Newbie Member
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2025 7:51 am

Re: Converter tool from QCAD to Altium

Post by prabhakar » Tue Jan 21, 2025 9:48 am

Dear CVH,

Thank you very much for your support

Actually, we are using QCAD27.00, in this export the files to DXF or DWG is not there, only. DSN file is generating
Could you please help us

CVH
Premier Member
Posts: 4872
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2017 4:17 pm

Re: Converter tool from QCAD to Altium

Post by CVH » Tue Jan 21, 2025 10:29 am

For the record: It is QCAD 3.nn.mm.0. for a stable release
Under the Help menu the About section will list your current version.

Then QCAD 3.27.0 was released on 2021/12/01 and 3.27.9 on 2023/01/16
Current stable release is 3.31.2 (2024/10/28)

To my knowledge the DSN format was never supported by QCAD.
See QCAD features

An online search revealed:
  • A DSN file is a data file used by various database client programs to connect to a database.
    A DSN file may also be a PCB (printed circuit board) design file created by OrCAD, a program used to design PCBs
Regards,
CVH

prabhakar
Newbie Member
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2025 7:51 am

Re: Converter tool from QCAD to Altium

Post by prabhakar » Tue Jan 21, 2025 11:07 am

Thank you dear CVH,

Let me check for all the options

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