{"id":17804,"date":"2017-05-29T08:00:33","date_gmt":"2017-05-29T15:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/eagle\/blog\/?p=1117"},"modified":"2023-09-25T14:46:37","modified_gmt":"2023-09-25T21:46:37","slug":"farewell-idf-one-click-mcad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/farewell-idf-one-click-mcad\/","title":{"rendered":"Farewell IDF, One-Click MCAD is Here"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We\u2019ve got some great news to share. We sat down with our good friend IDF, and, well, we decided it just wasn\u2019t working out anymore. So long story short, IDF is going to go its separate way. But man, what a journey it has been. For as long as I can remember we have been doing the IDF export\/import dance every time we want to get our ECAD files over to our mechanical tools. I think we\u2019re all a little tired of this, right? I sure am, which is why we\u2019re very excited to offer the new One-Click MCAD conversion feature in Autodesk EAGLE.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Times Change IDF, We\u2019re Sorry<\/h2>\n\n\n

IDF, or Intermediate Data Format files, have been <\/span>the<\/span><\/i> file format of choice for ECAD\/MCAD integration<\/a> since the early 1990s. The original idea was excellent – create a simple, text-based file format that includes all the data we need to translate our ECAD designs into 3D MCAD models. But the crazier and complicated our designs become, the more apparent it became that IDF is way too limited for what we need these days. Here are three reasons we\u2019re happy to part ways with IDF:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Which files do I use again?<\/b> This is a common complaint amongst nearly every engineer. Not only do you need two separate files for IDF, one for your PCB and one for your libraries, but many PCB design tools also use different naming conventions for the same type of file. We are definitely not going to miss this file juggling nonsense. <\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Where\u2019s the detail, man?<\/b> IDF files provide a super simple representation of your board, so when you pop it into your mechanical tool you only see a little bit of the real design. Need to view your copper areas, routes, vias, or silkscreen in 3D? It\u2019s not happening with IDF.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. When was the last time you were updated? <\/b>The latest version of IDF, version 4.0, was released back in 1998, and basically tanked. Since then, IDF is officially no longer actively developed, so this is as good as it will ever get. Can you think of any other technologies you are using from the 1990s?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    So yeah, IDF had a good run. I\u2019ve been using it since the late 90\u2019s (does that make me old?), but now it\u2019s time to cut out the middleman in this whole ECAD-MCAD operation.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Native file formats, you\u2019re up!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

    Using Native Files is the Way to Go<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

    As intermediary file formats like IDF head for the sidelines, we\u2019re starting to see a much bigger adoption of native file formats that are straight from the source. This is perfect for engineers that need to see the complete details of their PCBs in a mechanical tool.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

     \"old-idf-format\"<\/td> \"new-ecad-mcad\"<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    The visual difference between IDF and native file formats is like night and day in your MCAD tool.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The benefits go beyond just visual. Native files also provide direct access to much more data about our designs that IDF files just can\u2019t compete with, allowing for new possibilities in deep analysis and simulation. The next time you pop your design into your mechanical tool with One-Click MCAD, prepare to be greeted with copper, silkscreen layers, and some gorgeously detailed components. Let\u2019s check out how it works.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

    Getting Started with One-Click MCAD<\/h2>\n\n\n

    To get started with this beautifully simple feature, you\u2019ll want to make sure you\u2019ve <\/span>upgraded to the latest version of Autodesk EAGLE<\/span><\/a>. If you\u2019re already an EAGLE Subscriber, then you should be good to go! We\u2019re going to walk through all of this good stuff step-by-step, so you can get a practical view of how this will work on your next project.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

    MCADifying Your First File<\/h3>\n\n\n

    First things first, let\u2019s open an existing EAGLE board. You\u2019ll notice we\u2019ve recently added some new additions to the interface, and the one you want to focus is labeled MCAD at the top of your UI.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Push this <\/span>MCAD<\/b> button, and in a few simple steps, you\u2019ll have your design uploaded to ecad.io, where you can start playing around with it in 3D.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"one-click-mcad-button\"
    You\u2019ll find the new MCAD button at the top of your EAGLE interface.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

    3D PCBs In Your Browser?!<\/h3>\n\n\n

    With your design uploaded to ecad.io, you now have full reign to twist and turn your creation in beautiful 3D. This is important if you want to see how your board will look in its physical form. But wait, something seems to be missing, all of our components have no height! We have a quick fix for that. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"mcad-button-ecadio\"
    That\u2019s one sleek 3D PCB, all thanks to One-Click MCAD in Autodesk EAGLE.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

    Adding Those Component Details<\/h3>\n\n\n

    Next up, let\u2019s give all of those flat and bland looking component blocks some needed height. From your ecad.io interface, select <\/span>Tools<\/b>, then choose <\/span>Detailed Components View.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When the progress bar completes, you should have some excellent looking component models on your board. And the more you use this detailed view, the more the ecad.io wizard learns about your choices and adapts to what part models it places on your future designs.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"ecadio-detailed-components-view\"
    The <\/em>ecad.io wizard automatically adds available 3D component models from its library on command.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    You might find that you have a few components where detailed models weren\u2019t added. This is a quick fix. Simply choose a generic component shape on your board, select <\/span>Choose Component Package, <\/b>and finally select <\/span>Use Component <\/b>for the listed component package of your choice. Ecad.io will then automatically add the new component package to your design. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"adding-3d-components\"
    Adding additional component models is quick and easy with available Component Packages.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

    It\u2019s Conversion Time!<\/h3>\n\n\n

    Our board is looking ready for prime time, so let\u2019s get it over to our mechanical tool. To do that, try the following:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Select <\/span>My ecad.io <\/b>to see a list all of the designs you\u2019ve uploaded<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Select <\/span>Actions <\/b>next to the design you want to get into your mechanical tool and choose <\/span>Create MCAD File. <\/b><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Lastly, choose the file type you need and select <\/span>Create.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      The ecad.io server will now get to work on converting your file to an MCAD-ready format. There\u2019s no need to wait around for this to finish; we\u2019ll email you when your file is ready to download!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"convert-ecad-mcad\"
      Getting ready to convert your design into an MCAD file.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      To download your new MCAD file, head back into <\/span>My ecad.io<\/b>, select the <\/span>Action <\/b>button next to your generated MCAD file, and choose one of the many download options as shown below:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"download-your-mcad-file\"
      Downloading your MCAD-ready file from <\/em>ecad.io is super easy.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Now take that MCAD file and pop it into your mechanical tool like <\/span>Fusion 360<\/span><\/a>. There are much more options to play around with in ecad.io and we don\u2019t want to spoil them all. Be sure to check out these tutorial videos for more options:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n