DescriptionDXF2MIC is intended to convert mask drawings done in AutoCAD (or other mechanical CAD packages) into Micronic's MIC format. The MIC format drives Micronic's family of large area laser writers is used for writing glass photomasks for applications such as LCD and displays, IC packages, hybrid circuits, semiconductor masks etc....
|
SpecificationsPlatform:Sun Solaris 2.6 or later - 128K RAM. Windows NT may be offered in the future.
AutoCAD Versions:
|
| Supported Entities and Constructions | |
| Line | Lines are linked to other lines, arcs and polylines on the same layer to form closed boundaries if possible. Lines that cannot be linked are assigned a user set minimum width value. Unlinked lines can also be directed to a user specified error layer. |
| Arc | Arcs are linked to other lines, arcs and polylines on the same layer to form closed boundaries if possible. Lines that cannot be linked are assigned a user set minimum width value. Unlinked lines can also be directed to a user specified error layer. Arcs are fractured into a series of short segments as determined by the user set arcres and arcsag parameters. |
| Circles | Supported. Note that the circle will be "filled" in the MIC format. |
| donuts | Supported. Although you use the "donut" command in AutoCAD it is actually stored in the DXF database as two polyline arcs with width. |
| Solids | Solids are converted into closed boundaries. An AutoCAD solid can have only 3 or 4 vertices. Note that it is possible to draw a solid incorrectly (i.e. a bow tie) that self intersects. This is not a legal drawing. |
| Trace | Not supported - Traces are old AutoCAD entities and should not be used. Use a polyline instead of the trace. |
|
Polylines The AutoCAD polylines is an extremely flexible, yet complex entity. Because of this the translation rules are a bit complex. There are also some things one should not do when using polylines. |
|
| Polyline with constant width | The translator will convert them into a boundary. Both straight and arc sections are supported. You should avoid wide polylines with large angle bends as the mitering may differ between what AutoCAD displays and what the translator does. Such a polyline should not overlap on itself since this will create a self-intersecting boundary. The maximum number of vertices should not exceed 4096. Not Closed - You should not "close" a polyline with width since this will create a self-intersecting boundary. |
| Polyline with non-constant width | AutoCAD allows you to change the width of a polyline at each vertex. The translator must then create the proper boundary. It supports both steps and tapers. However one should avoid stepping and changing direction on the same vertex as the created boundary may not match exactly what AutoCAD shows on the screen. Again, such polygons should not overlap themselves and should not be "closed". |
| Polyline with zero width |
This type of polyline is commonly used to define an area that will be "filled" AutoCAD
does not show the area as filled. The polyline may be made up of both straight and arc
sections and may have up to 4096 vertices. It should not fold back on itself but it can
be formed into a re-entrant polygon. It should be closed using the AutoCAD "close" command
for the last vertex. A zero width polyline that is not "closed" will be put into the link list with lines and arcs in an attempt to close it. |
| Lightweight Polylines |
This type of polyline was introduced in AutoCAD 14 and does not support changes in width. The
translator applies the same rules to LW Polylines as it does to regular polylines.
|
|
Text AutoCAD's text entity is modified by a "style" and points to a font file to actually generate the text strokes or outlines. There are two types of fonts: stroke fonts such as txt.shx and romans.shx and outline fonts such as helv.shx. Stroke fonts use one or more strokes that need to be assigned a width to properly convert. Outline fonts consist of outer and inner outlines defining the area to image. The following text entities/modifiers are supported: |
|
| height | supported |
| font | must point to a SHX font file - not to PFB or TTF (True Type). SHX is AutoCAD's native font file format. Certain font types known as bigfonts are not supported. |
| rotation | supported |
| width factor | supported |
| justification | supports the various possible reference points for text. |
| obliquing | supported. |
| vertical text | not supported. |
| MTEXT | not supported. |
|
Blocks AutoCAD's Block is a collection of entities that may lie on various layers. A block can also contain a reference (insertion) to another block but may not refer to itself. The following block modifiers are supported: |
|
| rotation | supported |
| scaling | supported |
| mirroring | AutoCAD implements mirroring by making one of the scale factors negative. |
| Attributes | Visible block attributes are treated as text. Invisible block attributes are ignored. |
| Max number of block definitions | 4096 |
| Max nesting depth | 10 |
|
Layers AutoCAD allows the definition of multiple layers. The translator supports conversion of up to 64 layers at one time. |
|
| layer color | ignored |
| frozen or locked | the translator does not look at the layer flag to determine if it is on, off, frozen or locked. All layers specified by the user in the translator configuration are converted. |