File Names
In general the rules defining the operating system concept of file and directory structure also apply in the Eagle environment.
The / is the default path separator in Eagle. Eagle handles the conversion to \ (as in Windows) where appropriate. There may be instances when using direct operating system commands and the configuration of utilities where you may need to be careful about the syntax construction. Refer to Customizing the Eagle Environment section for more details.
Any characters allowed by the underlying operating system are acceptable as file names. The only exception to this rule may be where in certain cases the developer may have programmed Eagle to recognize files with an underscore as files having a "special" link with one another.
There are certain legacy cases where the underscore character "_" maybe suffixed with a code following the underscore. This code is a user-attribute code to be appended to files within the modeling system. This can be useful for scheduling model items. The suffix will not be part of the filename on disc.
e.g. door_gw45.mod
and door_xt72.mod
will both reference a disk file called door.mod, but will be treated as different entities during modelling. The underscore code may be appended to any basic file name, but its use is currently only of value when applied to sub-models. A patch explained in the release notes and configuration file explains the use this format if required.
There is a facility for including arithmetic expressions as part of a file name. This is sometimes useful when looping through a series of files, or accessing unknown files within command files.
The arithmetic expression should be enclosed within angled brackets: < and >. For example, consider a program variable X with a value 55. A basic file name indicated by
numb<x>.mod
would be interpreted by the program as numb55.mod.
If the expression within the angled brackets yields a non-integer, it will be rounded to the nearest whole number. Leading zeros will be removed.
When accessing files from different operating systems, upper and lower case characters are treated equally. Therefore where upper and lower case filenames are treated as different files, all filenames within the modeling system are converted into lower case before accessing them.
Special Library / Directory names
Library or directory names determine the position of a file within the file tree-structure on the disc. If a file pathname has no library name within it, the program assumes that it resides in the current directory to which the program is currently attached.
Unless the pathname begins with the character /, or one of the special library names: @, std, lb1, lb2, lb3 or lb4, library names within the pathname are assumed to be sub-directories of the current directory.
The characters // at the beginning indicate the a device name or node number on the network.
e.g. //D/usr/cad/window.des
e.g. d:\usr\cad\window.des
There are facilities within the modelling system for defining "special" directories, to which any user can refer, without having to know their full pathnames. The directories are the @ directory, the std directory and four others: lb1, lb2, lb3 and lb4.
They can be referenced by preceding a filename by @, std/, lb1/, lb2/, lb3/ or lb4/.
e.g. @modasc.cmd
@2d/start.cmd
std/wall04.cmd
lb3/work/layout.dat
The actual addresses of these directories are defined in the configuration of Eagle and can be redefined during a program or session using the SET command. You should be careful not to create any directories with these pseudonyms.
There is no specific requirement for file extensions in Eagle but there are within the system some commonly used extensions which are as follows.
extension:.mod
These are files which hold sub-models. They are created using the save command, and contain a copy of the model workspace (sometimes referred to as the "stack") which is an assembly/database of graphic items. Sub-model files also record values of attach point positions.
Sub-models may be recalled using the GET or UPDATE commands or by the "hairpin" facility within other commands (i.e. lines, route, pipes).
Ufo
extension:.ufo
A UFO file is a binary file used by the Merlin Solids Modeling module of Eagle. UFO files contain information representing Unbound Facetted Objects that extend the modeling capabilities of the standard Eagle modeling system beyond primitives and combinations thereof. Using solids modelling primitives can be combined to form new objects using Boolean operators.
Sat
extension:.sat
A SAT file is a widely used file format in the modelling world. SAT files contain ACIS information representing objects that extend the modeling capabilities of the standard Eagle modeling system beyond primitives and combinations thereof. Using solids modelling primitives can be combined to form new objects using Boolean operators. Refer to the Solids Modeling section for details.
Dwg
extension:.dwg
DWG files are widely used within industry for modelling. The files supported by Eagle derive from the Open Design Alliance an organization dedicated to ensuring the transparency of data in the industry.
Dxf
extension:.dxf
DWG files are widely used within industry for modelling. The files supported by Eagle derive from the Open Design Alliance an organization dedicated to ensuring the transparency of data in the industry.
IGES
default extension:.igs
IGES files are widely used within industry for modelling. The files supported by Eagle derive from the OCC libraries up to and including V5.3.
BREP
default extension:.brp
BREP are the native files used by OCC libraries.
extension:.des
These are text files containing sub-model descriptive information. They correspond to sub-model files (mod) with the same name, and are created when a sub-model is created (using the save command). However, because they are text files, they may be created or updated by the text editor independent of the associated sub-model files.
extension:.cmd
These are files which contain sequences of commands or "macros" which are user-written procedures to perform application-specific functions. Command files may be encrypted for security using the encryption utility. Encrypting command files copies the source to a file with the extension .ung which should not be lost unless many sleepless nights have been ordered.
extension:.var
These are files which hold the values of program variables. They are created by the variables command and contain the values of a set of program variables and attach points.
They may be recovered using the retrieve command or by the data function within the move and let commands.
Design Data files are binary files but are transparently transferable between machines of different manufacture.
default extension:.dat
These are files which can hold data for use in the modelling environment, or for communication with other programs external to the modelling system.
They are text files, and as such can be created by the text editor or by the output and write commands. Values can be read from them using the input and read commands.
extension:.men
These are files which hold user-written menus. They can be created by the text editor and displayed and executed using the choice command.
extension:.ras .bmp .tif .jpg .gif
These are files which hold raster screen images and depending on type can be used by the GUI, hybrid and visualization facilities in Eagle.
extension:.plo
These are files which hold 2D graphic images of model information, which can be reproduced on a printer at any scale. They are created by the DUMP command, and plotted by an external plotting program.
They can be reviewed on the graphic display using the draw command, or converted into 2D models using the ETCH command.
extension:.tab
These are files which hold strings of text, which can be commands or data function key assignments, icon or panel menu choices.
Tablet files are text files and can be created by the text editor.
extension:.hlp or chm or htm or pdf
These are files containing information about program commands and facilities.
There are levels of help available within the program to enable the user or system-builder to augment the system help facilities.
default extension:.fnt
These are files containing software graphic character fonts. They are created externally via the program MKFONT, and may be referenced during modelling by the font command.
extension:.msg
These are files containing message strings to be used by the program, and (optionally) by user-written macros. They are created externally via the program SETMSG, and may be referenced during modelling by the set mess command, by the string function mess and by the descriptive message phrase m(n1,n2).