Gerber Parser - Open Source Gerber File Parsing and Rendering Library

High-performance C++ Gerber file parsing and rendering library with separation architecture design between parsing and rendering

中文版本 (Chinese Version)

🎯 Project Features

• Separation of parsing and rendering: Core parser is completely decoupled from rendering engine for easy extension and customization
• Blend2D rendering engine: Provides a high-performance 2D rendering backend with headless image export
• High performance: Optimized parsing algorithms and memory management
• Cross-platform: Blend2D-based, supports Linux natively. Need Windows/macOS? Contact us for paid cross-platform support.

💝 Support the Project

🚀	This project saves you weeks of Gerber parsing development.
💰	Your donation directly funds feature development and maintenance.

⭐ Star this project · 🐛 Submit Issues · 📖 Improve docs · 🔄 Share with others

📸 Rendering Examples

Gerber File Rendering Effect

Gerber file parsing and rendering effect demonstration

🏗️ Project Architecture

Core Modules

src/
├── parser/                     # Gerber file parser
│   └── src/
│       ├── gerber_parser/      # Parser core implementation
│       ├── engine/             # Parser engine interface
│       └── parser/             # Various Gerber code parsers
└── engines/                    # Rendering engines
    ├── engine_common.h         # Shared engine constants
    └── blend2d_engine.cpp/h    # Blend2D rendering engine

Parser Features

• Supports complete Gerber file format (RS-274X)
• Parses various aperture types: circular, rectangular, polygonal, elliptical, macro-defined
• Supports G codes, D codes, M codes, and other Gerber commands
• Provides bounding box calculation and coordinate transformation
• Error handling and logging

Rendering Engine Features

• Blend2D engine: Headless rendering, PNG export via built-in codec
• Extensible rendering interface, easy to add new rendering backends

🚀 Quick Start

System Requirements

• CMake 3.20+
• C++17 compatible compiler (GCC 7+, Clang 5+, MSVC 2019+)
• vcpkg (set the VCPKG_ROOT environment variable)
• Blend2D (via vcpkg manifest, see vcpkg.json)

All dependencies are installed automatically by the vcpkg manifest — no manual submodule initialization required.

Build the Project

# Prerequisite: install vcpkg and set the VCPKG_ROOT environment variable
git clone https://github.com/hsiang-lee/gerber-parser.git
cd gerber-parser
cmake --preset default        # vcpkg manifest auto-installs blend2d/gtest/gflags
cmake --build --preset default

Run Examples

The project provides one example program:

1. Gerber to Image Tool

# Convert Gerber file to PNG image
./build/example/gerber2image/gerber2image --gerber_file="path/to/gerber/file" --um_pixel=5

The output PNG is written next to the input file as <input file>.png.

📖 API Usage Examples

C++ API

#include <blend2d.h>
#include "gerber_parser/gerber_parser.h"
#include "engines/blend2d_engine.h"

// Parse Gerber file
auto parser = std::make_shared<GerberParser>("path/to/gerber/file");
auto gerber = parser->GetGerber();

// Get bounding box information
const auto& bbox = gerber->GetBBox();
std::cout << "Width: " << bbox.Width() << " Height: " << bbox.Height() << std::endl;

// Render using Blend2D and export to PNG
BLImage image(800, 600, BL_FORMAT_PRGB32);
Blend2DEngine engine(image, bbox, 0.05);
engine.DrawBackground();
const int ret = engine.RenderGerber(gerber);
if (ret != 0) return ret;
image.writeToFile("output.png");

🔧 Development Guide

Add a New Rendering Engine

1. Inherit from the Engine base class
2. Implement the RenderGerber method
3. Add new engine files in the src/engines/ directory
4. No CMakeLists.txt changes needed (CMake GLOB automatically collects engines/*.cpp, and the gerber_engine target already links blend2d::blend2d)

Extend Parser Functionality

1. Add new parsers in the src/parser/gerber_parser/ directory
2. Implement the corresponding parsing logic
3. Update the parser factory class

🧪 Testing

The project includes a complete test suite:

# Configure and build (tests enabled by default preset)
cmake --preset default && cmake --build --preset default

# Run tests
ctest --preset default   # or: ctest --test-dir build

Test inputs live in tests/test_data/gerber/gerber_files/, and the golden references are 19 Blend2D-rendered PNGs under tests/test_data/gerber/results/. Comparisons use a tolerance-based image diff (not strict per-pixel equality).

🤝 Contribution Guide

We welcome all forms of contributions! Please refer to the following steps:

1. Fork this project
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Create a Pull Request

Code Standards

• Follow the .clang-format configuration in the project
• Use meaningful variable and function names
• Add appropriate comments and documentation
• Ensure all tests pass

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

Thanks to the following open source projects for their support:

• Blend2D - High-performance 2D rendering library (Zlib license)
• Google Test - C++ testing framework
• gflags - Command line argument parsing

📞 Contact Information

• Project homepage: https://github.com/hsiang-lee/gerber-parser.git
• Issues: https://github.com/hsiang-lee/gerber-parser/issues
• Email: leehsiang@hotmail.com

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