Importing Files

Gerbtrace imports files through the Files tab using drag-and-drop or the import button. This guide covers the import workflow, auto-detection behavior, and how to resolve mapping issues.

Import methods

ZIP packages

Drop a ZIP file containing Gerber and drill files. Gerbtrace extracts all files and auto-classifies them by layer type. This is the fastest way to import a complete PCB design.

Individual files

Drop or select individual files. You can import multiple files at once. Each file is classified independently.

Supported file types

See Supported Formats for detailed format specifications.

Import limits and recovery

Imports are limited to 64 MiB per input file or extracted entry, 512 MiB of expanded data per archive, and 10,000 entries. Folder traversal is limited to 64 levels. These limits apply to actual expanded bytes, so compressed files cannot bypass them. An import failure appears in the Files panel; existing project files and edited BOM rows remain available. Retry with a smaller batch or reload if a parsing worker failed.

Auto-detection

Gerber and drill files

Layer types are detected from file names and extensions using common naming conventions:

Files that cannot be auto-classified appear as Unmatched and require manual assignment.

PnP files

PnP files are recognized by file name keywords (pnp, pick, place, pos, xy, centroid). Column mapping uses header text matching — see SMD for details.

BOM files

BOM files are recognized by name keywords (bom, bill-of-materials, stückliste). Column mapping uses header text matching — see BOM File Format for the full specification.

Documents

PDF files are categorized by type. You can assign a document category after import:

• Schematics
• Drawings
• Datasheets
• Instructions

Import checks

After import, Gerbtrace surfaces warnings when critical manufacturing data is missing or inconsistent:

• No copper layer detected — the design has no copper layers
• No drill layer detected — no drill files were found
• No outline detected — no board outline or keep-out layer
• Only one outer copper side — only top or bottom copper present, not both
• Inner copper mismatch — configured layer count suggests inner copper layers that are not present

These checks are informational and should be resolved before production handover.

Manual mapping

Layer type assignment

If auto-detection assigns the wrong layer type, click the layer in the Files panel and select the correct type from the dropdown. Available types include all copper, mask, silk, paste, drill, and outline variants.

PnP field mapping

If PnP auto-detection fails, a mapping modal appears where you can:

1. See a preview of the first data rows from your file.
2. Assign each required field (designator, X, Y, rotation) to a column.
3. Optionally map additional fields (side, value, package).
4. Configure the header row skip count.

BOM field mapping

Similarly, if BOM auto-detection fails:

1. Preview the file data.
2. Map fields (references, quantity, description, etc.) to columns.
3. Verify the mapping against the preview.

At least two columns must be successfully matched for auto-detection to succeed. Otherwise, the mapping dialog appears automatically.

File preview

The Files panel includes a table preview for CSV/TSV/Excel files. Click any tabular file to see its contents in a data grid, which helps verify that the correct file was imported and the data looks reasonable before proceeding with mapping.

PDF documents

Imported PDF files appear in the Docs tab. Each document can be:

• Previewed inline
• Downloaded
• Categorized by type
• Removed from the project