Virtual BOM Export

Overview

The Virtual BOM Export plugin generates interactive HTML reports for PCB components, either as a bill of materials (BOM) or component list. It combines a tabular view with SVG visualization of the PCB.

Example: https://www.easylogix.de/download/Examples/virtualExport_Example.html

Features

• Interactive HTML with component visualization
• Top and bottom PCB layer visualization with SVG
• Configurable columns for component properties
• Filtering and searching by reference or other properties
• Toggle between mm and mils units
• Interactive connection between component list and PCB view
• Export functionality for CSV, text, and images
• Dark mode support
• Layer visibility control (silkscreen, components, drills)

Usage

The Virtual BOM Export plugin offers three main export options:

Virtual BOM Export

Creates a grouped bill of materials showing total counts of identical components.

1. Open a PCB design in PCB-Investigator
2. Select Virtual BOM Export from the Export menu
3. Choose save location and filename
4. The HTML file is generated and opened in your default browser

Virtual Component List Export

Creates a detailed list of all individual components on the PCB.

1. Open a PCB design in PCB-Investigator
2. Select Virtual Component List Export from the Export menu
3. Choose save location and filename
4. The HTML file is generated and opened in your default browser

Virtual BOM Export via Component Manager

Creates a customized export.

1. Open a PCB design in PCB-Investigator
2. Go to the Component Manager.
3. Click in the checkboxes to customize the export.
4. Select Export HTML Overview from the File menu
5. The HTML file is generated and opened in your default browser

HTML Interface

The generated HTML file has the following sections:

Header

Contains title, creation date and various control buttons:

• Dark Mode - Toggle between light and dark display modes
• Export - Access various export options
• Fit Top/Bottom SVG - Adjust SVG view to fit container
• Toggle Layers - Show/hide different PCB layers
• View layout buttons - Switch between table, split view, and SVG only
• Layer view buttons - Show top only, both layers, or bottom only

Table View

The table displays component information with configurable columns:

Search Controls

• Reference Search - Filter by component references (e.g., R1, C42)
• General Search - Search across all columns
• Column Controls - Show/hide specific columns
• Switch Mils/mm - Toggle between measurement units

Column Management

Columns can be:

• Reordered by drag and drop
• Shown/hidden using the Column Controls button

SVG View

The SVG section displays interactive representations of the PCB:

View Options

• Top layer view
• Bottom layer view
• Configurable layer visibility

Layer Controls

Use the Layer Options modal to toggle visibility of:

• Drill - Show/hide drill holes
• Components - Show/hide components
• Silkscreen - Show/hide silkscreen
• Board Color - Show/hide board color

Navigation

• Zoom - Use mouse wheel
• Pan - Click and drag
• Resize views - Drag dividers between sections

Interaction Features

Component Selection

The table and SVG views are interactively connected:

• Clicking a component in the table highlights it in the SVG
• Clicking a component in the SVG selects it in the table

Layout Adjustment

• Show Only Table - Maximizes the table view
• Standard View - Shows table and SVG side by side
• Show Only SVG - Maximizes the SVG view
• Show Only Top - Shows only the top layer SVG
• Standard SVG View - Shows both top and bottom layers
• Show Only Bottom - Shows only the bottom layer SVG

Resize sections by dragging the dividers between them.

Export Options

The Export button provides several options for exporting data:

• Export CSV (Comma) - Export table data as CSV with comma separator
• Export CSV (Semicolon) - Export table data as CSV with semicolon separator
• Export as Text - Export as tab-separated text
• Export Top Layer PNG - Save the top layer view as a PNG image
• Export Bottom Layer PNG - Save the bottom layer view as a PNG image

Customization

The Virtual BOM Export can be customized in several ways:

Component Properties

The columns displayed in the HTML are determined by the Component Manager settings in PCB-Investigator:

• Use the Component Manager to configure which properties are displayed
• Enable "SumUp" for properties you want to include in the BOM grouping
• Toggle "Hide Ignore"

SVG Display Settings

The SVG visualization uses the following settings:

• Components in orange with 40% transparency
• Silkscreen in yellow
• Drills in gray
• Board outline in black
• Board color in green (can be toggled)

Troubleshooting

Common Issues