Question
I would like to import Gerber files into an Altium Designer PCB document for re-using an in-PCB spiral inductor but the importer fails to interpret the Gerber files in a correct way. Has anyone here knowledge on how to import Gerber files into an Altium Designer layout?
Background/What I have tried
The design containing this PCB spiral is a reference design from Linear Technologies and there are design files available for download here (clicking link will download a .zip-file). The design files contains a Mentor Pads PCB file but also Gerber files.
The ECAD system I'm using is Altium Designer 15.1. Since the Mentor PADS PCB file is of binary type I can't import it into an Altium Designer layout document. Altium designer can only import ASCII type Mentor PADS PCB files and I don't have access to conversion tools for converting from PADS binary format to PADS ASCII format. Therefore I tried to import the Gerber files into an Altium layout document. The result is not right at all, there is just a mess of top layer copper.
I have opened the Mentor PADS PCB file into the free Mentor PADS viewer and the design looks like it is supposed to. I have also imported the Gerber files into CAMtastic (the built in Gerber viewer in Altium Designer) and the design looks like it is supposed to. I also tried to export new Gerber files from CAMtastic and then import them into an Altium Designer PCB document but I had no luck with that.
Added to original post (1)
The way I've been trying to do the import of Gerber files into an Altium Designer PCB document is that I open a new PCB document and then I import one Gerber file at a time by choosing File->Import->Gerber File. I stop after the first import since I just get a mess of tracks and pads.
Added to original post (2)
Just opening the Gerber file using the Built in Altium CAMtastic viewer is not the complete answer for me. I would like to transfer some design elements from these Gerber files into a design for reuse.