DIY Layout Creator - software for easy drawing PCB, vero and perfboard layouts

[Gargaman]

Hello there,
I'm using DIY Layout Creator (3.28.0), having a lot of fun! Really simple and amazingly effective.
I wanna know if it's possible to change the size of the DPDT and ICs (as I do with resistor, caps, etc).
Looks like the model of DPDT that comes with the software is a little smaller than the ones I'm using.
I guess it's possible to design my own components and add to library, but I'm a real noob in programing this stuff.
Appreciate any sugestions!
Thanks,
Gabriel

[BironDowell]

Can you please tell about your software requirements?
Also which type of PCBs you want to design?
How have designed any PCB before?
And also what material you will use for your PCB?

[bancika]

Hello there,
I'm using DIY Layout Creator (3.28.0), having a lot of fun! Really simple and amazingly effective.
I wanna know if it's possible to change the size of the DPDT and ICs (as I do with resistor, caps, etc).
Looks like the model of DPDT that comes with the software is a little smaller than the ones I'm using.
I guess it's possible to design my own components and add to library, but I'm a real noob in programing this stuff.
Appreciate any sugestions!
Thanks,
Gabriel

I think I made IC pin spacing adjustable, but not the size. Switches are not re-sizable, as far as I can remember.

Cheers

[Ryder17]

Hi! This seems like an amazing piece of software however, there are too many bugs in v3 to make it useable. The main one being, I cant seem to save any templates as the option to do that is always greyed out in the menu. This obviously makes it too tedious to use as most components need to be edited.
Is there a v2 still available? perhaps this dosen't have some of the problems of v3?

[duck_arse]

ryder - you can only save single parts as templates as far as I've seen. you can't save a grouped item. what, exactly, is it you are trying to template-ise, and what is your method that continues to fail? I'm using 3.28.0, saving as template is no problem here.

the bugs I've seen don't include templates.

[Ryder17]

Im only trying to save single components.

For example, if I wanted to make a smaller resistor - I create one, edit it to the size I want etc but when I then right-click, the 'save as template' option is greyed out.

I have actually just found a small work around. If I edit parameter and then check the box beside it, it will save as the default template which has made it useable. I just can't save separate templates in the drop down menu which would speed things up a lot more.

Anyways, i'm not grumbling. I really appreciate whoever developed this thing. I was just wondering if it's a know issue or indeed, if im doing anything wrong.

[GGBB]

That works fine for me - strange that you can't get it to work. Is it not working for all components? Try doing it from the main menu - click the component so it (and only it) is selected, the from the main menu try Edit -> Save as Template.

too many bugs

What other "bugs" have you found? Having used DIYLC v3 for quite a while, I can say that I can't think of any bugs it has. There are things it doesn't do that I wish it did, and a couple of things that I wish it did differently, but bugs? No - it does what it does extremely well, and has some very useful features that aren't obvious (like right-clicking the toolbar buttons).

[Ryder17]

It's not working for any components except............. I just tried your method of saving from the toolbar instead of the right-click menu and it works! Thanks for that! It's so odd that it's not working from right clicking though but hey ho, that will do nicely!

Well of course there's bugs, everything has bugs, there's a whole list of them on the github page...... Off the top of my head though, theres a weird one where if I have a breadboard thats bigger than the screen, the board disappears when I try to scroll down. Also, most of the time I can click on a point and it will place the first pin of a component but sometimes, this dosen't work and I have to click and drag.

[GGBB]

A couple of the bugs on github are from me . Obviously everything has some bugs, but I can't think of anything in DIYLC that makes it unusable, or even a pain to use. As I said before, it works extremely well for me.

Wierd that you have so many problems that no-one else seems to have. Are you on Windows? What bugs do you experience that make it unusable?

[Ryder17]

TBF, the thing that made it unusable is fixed now. Before I could save defaults, I was having to re-size every component. As you can imagine, that put me off. I've actually been having fun on it all day.

I'm on windows 10

[Johnfreeth]

I am on Windows 10 too and have the same problem. I am sure it was O.K. when I was on Windows 7 last month.

[GGBB]

That's interesting. I don't think there's been an update since before windows 10 was released.

[LightSoundGeometry]

nice! just got this, no time to mes around but looks very useful and simple learning curve

[PeterPan]

For what its worth, I've been using DesignSparkPCB from RS components for a few years now. It is a complete open source SCAD and is offered free by RS components, and it was written by engineers fed up with the high cost of other CADs. It takes a little getting used to but it is very thorough and well designed, and it has a forum with very supportive folks. It outputs standard gerbers and NC drill files with more options then anyone could count, has great tutorials / documentation, and you can't beat the price. Also a pleasant surprise, in over three years use I have yet to run into a problem or roadblock that couldn't be overcome, simply by learning to better understand features it already had. The only thing it doesn't have is integrated (built in) SPICE simulation, but it does output the necessary files to run on some 3rd party (and also free) SPICE tools. I've posted a link below.

http://www.rs-online.com/designspark/electronics/

[GGBB]

For what its worth, I've been using DesignSparkPCB from RS components for a few years now. It is a complete open source SCAD and is offered free by RS components, and it was written by engineers fed up with the high cost of other CADs. It takes a little getting used to but it is very thorough and well designed, and it has a forum with very supportive folks. It outputs standard gerbers and NC drill files with more options then anyone could count, has great tutorials / documentation, and you can't beat the price. Also a pleasant surprise, in over three years use I have yet to run into a problem or roadblock that couldn't be overcome, simply by learning to better understand features it already had. The only thing it doesn't have is integrated (built in) SPICE simulation, but it does output the necessary files to run on some 3rd party (and also free) SPICE tools. I've posted a link below.

http://www.rs-online.com/designspark/electronics/

There are several free cad programs to do PCBs. As far as I know, none of them are specifically designed for the DIY pedal community and include features like vero, perf and breadboard layouts as well as being super simple to use. Ive started using Eagle myself for boards that I want professionally made double sided with plated through holes. But I would honestly rather use diylc for single sided boards that I plan to etch myself. You can't beat it for simplicity and ease of use for typical pedal circuits.

[exztinct01]

i have v3, how do i add new parts and how do i get them? I'm so confused when i go to github and look at all those codes

[GGBB]

i have v3, how do i add new parts and how do i get them? I'm so confused when i go to github and look at all those codes

Don't go to github and look at all those codes. There are no new parts to get or add. You can only use the ones included with the program. What are you trying to do?

[exztinct01]

i'm designing a layout for an lm1875 power amp and I don't know how to put an lm1875 footprint there. I know it's designed for pedals but most components I use can be found there so I think it can be used for my power amp.

[GGBB]

They way to add a component that doesn't fit any of the predefined generic ones is to place individual pads wherever necessary. This usually will require looking at the data sheet for the component to get the package specifics. In some cases like to92 transistors you don't need to be precise, just close, because the leads can be bent a little.

[exztinct01]

They way to add a component that doesn't fit any of the predefined generic ones is to place individual pads wherever necessary. This usually will require looking at the data sheet for the component to get the package specifics. In some cases like to92 transistors you don't need to be precise, just close, because the leads can be bent a little.

okay, I'll try this