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

[rockola]

can anyone shed some light on this?

Most likely your Java installation is newer than the one this old version of DIYLC was compiled with, and the new Java version does not let the code get away with things the old version used to. I would try to download the latest DIYLC version and see how that goes.

[duck_arse]

thanks rockola, I'll give it a shot ..... but not right away. I'll finish my current thing before messing with another installing.

[duck_arse]

in the interests of full disclosure [ie I now feel bad] - the very last thing I did before writing up my problem was to add the last trailing " 0 " to the shell script shown. and then I ran the program, and did the file listings as shown, and the program was still messing up.

and then last night, the last thing I did was to download, but not unpack or install, the latest version .zip file. and then I start up the old version today, and what do you know? it remembers. and, the shown ERROR message doesn't appear in the current log.

so, crisis averted? I'll watch, we'll see.

[Kevin Mitchell]

I've been having trouble with the latest versions. Exporting to PDF results in some traces being drawn out as thin white lines or missing completely and any text gets slightly distorted. Export to PNG works fine.


-KM

[Big Monk]

Is there a way to transfer in these .diy files to something like Eagle CAD? I'm trying to get a board made and the company creating the prototype boards requires that.

[GGBB]

I've been having trouble with the latest versions. Exporting to PDF results in some traces being drawn out as thin white lines or missing completely and any text gets slightly distorted. Export to PNG works fine.


-KM

Kevin - not sure if you got this sorted out yet but I had a similar problem which I reported a while ago and it was fixed. Have you tried updating again?

[GGBB]

Is there a way to transfer in these .diy files to something like Eagle CAD? I'm trying to get a board made and the company creating the prototype boards requires that.

Not really. The native format isn't supported by any other software (that I am aware), and the only export formats are PDF and PNG. DIYLC seems mainly aimed at creating layouts for use to build from scratch via vero, perf, or self-etched boards. What you might be able to do is import an image from DIYLC into and Eagle board layout and then build up a layout over top. But that's not especially useful.

[Big Monk]

Is there a way to transfer in these .diy files to something like Eagle CAD? I'm trying to get a board made and the company creating the prototype boards requires that.

Not really. The native format isn't supported by any other software (that I am aware), and the only export formats are PDF and PNG. DIYLC seems mainly aimed at creating layouts for use to build from scratch via vero, perf, or self-etched boards. What you might be able to do is import an image from DIYLC into and Eagle board layout and then build up a layout over top. But that's not especially useful.

Regardless of if it can or not, I prefer DIYLC for mapping stuff out and for providing a nice visual for schematics and layouts. Then I can create them on Eagle. I am trying to become proficient in Eagle only as a way of getting the PCBs created professionally. I don't have the space to etch my own boards and I'd prefer to not have the chemicals lying around anyway (small children).

I really love DIYLC and I can live with creating master copies and reference materials in there then transferring those designs to Eagle to send to manufacturers.

[newjackruby]

I'm hiding this noob question here instead of making a whole new thread to ask a stupid question, but it's kind of important 

When I see this icon on a layout from tagboardeffects, (in this case) the top with the white mark is (-) right?

If I'm right about that, then why is it that when I add an electrolytic in DIYLC it comes out like the second image, with a little sliver marked (+)?

Thanks!

[GGBB]

The second one is a tantalum capacitor - which have their anodes marked "+". There is a different component for electrolytic capacitor which has its cathode marked "-".

[newjackruby]

Ohhhhhhhh...I'm dragging the wrong one out to my project. Sorry. ADHD. 

The second one is a tantalum capacitor - which have their anodes marked "+". There is a different component for electrolytic capacitor which has its cathode marked "-".

[matlevo12]

Hi everyone,

I'm a beginner with diylc but followed the effectcslayouts (brilliant) tutorials, but I have a problem.
I created a perfboard layout with traces, components, etc, and now that it's finished I'd like to add all the pads for the components connection on the trace.
If I turn on "auto-create pads" and add a new component it does work (even though I can't manage to make the pads smaller automatically by the way), but if I paste all the components at the same time it doesn't create any pad. Any idea on how to do that ?

I tried searching on the forum but didn't find a answer, sorry if I missed something.

[GGBB]

When you copy, copy the pads as well as the component.

[matlevo12]

When you copy, copy the pads as well as the component.

Hi, and thanks for aswering.
THe thing is I created the trace without the components connection, so there are no pads there, nothing to copy and paste with the components.

The "auto-create pads" does create a pad when I put on one component (but I can't find how to create a smaller pad though), but it doesn't when I copy and paste all the components at once.

Sorry if I didn't get your answer but please explain it to me if that's the case.

[GGBB]

What I meant was that you need to select the pads along with the components, then copy, then paste.

To change the pad size, you edit them like you edit components. Right click then edit. I think maybe double click too.

[matlevo12]

Thanks again.

I'd love to do that, but there are no pads to be copied since they don't auto-create when I paste all the components.

I had a look at the tutorial videos again and it seems to be a version problem :
https://youtu.be/7E-Cs-a8F4s?t=626

[GGBB]

I'm lost. You say you are copying components. That means they are already created. You said the pads get auto-created when you create/place components (using auto-create pads). So when you copy the components that have already been created/placed, there should be pads as well - right? So - to recap - when you first create/place the components, use auto-create pads so the pads are created at that point. Then you can copy the components as well as the pads, and when you paste, you will have pasted both components and pads. In the video, for some reason, he doesn't create the pads when he adds the components for the first time to the perf on the left before moving to the right and later copying/pasting to the left - he could have just created the pads first time around using auto-create, and then he would not have needed them to be pasted along with the components. I'm not saying that it isn't a bug, I'm just saying it's something that's pretty easy to work around if you think about how you work.

Another useful feature - right click on the library item e.g. solder pad and choose select all. Then you can copy all your pads or whatever all at once, or edit them all to change a property like size.

[matlevo12]

Thanks.

[bancika]

Hi everyone. It's been a while 

I had some spare time due to self isolation and I started working on upgrading DIYLC to Java 8 to avoid issues with newer Mac OS versions that have deemed Java 6 obsolete. Also I started working on a new app icon instead of the generic one used before.

Any Mac users here? Can you please download the beta version below and give it a test on your machine?

https://github.com/bancika/diy-layout-creator/files/4369400/diylc-4.0.1-osx.zip

[matlevo12]

The new G4 version rocks ! Thanks a lot !

I just tried it today and the two main problems I had are gone, that's REALLY COOL !