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

[bancika]

Thanks 
Next release should have pots and maybe jacks/switches.
Btw, I changed those mistakes on site

[Gilles C]

Once again, I just wanted to tell you thanks for the program, I like the way it works, and specially to be able to replace the components.

I realised that I spend about as much time to enter components than to change their location. So as I said before, the only thing I am still missing is having the component tree we're working on staying open instead of having to reopen it every time because it reopens the component tree of the last entered component.

Jacks and switches would indeed a good addition. I am working on the best way to do a box layout with the stripboard layouts I already made.

Gilles

[choklitlove]

i've been using this software a ton, and i love it.  i have a few things that i'd like to see in future versions, but would be happy with the software even if i didn't.  here goes...

1. select all function
2. rotate function
3. a "layout" size that is separate from the board's size.  for offboard components.  it would basically move the component list down, and the title/credits up.  this would really push the program into layout territory as well as board.
4. a border around both the component list and title/credits.  just to keep it nice n separate.
5. more components, of course.
6. text formatting options.
7. ability to lay down ICs horizontally.
8. i can't seem to get the "Print PnP" function to work.  it always just prints a blank page... not a big deal though.
9. again, not a big deal, but sometimes i run in to problems with the parent function between pads and components.  sometimes, the pads will move with a component that they aren't under.  weird...
10. an export function with the PnP scaled to correct size.  maybe to pdf.
11. correctly scaled rulers, so we can see the exact size of the board.

again, these are just suggestions, and i understand how hard programming is.  so, i don't expect any of them to actually happen, but it would be cool.  thanks for a truly useful program, bancika.

-choklitlove

[bancika]

Thanks to both of you
I had many of those features in mind, but as I told before those exams are really boring. About one more month and I'll be able to take some time for myself. One month from today Joe Satriani comes to my country  great way to celebrate end of stupod exams.
Anyway, the program:
- I'm thinking of putting Help group out of right panel to make more space for explorer. That way I could leave all component trees open all time.
- I know about ruler, it will be done
- don't understand "ICs horizontally" thing
- I moved whole layout for 20px down which leaves more space between title and board
- text formating would be nice...but it's difficult to implement it into hwole system. Each component has 3 properties: name, value and unit. Formatting would take more properties. Maybe I could use unit field to choose font type or font size.
- I'll think about way to implement rotate
- export PnP should give file in right scale, try to print it please.
- I think "layout size" is unnecessary. While you work, layout size is limited only with your screen resolution (sorry, but can't make scroll) and when you export it to GIF program automatically crops image so everything fits inside
- what components you suggest to add?
Thanks again 

[choklitlove]

nevermind about the horizontal ics (sorry!).  i have tried printing the exported pnp, and it was way too big.  but that gets into the whole printing to scale thing that really pisses me off.  i have only tried through mspaint and the gimp (freeware photoshop "equivalent") at the standard settings.  i really don't like thinking about all of that stuff so...

i don't mind not having a layout size, but the component names/values at the bottom get in my way (unless i make the board bigger).

components - jacks, pots, switches.  basically a lot of off-board stuff.  you've pretty much got the rest covered!  some sort of 'wire' graphic would be cool to connect all of it.  the traces work fine, though.  it just gets a little messy since they're all black...

one more suggestion- maybe some importing options.  for small pictures of our own.  in theory it would be simple, but it's probably not.

anyway, take your time on all that crap.  rest assured the program is at a good place right now.  thanks for the reply!

[bancika]

I tried in photoshop and it worked. It should be printed with 200dpi resolution, not default 72

[stumper1]

Select all would still be great   I also ran into a problem w/the pad/component relationship when trying to move an entire layout.  Some pads would mould move with BOTH the component  and just the selected pads.  It's hard to tell in navigator which pads are which without scrolling through all of them.  In the end I had to start all over - luckily it was a very small layout.

If there was any way to "point" at a component/trace/pad etc and see what # it is in navigator that might be helpful.  When working on large layouts it would make edits/changes MUCH easier.

Rulers would be awesome too.

A way to print text on a PCB might be cool too.

Love it so far - thanks!!!

[choklitlove]

I tried in photoshop and it worked. It should be printed with 200dpi resolution, not default 72

i tried that and it worked.  is there any way that it could be exported to print the right size at 72dpi?  that would really be cool!

[bancika]

It's not a problem to scale it back to 72tpi, I just wanted better resolution to make lines smoother. Especially solder pads, I think they wil look rough in 72tpi. I'll try anyway

[mutant_guitar]

i just used your program yesterday for the first time and drew up a pcb layout for the Shaka Tube, i even posted it on this board to be double checked. anyway, this is my first time using any layout program, so i don't know what it should/shouldn't do, but i did notice a few things.

1. When i delete a component from the board, say R3, on the parts list on the bottom it will remove R3 from it's numerical sequence, leaving R4 and R5. If i later put in another resistor, R3 is added back to the list, but not in seqencial order. R3 is placed at the very bottom, so the list looks like this. R1... R2... R4... R5... R3. Something small and not very important, but none the less, something i noticed. Maybe you could have the program reasign the numbers to keep them in the proper numerical sequence, like, if i delete R3, R4 becomes R3, R5 to R4, so on. And if you want to insert a resistor in the sequence it does the same thing, so if i want a resistor between R3 and R4, R3 stays the same, the new resistor becomes R4, and R4 becomes R5.

2. Along the same lines, when i delete a component out of order, say solder pad #20, and i have 30 pads, the next pad i put down will be assigned #20. Now, if i deleted a pad from one section of a board, and then added a pad to a different section of the board, pad #20 will be surrounded by pads 27, 28, 29. When i use the parts tree to edit things, i have to scroll through the entire solder pad list to find the random pad that's out of order compared to the pads around it. Not a bid deal unless you're doing a slightly larger layout, with up to 60 or more solder pads. then it really gets confusing, and sometimes very annoying. Do you understand what i'm getting at here? i'm not sure i'm being clear enough.

3. Still along the same tangent, if i have components that are out of order, instead of searching through the parts tree list, would a "right-click" function be at all hard to program in? i think it would be very usefull to be able to right click on something and change/delete it instead of having to scroll through the entire parts tree.

4. Ditto on the "select all" function.

5. When using the text function, the prefix T is used for both text and traces. The program has now way of determining the difference between the two T's, so if i lay done some traces, then put some text on the layout, the text will be assigned the next trace number, and when i go to add more traces, it will skip the number the text box used. so if i have to traces i layed down next to each other, one could be T23 and the other would be T25. There would be no trace number 24, because there is a Text number 24.

all in all, a great program so far. just a bunch of little things here and there. if you want me to add my shaka tube layout to your library once i have it verified, just let me know and i'll e-mail the project file to you.

[choklitlove]

It's not a problem to scale it back to 72tpi, I just wanted better resolution to make lines smoother. Especially solder pads, I think they wil look rough in 72tpi. I'll try anyway

you're probably right.  maybe when you go to export or print the pnp, an option will come up allowing you to select between dpi settings?  that would be really neat.  thanks again bancika!

also, i would love a way to select components without scrolling through the list.  i remember you mentioning something about it (maybe in the last release), but i don't think it's in there.

thanks!

[Gilles C]

I also noticed and mentionned the fact that the components gets mixed up like that, but a trick I began to use to deal with that is that I place a dummy component somewhere on the layout to reserve the name of that component in the list, and replace it later with the correct name and value when I need to place it.

That way, the component are in order in the component list.

Gilles

[choklitlove]

i just change the components' names after i'm all done.

[bancika]

Let's see.
Setting DPI is not a problem, will be done.
About component naming. Would you preffer method "greatest existing + 1" over "first available number" used now.
How do you mean selecting without scrolling?
I'm thinking about way to select component by clicking on it...if my solution does not slow down program I'll make it.
I didn't notice same prefix for trace and text...will fix it.

[Gilles C]

I prefer "first available number" because "greatest existing + 1" would not make things better.

Gilles

[RLBJR65]

Bancika, Thanks again the more I play around with your program the more I like it
Still some bugs, but it is already the easiest layout program I have ever used!

Richard

[choklitlove]

another thing about the pnp rendering/printing:  would it be possible to render and print them in reverse?  i think that would be the last piece of the puzzle for pcbs.

[markm]

I could be wrong but, I don't think you need to have anything reversed to print for PNP with this program.
Your looking at the traces from the top side with this program so when the PNP is finally ironed on to a blank,
everything should be in the correct direction.
   MarkM

[choklitlove]

yeah you're right.


sorry.

[markm]

No problem my friend!
This is got to be one of the best DIY programs going though.
    MarkM