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

[ljkowal]

Go for it.  I am new to this DIY and spent 75 for Dip Trace.  Wish you would have made it sooner.  Would have paid you for it!

[scaesic]

how about a tda20** chip when theres more time?

[ambulancevoice]

is the java version done yet?

[DryRoasted]

The threads getting big now so forgive me if its been suggested, but I'd find it realy useful if text inside the boundaries of the "board" in maybe PCB mode appeared on the PnP.

Cheers,
Jim

[bancika]

Noted

[DryRoasted]

Cheers!

[Aidouri]

Hello guys!
I can't find a link to download the DIY Layout Creator
any help please?

[slacker]

here you go
http://www.storm-software.co.yu/diy/index.php?project=software

[soulsonic]

Nice! Thanks for doing this, guys!

[~arph]

{test: (download a couple of random images on your computer with right-click and open them in Photoshop then click on IMAGE then sub-menu IMAGE SIZE... you'll see the image size indicated in inches X inches (or pixels X pixels) and under that you'll see the resolution of the image (72 dpi usually on the web)}

Your explanation is spot-on, but this part is what confuses a lot of people so I thought I'd explain a little further.

For pictures on the web, THERE IS NO RESOLUTION IN DPI THAT MAKES SENSE. A picture that is going to be displayed on a screen has pixels and pixels only. Inches don't come into play. For example, a picture that is 800x600 pixels large will be displayed on a monitor at 800 by 600 pixels. There is no inherent DPI. It's not like us web users are measuring our displays (the inch part of the DPI equation), is it?

The confusion is furthered by Photoshop and similar software that is geared for print. Take an image, open it in Photoshop and it will tell you a DPI value. This is ridiculous. Again, there is no inherent DPI value in a pixel by pixel image. What's more, you can CHOOSE YOUR OWN! It's almost unbelievable!

An example: let's say we have a 300x300 pixels image. This image is displayed on a screen as 300x300. Some screens have larger real pixels, so the image might be larger or smaller, but that's besides the point. It's just 300x300.
Now we're going to print the image. Photoshop will be helpful. We can choose a desired print size, 10 inch by 10 inch, for example, and PS will tell us the DPI value: 300 pixels / 10 inches = 30 DPI. This is very low, the printed picture quality will be bad.
Now let's set the print size to 1 inch by 1 inch. This will increase the DPI to 300 (300pixels/1inch) and the quality will be pro, BUT WITH A SMALLER PRINTED IMAGE.

What's more: create a new image in Photoshop. Make it 300x300 pixels. Set DPI to 72. This will make the image 300x300 pixels. Now make another new image, again 300x300 pixels, set the DPI to 720. Lo presto, the image is 300x300 pixels. The actual printed image will be tiny, but the thing on screen is the same, and that's what the web users look at.

So, saying an image for the web is good enough if it is in 72 DPI means nothing, except that you're stuck in the print world for ever

(Sorry for the rant, this is one of the most frequent issues I have when communicating with print and graphics people and it's really annoying, mostly because they think they know better. And eh, only one can really know better. Ahem)

+1

amen to that

[~arph]

Oh and I will be happy to help out with a Java version, since that is actually my fulltime occupation (specifically UI side)

[hgamal]

I am a linux user - using Fedora 7. I have tried to run DIY Layout Creator using wine (without success) and I have got "OLE error 80004001".

Is there a java version? Is there any chance to run this new version under Linux?

[anchovie]

Sad to say, I have Windows Vista (was the only option at best buy) and I am having problems running DIY Layout Creator.     Anyone get it to work with Vista?  I'm trying to do something productive while I cannot solder.      Sorry for the 3x emoticons

edited to say these are the 2 errors that I got: "Failed to set Data for"" and "No Active Document"

Just installed this on the new Vista laptop.

Right-click on the shortcut for the program, go into Properties and set the compatibility mode to "Windows XP" and the errors don't occur.

[bancika]

Thanks for workaround, I don't have vista so I couldn't provide any info about it. Damn microsoft

[wampcat1]

Sad to say, I have Windows Vista (was the only option at best buy) and I am having problems running DIY Layout Creator.     Anyone get it to work with Vista?  I'm trying to do something productive while I cannot solder.      Sorry for the 3x emoticons

edited to say these are the 2 errors that I got: "Failed to set Data for"" and "No Active Document"

Just installed this on the new Vista laptop.

Right-click on the shortcut for the program, go into Properties and set the compatibility mode to "Windows XP" and the errors don't occur.

even with doing that I get stuck in an infinite loop...

I open up the program and get an error box that says:
Failed to set data for "

and then another that says:
No active document

Everytime I click "ok", it opens the same error box (no active document).
This is on an updated version of vista

bw

[anchovie]

Try setting "Run as Administrator" in the properties as well.

[wampcat1]

Try setting "Run as Administrator" in the properties as well.

yep, that fixed it, thanks!
bw

[Valoosj]

here you go
http://www.storm-software.co.yu/diy/index.php?project=software

I you make a pcb lay out to etch, how can you mirror the image, so all the parts will be soldered on right?

[bancika]

there's an option to export to PnP that makes it right, I think

[Valoosj]

I just tried that. It makes it a pcb, but you have to mirror it (with paint or another program)
Nice stuff!