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

[Perrow]

just a heads up  report:

importing an image is fine, but if you want to copy and paste that image...it closes diylc!.

Couldn't replicate in 3.5.0, downloading 3.7 now (just to see if I too can get such a cool bug  ) ).

Edit: No, not even in 3.7. 

d'Astro gets all the fun.

[liquids]

Finally in front of a computer where this site is not blocked and not restricted to a phone which is sssssssssssssssssllllllllllloooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwww.....

Using "diylc-3.7.0-beta" - doing my first attempt at a PCB.....

I realize that trace export to PDF is ususally easiest, but I want to clean up the file a bit, and moreso, I'm doing a strange one where the traces will be on the top rather than the bottom...just a simple AC-->regulated bipolar power supply so no op amps or the like...and hence I need to invert the image to get the traces to be correct as 'on top' rather than the assumed "traces go on the bottom of the board.'  I know, I'm weird...

So, when I export my traces to PNG, then open it in another program (paint.net), in order to keep the scale and intended size correct, is the correct DPI of what DIYlc exports "280" as mentioned in a previous thread, has it been changed to "300," or is it something else?  

[potul]

Hi,

I mainly use DIYLC for vero layouts, and I realized that when I try to load version 1.0 layouts, the cuts get lost and it's giving an error. Would it be possible to add this support? There are great layouts for version 1.0 !

Thanks,

Mat

[liquids]

Perrow has been a lot of help, but I'm having a heck of a time with this now that I am attempting (simple) PCBs, where scaling is critical for useful results, as opposed to the program merely providing a clear blown up layout image to follow for a perf or vero board.

I know it is strange, but for the board I'm working on, it will be mainly for prototyping and not secured to anything...so I want the copper/traces side up to make it less likely to short out against stuff when it moves around my table while bread boarding/experimenting.  Maybe that was a bad idea, but at the time I didn't know this would be such an issue.

It's fantastic that, the program is setup so that if you can 'simply' export traces to PDF, and print.  
That does seems to scale well - a print out of a row of solder pads aligns perfectly with a strip of socket pins I have.  
but in cases like this where it's desired, 'mirror image' isn't an option for printing a PDF unless your printer allows for it...and flipping/mirroring the entire image in DIYlc, when desired, is not something I see as an option, or a simple task to acomplish....

The (excellent layout) program is a work in progress, I understand, and it's free!  Naturally, many things have to be 'worked around' or accepted as issues or compromises made...

Now, there's an option to export to PNG, but for whatever reason (I'm not a programer) the proper DPI for scale is not retained when I open the file elsewhere (paint.net and MS Win 7 paint).  The reason I'd prefer to export to PNG over leaving the traces as they are and print out of PDF is to clean up the trace images and have full control over the traces image, mirror if so desired, etc.

Both programs 'read' the exported traces png as 96DPI, which is obviously not correct.

Paint.net thankfully gives the option to change the DPI....and I've tried/read/been told both 280 and 300 DPI and they seems close-ish, but I've not gotten the accuracy from a 300DPI png that I have with PDF print when it comes to seeing if a standard socket strip aligns exactly...
The PNG file show has 'grey area' when I zoom into on traces, and/or that is due to converting the image DPI from 96 to 300.   I then clean that up via increasing contrast of the image, and/or removing/adding pixels to get it the way I'd like it to look...and I have been using the program to square off traces, etc.

Some of this I think could be helped simply in DIYlc for those who can code/program....For example, straight and curved copper traces are assumed to be rounded at their ends.  There is also no way to easily turn 'empty' board area into one large copper slab without creating at least a few round-ended copper traces and aligning them "just so." Adding a 'round or square' trace option for even just 'straight' traces seems like it would fit with the solder pad options and fix that...

While I can use a really large square solder pad if I want a large squareish ground area, I do still want to fill the dot that is assumed to be part of any size solder pad, to be honest...and I need to export to png to do that.  If I print PDF, I guess I can just marker it up on the copper or accept it.

Maybe margins and other things are coming into play when printing the exported PNG files, but I just created a file that is nothing more than two rows of square solder pads in DIYlc, then exported the traces as a png, opened it in paint.net, made it 300DPI,  made the size canvas 8.5x11, chose 'photo' in my printers settings so that I could tell it to print borderless, full size, actual size; and again, even after all that, while the pads may be 'good enough' for some, it not aligning with a strip of 0.1" sockets nearly as accurately as PDF.

IF anyone has any tips or can fix this kind of stuff...add a mirror option for any and all components selected in DIYlc...add an option for traces to be squared or rounded...that kind of stuff...it would really help!

And I think that, as much as I like being able to work with a png file, maybe the fact that the way it exports (DPI for example) is not 'critical' and hence very useful for perfs and veros, maybe it should be tweaked to export the correctly scaled DPI?  

I'd also like to say that the TO-220 (assuming voltage regulators are most common usage of this component) can be rotated, but cannot be laid flat? Most of the time that I see them on boards, they're flattened out, the hole in the 'heat sink' area of the component is screwed into the board, oftentimes even attached to a fabricated heat sink....but that's the least of my issues obviously  

[deadastronaut]

matthew:

open the exported diylc pdf in inkscape, you will then be able to copy n paste into a new a4 blank and then mirror your image

and it wont lose dpi quality...

[liquids]

thanks.  I may give that a try.  Here I though I had enough pixel editing freeware programs on my PC  

Will say that I've come to accept using large square pads as big 'ground' traces...use small black wires off the grid to cover over the little dots in the centers....remove all the components, leaving the traces and the pads and cover wires and export to PDF for a 'trace' image.

[Perrow]

Will say that I've come to accept using large square pads as big 'ground' traces...use small black wires off the grid to cover over the little dots in the centers....remove all the components, leaving the traces and the pads and cover wires and export to PDF for a 'trace' image.

That's the way I do it, except I usually export to png, at 300 dpi pixelation isn't really an issue.

[midwayfair]

So ... I just started using this.

I wish I'd found it a while ago! It's great.

[liquids]

That's the way I do it, except I usually export to png, at 300 dpi pixelation isn't really an issue.

Yeah, I've found the square pads to serve asbig ground blocks to be slightly less inconvenient than making them out of dozens of copper traces at an angle, being really anal and all.

Now that I've done two (or, done it once, and then re-done a second) with PN'P blue, I realize the finer detail may be lost and just get sharpie-paint and regular sharpie coated anyhow.

For whatever reason, I wasn't getting proper scale as compared to a SIL and DIP socket with 300 DPI.  Kinda gave up from there.  PDF seems easy for staples to work with, or if I have the time, feed the PNP into the laser printer I have access too.

Tried transparency sheet last night as a test, and it smeared so maybe it was too hot...gonna give it a few more tries (plenty of that transparency sheet remains) just for practice on some Fr-4 and then can easily acetone it off the copper...otherwise, too much else to worry about - probably will stick to PDF and PN'P blue.  Maybe buy some PN'P blue in bulk if the transparency route doesn't seem as foolproof after I give a few times dial in the right temp (I was clearly too hot for the transparency film the first time).  $10 between a huge board and oen sheet of PN'P isn't bad for a massive PCB.  Smaller PCBs take a small chunk out of a $2 PN'P and maybe half to whole Fr4 that is maybe $2, so it's not entirely non-economical if I am saavy about it I guess.
Wonder how long it will take for me to grow naseous at the thought of drilling PCB holes =^)

Anyone use a dremel for PCB holes?  What collet or holder holds such small bits?  Or am I mostly resigned to using my regular twist drill (that worked the first time)?

[Perrow]

There's drills that fit the standard 3.2 mm collet, and those that require the 2.4 mm (or us it 2.8?). I use diamond drills bought off evilbay (search for: 0.7 mm diamond drill). It feels like they break less often using a handheld Dremel and you can easily widen any hole that needs to be a bit bigger without having to change drill bit.

[norim_13]

I recently downloaded the last version, and for me, it isn't usable... it's too "laggy". Is this a known issue or just happens to me?

Regards
João Norim

[deadastronaut]

^ its ok to me....not laggy..

[artifus]

go to the config menu and check if hi-quality rendering is selected. if it is deselect it.

[deadastronaut]

hi bancika:

any chance we could have a ready made/coloured breadboard as a board/component?.....as in the usual white board with  red/blue  5 lines/2 hole middle gap / blue red.......and a double version too...

i'm always breadboarding stuff and it would be nice to have handy,  i have made a breadboard template, but it would be excellent to have as a drop in component......

for when you've drawn stuff and want to keep it all as a project on one page/pdf.......schematic,pcb,breadboard.pdf etc etc................that would be great IMO especially as now we have import pics too...

just thinking aloud... cheers man rob.

[syntaxera]

can someone please post a link to the newest build of the software... thanks

[bancika]

diylc.org

@deadastronaut, I'll think about that. It will require making some changes to allow composite components.

[deadastronaut]

^ cool, nice one man!..

[syntaxera]

diylc.org

@deadastronaut, I'll think about that. It will require making some changes to allow composite components.

thank you

[syntaxera]

looks GREAT so far!  VERY EASY TO USE!  Running smooth. 

Thanks for this

[artifus]

diylc bug report/feature request/advice sought

3.7.0

feature requests:

config keyboard shortcuts: sticky points, outline mode, auto create pads and continuous creation

auto group with auto create pads? for easy moving of component and pads
image forward/back? for adding/moving text which sometimes disappears behind images

and the moon. on a stick. 

bugs?:

pdf font rendering? supported fonts?
outline mode - trim pot visible?
auto create pad with trace and sticky point confusion?

3.8.0 bugs?

copper trace click and drag initial dot? wont select to delete but will undo
select all but wont move zoomed out?


also, found this but have yet to try it. may be of interest:

pdf to gerber: http://swannman.github.com/pdf2gerb/