EAGLE FEATURE SURVEY

I need a few more responses, I'm almost at the two hundred response mark. If I could get that I would be satisfied with the survey and start processing the info.

Come one EAGLE community show me some love, end my marketing pain

Best Regards,

Jorge Garcia

Cadsoft Support

I've use a fair few CAD packages. EAGLE has limitations, but I keep coming back to it, because for what it is, it is powerful and, importantly, fast to use. I absolutely love the autorouting features on other platforms, but EAGLE is feature rich in other ways.

One of the greatest benefits to EAGLE is that it is speedy to use - I can very quickly put together a circuit (admittedly the autorouter is slow). However, what takes up most of the time? Parts creation. Honestly, who is happy using pre-created symbols? I wouldn't trust anyones symbols. I create my own for maybe 50-60% of components, to be sure they are the way I want them.

Here are some suggestions for speeding up parts creation:

1. Have some profiles for common shapes (SIL, DIL, 4-sided) and allow the user to pick a pad or SMD, and enter in sufficient dimensions until EAGLE decides it can calculate all remaining dimensions. Datasheets tend to represent measurements in a few different methods, so it would need some intelligence. Some datasheets don't show the landing pattern, but they show the device pins. For that scenario, the profiles should allow the user to enter device pin dimensioning, and then later select pad size, and then allow it to automatically center them under the device pins or to have an offset from center. This is simple stuff, but requires users to perform mental arithmetic for a minute or two (and then double-check!) per device. It all adds up. Save my time and EAGLE becomes so much more valuable (time is everyones most expensive resource).

Ability to have vias even in SMD pads - this is electrically essential in some RF designs.

Abilty to have some nice 'snaps' like Powerpoint 2010, which can automatically centre objects to other objects - this is way more advanced than simple grid snap which never meets anyones needed. I want to be able to automatically center drill holes or board connectors to align with others on the board. If need be, allow the user to

place some temporary sketch lines for alignment if you can't implement the Powerpoint 2010 method.

The measurement method is dire (I know someone else mentioned that above too). I don't want to change grid size just to perform an accurate measurement. It should automatically snap to the edge and center of pads and to the center and edges of drill holes.

Does the latest version of EAGLE support shaped pads? If so, then great. It is needed for modern parts.

Incorporate some new features in the PCB design, such as a layer that allows you to 'draw' lines of small holes for perforating boards so they can be snapped apart. Have more than 16 colours.

Automatically place text '>NAME' and '>VALUE' as soon as I click to create a package or symbol, and save me 30 seconds of my time - this is really obvious stuff and saves time (I can then move the text to where I want it).

Ignore the person criticizing cloud and tablets - it's just a matter of time. Implement that right, and all of a sudden you don't need to maintain multiple builds for Linux, Windows and Mac, and people can work on the move, and you make more revenue.

The scripting is incredible - one of the best features (if not THE best feature) of EAGLE. Keep that up for all new features!

I'd also like to see some better vector fonts with curves! - we have powerful PCs, and we don't need to be restricted to such simplistic fonts. That could be a task for a student to implement, if you purchase the rights to some nice fonts. But it should support more than just 127 characters, and should allow underline and overline.

Am 2012-10-10 00:07, schrieb shabaz:

I've use a fair few CAD packages. EAGLE has limitations, but I keep coming back to it, because for what it is, it is powerful and, importantly, fast to use. I absolutely love the autorouting features on other platforms, but EAGLE is feature rich in other ways.

 

One of the greatest benefits to EAGLE is that it is speedy to use - I can very quickly put together a circuit (admittedly the autorouter is slow). However, what takes up most of the time? Parts creation. Honestly, who is happy using pre-created symbols? I wouldn't trust anyones symbols. I create my own for maybe 50-60% of components, to be sure they are the way I want them.

Here are some suggestions for speeding up parts creation:

1. Have some profiles for common shapes (SIL, DIL, 4-sided) and allow the user to pick a pad or SMD, and enter in sufficient dimensions until EAGLE decides it can calculate all remaining dimensions. Datasheets tend to represent measurements in a few different methods, so it would need some intelligence. Some datasheets don't show the landing pattern, but they show the device pins. For that scenario, the profiles should allow the user to enter device pin dimensioning, and then later select pad size, and then allow it to automatically center them under the device pins or to have an offset from center. This is simple stuff, but requires users to perform mental arithmetic for a minute or two (and then double-check!) per device. It all adds up. Save my time and EAGLE becomes so much more valuable (time is everyones most expensive resource).

 

Ability to have vias even in SMD pads - this is electrically essential in some RF designs.

Abilty to have some nice 'snaps' like Powerpoint 2010, which can automatically centre objects to other objects - this is way more advanced than simple grid snap which never meets anyones needed. I want to be able to automatically center drill holes or board connectors to align with others on the board. If need be, allow the user to

place some temporary sketch lines for alignment if you can't implement the Powerpoint 2010 method.

 

The measurement method is dire (I know someone else mentioned that above too). I don't want to change grid size just to perform an accurate measurement. It should automatically snap to the edge and center of pads and to the center and edges of drill holes.

 

Does the latest version of EAGLE support shaped pads? If so, then great. It is needed for modern parts.

 

Incorporate some new features in the PCB design, such as a layer that allows you to 'draw' lines of small holes for perforating boards so they can be snapped apart. Have more than 16 colours.

Automatically place text '>NAME' and '>VALUE' as soon as I click to create a package or symbol, and save me 30 seconds of my time - this is really obvious stuff and saves time (I can then move the text to where I want it).

 

Ignore the person criticizing cloud and tablets - it's just a matter of time. Implement that right, and all of a sudden you don't need to maintain multiple builds for Linux, Windows and Mac, and people can work on the move, and you make more revenue.

 

The scripting is incredible - one of the best features (if not THE best feature) of EAGLE. Keep that up for all new features!

 

I'd also like to see some better vector fonts with curves! - we have powerful PCs, and we don't need to be restricted to such simplistic fonts. That could be a task for a student to implement, if you purchase the rights to some nice fonts. But it should support more than just 127 characters, and should allow underline and overline.

 

I support all those points with shaped pads and the library editor

features giving highest value for me too.

Also the limited colour palette hurts often.

Regards, Stefan

I havnt been using it long enough to give much of a suggestion but I

would point out that 2 of us in the last couple of weeks have made

comments about the library search functions.

My own concern was the ability to do a full SQL type search on the

whole library without losing the "in use" list.

If its based on mySQL it should be easy enough and cheap enough

to implement I expect.

Just out of interest I imported a schematic from easyPC this

week and it very nearly did a good job. It needed quite a bit of tidying

up but it was still quicker than starting from scratch - that was a

suprise I didnt expect.

I havnt been using it long enough to give much of a suggestion but I

would point out that 2 of us in the last couple of weeks have made

comments about the library search functions.

My own concern was the ability to do a full SQL type search on the

whole library without losing the "in use" list.

If its based on mySQL it should be easy enough and cheap enough

to implement I expect.

Just out of interest I imported a schematic from easyPC this

week and it very nearly did a good job. It needed quite a bit of tidying

up but it was still quicker than starting from scratch - that was a

suprise I didnt expect.