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The GROUP TOOL Needs to work different.

e14 Contributor

HI,

 

I think that the GROUP TOOL ( And selections)  Needs to work differently!

 

Nearly all "drawing" type apps have a MOUSE SELECTION of objects on a

screen by just simply clicking down and dragging around the objects you

want to SELECT. I see no reason why Eaglecad can't work this way. It would

be more intuitive.

 

The idea is that by clicking on any blank area of the schematic or layout

windows a "selection rectangle" also called "marquee" will appear WITHOUT

the need to select the GROUP Tool first

 

We should also be able to ADD or REMOVE items from the "Current" selection

by using the COMMAND/CONTROL Key ( for Add )  or SHIFT+Command/CONTROL (

Remove ) or even SHIFT CLICK for MULTIPLE selections!

 

The selection rectangle COULD stay visible until its done. and the objects

should stay highlighted until done.

 

Then once we have a selection we can Right Click and a Contextual menu will

appear ( or just choose a tool button) for all the possible actions that

can be used, ( I.e Duplicate, Delete, Cut, Copy, Rotate, Lock/Unlock etc)

 

And especially a new feature that allows this selection to be GROUPED

TOGETHER by giving the selection a NAME. (e.g "Power Supply"), and this

NAME can be seen in the BOM or elsewhere.(i.e the properties window for a

part.)

 

This way is we say group items together they can stay grouped ( if a name

is given) and then work with all the standard functions but worked on as a

group,This would be great for repeating parts a of a circuit including the

BOARD LAYOUT!

 

If a group of items is selected, then some new features like

ALIGN/DISTRIBUTE would also come in handy especially for the BOARD LAYOUT.

 

Pressing ESC cancels the selection.

 

Parts could be tagged with a small icon that shows its locked.

 

What do you think?

 

 

Dave M

--

Web access to CadSoft support forums at www.eaglecentral.ca.  Where the CadSoft EAGLE community meets.

 

Parents

  • Hi Olin & James,

     

    I just tested out the multiple selection ( Group) method and I got it to

    work, you have to select GROUP Again.

     

    Ok, That parts ok, but I still don't see why we need to select GROUP at

    all. I remember when I first used EagleCad this drove me nuts!

     

     

    Secondly, The main point is to be able to" REALLY" GROUP OBJECT as James

    has suggested especially for the use of SUB-CIRCUITS being grouped.

     

    It would be great to select part of a layout and DUPLICATE That , I would

    want the SCHEMATIC to AUTOMATICALLY create the grouped symbol as well. We

    could have it so that

     

    a) Groups are RELATED to the First Instance, so that to make a change to a

    part of the group you need to do this in the FIRST InStance, and all the

    other "Related" groups change.

     

    b) Grouped are NOT RELATED, so changes to any part of any of these groups

    do not automatically update. This would just be a simple time saver for

    duplicating repeating parts of a circuit.

     

    Another idea is that why couldn't we treat a Group of parts as ONE PART,

    and keep this in the library!, This would be so useful!

     

     

    Dave M

    --

    Web access to CadSoft support forums at www.eaglecentral.ca.  Where the CadSoft EAGLE community meets.

     

  • in reply to e14 Contributor

     

    "davem" <imix@bigpond.net.au> wrote in message

    news:itjb1q$se5$1@cheetah.cadsoft.de...

    Another idea is that why couldn't we treat a Group of parts as ONE PART,

    and keep this in the library!, This would be so useful!

     

    You start to sound like my proposal, where a local library should be created

    for the curent project, that should contain used components with only used

    footprints, and  any "macro" component defined in project (obvious with

    group comand).

     

     

     

  • in reply to e14 Contributor

    eSilviu wrote on Sun, 19 June 2011 05:08

    "davem" <<private_email>> wrote in message

    news:itjb1q$se5$<private_email>...

    Another idea is that why couldn't we treat a Group of parts as ONE

    PART,

    and keep this in the library!, This would be so useful!

     

    You start to sound like my proposal, where a local library should be

    created

    for the curent project, that should contain used components with only

    used

    footprints, and  any "macro" component defined in project (obvious with

     

    group comand).

     

     

    Altium has that with "snippets" I think they call it.  That would be a

    great feature for circuits like RS232 transceivers and connectors that tend

    to be there for diag purposes in the corner of the board where things

    aren't too dense.  You lay it out once and then paste the schematic and

    board layout into your design.  If the layout bit just got stuck off to the

    side and you had to move it as a group to where you wanted that would be

    fine.

     

    So yes, I think that would be useful.  Seems very close to design reuse and

    maybe even hierarchy if implemented right.

     

    James.

     

    --

    James Morrison  ~~~  Stratford Digital

     

    Specializing in CadSoft EAGLE

    • Online Sales to North America

    • Electronic Design Services

    • EAGLE Enterprise Toolkit

    --

    Web access to CadSoft support forums at www.eaglecentral.ca.  Where the CadSoft EAGLE community meets.

     

Reply
  • in reply to e14 Contributor

    eSilviu wrote on Sun, 19 June 2011 05:08

    "davem" <<private_email>> wrote in message

    news:itjb1q$se5$<private_email>...

    Another idea is that why couldn't we treat a Group of parts as ONE

    PART,

    and keep this in the library!, This would be so useful!

     

    You start to sound like my proposal, where a local library should be

    created

    for the curent project, that should contain used components with only

    used

    footprints, and  any "macro" component defined in project (obvious with

     

    group comand).

     

     

    Altium has that with "snippets" I think they call it.  That would be a

    great feature for circuits like RS232 transceivers and connectors that tend

    to be there for diag purposes in the corner of the board where things

    aren't too dense.  You lay it out once and then paste the schematic and

    board layout into your design.  If the layout bit just got stuck off to the

    side and you had to move it as a group to where you wanted that would be

    fine.

     

    So yes, I think that would be useful.  Seems very close to design reuse and

    maybe even hierarchy if implemented right.

     

    James.

     

    --

    James Morrison  ~~~  Stratford Digital

     

    Specializing in CadSoft EAGLE

    • Online Sales to North America

    • Electronic Design Services

    • EAGLE Enterprise Toolkit

    --

    Web access to CadSoft support forums at www.eaglecentral.ca.  Where the CadSoft EAGLE community meets.

     

Children
  • in reply to e14 Contributor

    Am 22.06.2011 03:50, schrieb James Morrison:

    eSilviu wrote on Sun, 19 June 2011 05:08

    >> "davem" group comand).

    >

    Altium has that with "snippets" I think they call it.  That would be a

    great feature for circuits like RS232 transceivers and connectors that tend

    to be there for diag purposes in the corner of the board where things

    aren't too dense.  You lay it out once and then paste the schematic and

    board layout into your design.  If the layout bit just got stuck off to the

    side and you had to move it as a group to where you wanted that would be

    fine.

     

    So yes, I think that would be useful.  Seems very close to design reuse and

    maybe even hierarchy if implemented right.

     

    James.

     

    If eagle would have a hierarchy design that should be possible. Right

    now in a new design with eagle the first thing i do is to throw in the

    RS-232 and/or the USB interface.

     

    --

    Mit freundlichen Grüßen / With best regards

     

    Joern Paschedag