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Whats happening with EagleCad & Cadsoft?

Former Member

HI,

 

There have been plenty of user suggestions (including myself ) over the

years and many relating to the same old issues.

 

As a PAYING User, I have essentially invested my money ( but a lot of my

time) into using & Learning EagleCad.

 

So..

 

I would like to know ( from the horses mouth if possible) what is Cadsoft

Proposing/Planning for the next release(s) of Eagle Cad?

Is there an advantage to anyone ( especially users) if future features are

kept secret?

 

The following is what I can see as major changes in no particular order and

not inclusive..

 

Q1) Are there going to be any major changes to the LIBRARY?

 

Q2) Are we going to have a proper user definable /properly integrated BOM

window ?

 

Q3) Can CUT, COPY & PASTE ( and selection/group) work just like any other

application?

 

Q4) Can we open more than one PROJECT or LIBRARY part at the same time?

Will we be able to copy and paste ( Drag and drop) between these?

 

Q5) Can all the user settings and scr files ( or whatever setting files) be

kept in just ONE FILE , in one place and All accessible in ONE User

Preference (TABBED) window? (we can get rid of the Control panel if we do

this, and it means that updating Eaglecad will be less painful).

 

Q6) Are their any plans for some sort of SChematic/Layout hierarchy or

SUB-Circuits feature.

 

Q7) Any plans for a built in Gerber Viewer ( mac users have almost nothing

to work with here?)

 

Q8) Any plans for built in Circuit Simulation ( even basic stuff)?

 

Q9) Any plans for The Built in text editor to have its own Syntax

Highlighting etc?

 

Q10) Any plans for a built in Gerber Panalizer/Merger Tool?

 

Q11) Are there any plans for more control over pads/holes in the device

editor? i.e Odd/Complex shapes.

 

Q12) Can the design link feature work with other suppliers. ( should be

part of the BOM System anyhow)

 

Q13) Can we place less reliance on ULP's and command line entries as a

source of features/enhancements or usability, this should really be only

for specialised tasks. If you have a look at the ULP's over the years

theres a ton of them for Library Management and BOM'S  Is that telling you

something?

 

Q14) Can we have single keystroke functions for at lease basic items, Move,

Change Layer, etc ( user definable of course).

 

I just want to know whats happening, The Beta Test forum is VERY QUIET, The

last release only really had Farnell Shopping added/improved and a few bug

fix's, I am worried that development has either slowed down or stopped. OR

is their  something big in the pipeline. ( hoping!)

 

I am also worried that most suggestions are "Frowned" upon and this really

puts new users off !

 

So that I , ( and everyone else ) can stop wasting our time ( and your

time) with suggestions, can you please answer or give us something to look

forward to?

 

One reason I am asking all the above is that I am considering spending a

LOT OF TIME learning the scripting language so that I can program my own

features ( I have lots of big ideas) , Why, Because I don't know what is

the future for Eaglecad, And I am concerned that I may get to the stage of

writing very useful ULP's and then Cadsoft will release something in the

near future that replaces my work. Remember that all the time I spend

learning the scripting language TAKES ME AWAY From designing boards and

managing production, which is what brings in the money! and besides I

really pay cadsoft for the programming expertise.

 

At the end of the day I believe Eaglecad has a lot of potential, while I

can get boards designed ( its all there as far as capabilities are

concerned) I just think that there are too many frustrating / cumbersome

ways of doing things when I know there are easier /better ways.

 

The designing of a schematic or Layout or even designing a library part is

quite easy ( once you finally figure out the Eaglecad way) , and yes this

is the main parts of an application like this. The issues are with the way

it all comes together or integrates and is managed and how the user

interacts with it. As I have stated above  the key issues are Mainly

Project management, BOM Management, and especially Libray Management.

 

Thanks for listening .

 

Dave M

 

PS Please don't condemn me for asking.

--

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

 

Parents

  • Hallo Dave,

     

    some of the things that you mentioned are already possible in current

    EAGLE versions, even if not immediately from scratch:

     

    Am 23.07.2011 09:54, schrieb davem:

    Q8) Any plans for built in Circuit Simulation ( even basic stuff)?

     

    Circuit simulation can be done with an external simulator and some

    dedicated ULP. We are using LTSpice at the moment (aka SwitcherCAD),

    which works well under Windows and Linux (together with Wine). With a

    little bit of luck, I get to know TODAY whether LTSpice can also be used

    together with a Mac. The self-made ULP 'spice' connects the symbol pins

    from the schematic to the corresponding SPICE models, lets the user

    choose settings and runs LTSpice. Connecting to unknown models can be

    done with adding simulator commands as device attributes.

     

    Drawbacks: No crossprobing possible, because LTSpice and EAGLE are

    separate programs. Models need to be downloaded from the IC manufacturer

    and connected 'manually' (this is a problem of license restrictions

    introduced by many IC manufacturers, which explicitely forbid the

    spreading of their models - whyever).

     

    Q9) Any plans for The Built in text editor to have its own Syntax

    Highlighting etc?

     

    The possibility to use an EXTERNAL editor is quite good: CadSoft can

    never hope to produce a text editor that is as good as some external

    tools. For Windows, the (very old) Crimson Editor and the (current)

    Notepad++ make writing ULPs a breeze. I don't know text editors for

    other OSs, but perhaps the above also work using Wine.

     

    Q14) Can we have single keystroke functions for at lease basic items, Move,

    Change Layer, etc ( user definable of course).

     

    You can already put the 'move' command to, e.g., CTRL+M and define key

    combinations for lots of other commands as well. Unfortunately, such key

    combinations are not predefined by CadSoft (they are mainly using

    function keys). If with 'single keystroke' you mean pressing just ONE

    key (and NOT a key combination), this doesn't work (but for the funtion

    keys) due to the command line (which is TOO useful to be abandoned).

    There were several suggestions concerning changing the behaviour of the

    command line, though.

     

    I am concerned that I may get to the stage of

    writing very useful ULP's and then Cadsoft will release something in the

    near future that replaces my work.

     

    As for the BOM, everybody wants a completely different one, so you

    should (with some efforts) create your own with a ULP. What can NOT be

    done properly ULP-wise are things like hierarchical schematics, changing

    pads in the BOARD, arbitrary pad shapes in libraries, etc. some of which

    will apparently be addressed in the next EAGLE version (thanks for the

    info, Mr. Schmidinger).

     

    Andreas Weidner

     

  • in reply to Former Member

    Andreas Weidner wrote on Tue, 26 July 2011 18:10

    Q14) Can we have single keystroke functions for at lease basic

    items, Move,

    Change Layer, etc ( user definable of course).

     

    You can already put the 'move' command to, e.g., CTRL+M and define key

     

    combinations for lots of other commands as well. Unfortunately, such

    key

    combinations are not predefined by CadSoft (they are mainly using

    function keys). If with 'single keystroke' you mean pressing just ONE

    key (and NOT a key combination), this doesn't work (but for the funtion

     

    keys) due to the command line (which is TOO useful to be abandoned).

    There were several suggestions concerning changing the behaviour of the

     

    command line, though.

     

    Andreas Weidner

     

     

    Regarding the SINGLE KEY SHORTCUTS, I believe eagle cad does not use these

    because the Command Entry Bob always has the focus, and single button

    presses would be incompatible.

     

    Well this is easily fixed ( Olin will kill me for saying this ) but here me

    out

     

    a) We can at any time set up our own single key definitions in the assign

    window.

     

    b) These keys will ONLY work as shortcuts IF the ("ALLOW SINGLE KEYS"

    checkbox on this assigns window) is turned on, and so as not to upset any

    command line users, this is OFF by default)

     

    c) You can still use the command line but you have to click in it first,

    then this deactivates the single keys feature until the command is

    executed.

     

    Very simple and only needs to be turned on if you want to use single

    function keys.

     

    by the way the" function keys" on the new mac keyboards are stuffed (

    Apple's fault) I never use them.

     

    Thanks

    Dave M

     

    --

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

     

Reply
  • in reply to Former Member

    Andreas Weidner wrote on Tue, 26 July 2011 18:10

    Q14) Can we have single keystroke functions for at lease basic

    items, Move,

    Change Layer, etc ( user definable of course).

     

    You can already put the 'move' command to, e.g., CTRL+M and define key

     

    combinations for lots of other commands as well. Unfortunately, such

    key

    combinations are not predefined by CadSoft (they are mainly using

    function keys). If with 'single keystroke' you mean pressing just ONE

    key (and NOT a key combination), this doesn't work (but for the funtion

     

    keys) due to the command line (which is TOO useful to be abandoned).

    There were several suggestions concerning changing the behaviour of the

     

    command line, though.

     

    Andreas Weidner

     

     

    Regarding the SINGLE KEY SHORTCUTS, I believe eagle cad does not use these

    because the Command Entry Bob always has the focus, and single button

    presses would be incompatible.

     

    Well this is easily fixed ( Olin will kill me for saying this ) but here me

    out

     

    a) We can at any time set up our own single key definitions in the assign

    window.

     

    b) These keys will ONLY work as shortcuts IF the ("ALLOW SINGLE KEYS"

    checkbox on this assigns window) is turned on, and so as not to upset any

    command line users, this is OFF by default)

     

    c) You can still use the command line but you have to click in it first,

    then this deactivates the single keys feature until the command is

    executed.

     

    Very simple and only needs to be turned on if you want to use single

    function keys.

     

    by the way the" function keys" on the new mac keyboards are stuffed (

    Apple's fault) I never use them.

     

    Thanks

    Dave M

     

    --

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

     

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