How do I create holes and positions from imported DXF

Am 27.05.2016 um 06:54 schrieb Sean Hearder:

Hi All

 

I have a panel that i have designed which has switches, buttons, knobs (rotaries), LEDs and a LCD screen. I have imported the DXF version of this into Eagle on the dimension layer. I will machine a 300mmx300mm Double sided board.

 

What i want to know: Some circles on the DXF are HOLES some are positions for LEDs.

 

How do i go about selecting a circle and making it a HOLE without redrawing a polygon and TRYING to align it. Also, how do i move other circles to a different layer for positioning of the LEDs?

 

Hope that makes sense.

 

Thanks in advance.

Hi,

to move a circle to a other layer:

ex. tPlace

Change-> Layer-> tPlace

then click on the circles witch do want to move.

Maybe you can "move" the holes/circles to the Holeslayer(45)

or

Make a new Layer (display) "Helper" (color mybe a ugglyone like purple)

move the holes-cricles to this layer.

then place holes with the drill that you want (hole 3.2mm)

near by the holescircles.

With the "info" you can get the coords of the circle.

now "info" the hole and type in the coords of the circle.

(the hole move to circle)

If you done with all "holes" you can delete the helper layer

(the Helperlayer will be needfull.

1. so you have a Layer with the holes-cricles and they of

   your import layer.

2. you can check with circles do you move to holes.

I hope i explained it unterstandfull (english is

  not my native-language)

HTH

Werner

Am 27.05.2016 um 06:54 schrieb Sean Hearder:

Hi All

 

I have a panel that i have designed which has switches, buttons, knobs (rotaries), LEDs and a LCD screen. I have imported the DXF version of this into Eagle on the dimension layer. I will machine a 300mmx300mm Double sided board.

 

What i want to know: Some circles on the DXF are HOLES some are positions for LEDs.

 

How do i go about selecting a circle and making it a HOLE without redrawing a polygon and TRYING to align it. Also, how do i move other circles to a different layer for positioning of the LEDs?

 

Hope that makes sense.

 

Thanks in advance.

Hi,

to move a circle to a other layer:

ex. tPlace

Change-> Layer-> tPlace

then click on the circles witch do want to move.

Maybe you can "move" the holes/circles to the Holeslayer(45)

or

Make a new Layer (display) "Helper" (color mybe a ugglyone like purple)

move the holes-cricles to this layer.

then place holes with the drill that you want (hole 3.2mm)

near by the holescircles.

With the "info" you can get the coords of the circle.

now "info" the hole and type in the coords of the circle.

(the hole move to circle)

If you done with all "holes" you can delete the helper layer

(the Helperlayer will be needfull.

1. so you have a Layer with the holes-cricles and they of

   your import layer.

2. you can check with circles do you move to holes.

I hope i explained it unterstandfull (english is

  not my native-language)

HTH

Werner

That does make a lot of sense. So layer 45 isn't actually the drl layer for component holes but cut outs?

I will try working with this over the weekend

Thanks so much.

Am 27.05.2016 um 12:46 schrieb Sean Hearder:

That does make a lot of sense. So layer 45 isn't actually the drl layer for component holes but cut outs?

 

I will try working with this over the weekend

 

Thanks so much.

 

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Hi,

the Layer 45 is named holes because holes have drills.

the Layer 46 named milling maybe with copperplating(by some pcb-houses)

the layer 20 named dimension are cutouts without copper(cutout for

displays or not-Rounded holes etc)

The drill command makes also a circle in layer 20.

Some pcb-houses are "milling" without copper all layer 20

lines, some "drill" a hole with the infos form excellon (Drill-infos)

So if you want holes you can define them over drills with more info.

Sometimes it is possible to define the hole only in the layer 20.

If you want to place a led on an accurate position, make sure that your

tOrigin or bOrigin in the package of the Led is in the center.

Now you can move your led by the Info-Dialog to the pos of your "Helper"

cirlce of the led.

HTH

and have a nice and successful weekend

Werner

Hi Sean,

I posted this on your other thread in the suggest forum first then saw this so I am reposting in this thread which seems more live. Anyway, I thought this was an interesting query so decided to write a ULP to do this. Save the code below as circleToHole.ulp.

#usage "en: Adds a hole at the location and size of the selected circle\n"

           "run circleToHole install - to install to the boards context menu"

 

 

if (argv[1] == "install") {

    exit("edit .brd; set context circle 'Place hole (Non-PT)...' 'run circleToHole';"

         "           set context circle 'Place hole (PT)...' 'run circleToHole plated';");

} else {

 

   string cmd="";

   string grid="mil";

 

   if (board) {

      board(B) {

         if (B.grid.unit == GRID_UNIT_MIC) {

            grid = "mic";

         } else {

            if (B.grid.unit == GRID_UNIT_MM) {

               grid = "mm";

            } else {

               if (B.grid.unit == GRID_UNIT_INCH) {

                  grid = "in";

               }

            }

         }

         B.circles(C) {

            if (ingroup(C)) {

               if (argv[1] == "plated") {

                  sprintf(cmd, "GRID mil; VIA %f Round 1-16 (%f %f); CHA DRI %f (%f %f); GRID %s;", 2.0 * u2mil(C.radius), u2mil(C.x), u2mil(C.y), 2.0 * u2mil(C.radius), u2mil(C.x), u2mil(C.y), grid);

               } else {

                  sprintf(cmd, "GRID mil; HOLE %f (%f %f); GRID %s;", 2.0 * u2mil(C.radius), u2mil(C.x), u2mil(C.y), grid);

               }

            }

         }

      }

   }

 

   exit(cmd);

 

}

Then in the board do:

     run circleToHole install <return>

Then two context menu items will appear when you right click on circles in imported DXF's relating to hole positions (actually any circle but I can't easily differentiate). You can then select to insert a non-plated or a plated hole (which is just a via).

Best Regards,

Rachael

WOW thank you so much. I will give it a try over this weekend. It will surely come in handy going forward as i get numerous requests for custom panels and the truth is it becomes difficult with the number of wires i sometimes need so a circuit board with tracks rather than wires will be much better then i can also lay SMD LEDs for back lighting and holes to mount rotaries and the panel just attaches to the circuit board.

Hi Rachael,

great ULP. Thank you.

-Richard

Am 28.05.2016 um 00:22 schrieb rachaelp:

Hi Sean,

 

I posted this on your other thread in the suggest forum first then saw this so I am reposting in this thread which seems more live. Anyway, I thought this was an interesting query so decided to write a ULP to do this. Save the code below as circleToHole.ulp.

 

#usage "en: Adds a hole at the location and size of the selected circle\n"

            "run circleToHole install - to install to the boards context menu"

 

 

if (argv[1] == "install") {

     exit("edit .brd; set context circle 'Place hole (Non-PT)...' 'run circleToHole';"

          "           set context circle 'Place hole (PT)...' 'run circleToHole plated';");

} else {

 

    string cmd="";

    string grid="mil";

 

    if (board) {

       board(B) {

          if (B.grid.unit == GRID_UNIT_MIC) {

             grid = "mic";

          } else {

             if (B.grid.unit == GRID_UNIT_MM) {

                grid = "mm";

             } else {

                if (B.grid.unit == GRID_UNIT_INCH) {

                   grid = "in";

                }

             }

          }

          B.circles(C) {

             if (ingroup(C)) {

                if (argv[1] == "plated") {

                   sprintf(cmd, "GRID mil; VIA %f Round 1-16 (%f %f); CHA DRI %f (%f %f); GRID %s;", 2.0 * u2mil(C.radius), u2mil(C.x), u2mil(C.y), 2.0 * u2mil(C.radius), u2mil(C.x), u2mil(C.y), grid);

                } else {

                   sprintf(cmd, "GRID mil; HOLE %f (%f %f); GRID %s;", 2.0 * u2mil(C.radius), u2mil(C.x), u2mil(C.y), grid);

                }

             }

          }

       }

    }

 

    exit(cmd);

 

}

Then in the board do:

 

      run circleToHole install <return>

 

Then two context menu items will appear when you right click on circles in imported DXF's relating to hole positions (actually any circle but I can't easily differentiate). You can then select to insert a non-plated or a plated hole (which is just a via).

 

Best Regards,

 

Rachael

 

--

To view any images and attachments in this post, visit:

https://www.element14.com/community/message/198111

 

--

Mit freundlichen Gruessen / Best regards

Richard Hammerl

  CadSoft Support -- hotline@cadsoft.de

  FAQ: http://www.cadsoft.de/training/faq/

Hi Rachael,

great ULP. Thank you.

-Richard

Am 28.05.2016 um 00:22 schrieb rachaelp:

Hi Sean,

 

I posted this on your other thread in the suggest forum first then saw this so I am reposting in this thread which seems more live. Anyway, I thought this was an interesting query so decided to write a ULP to do this. Save the code below as circleToHole.ulp.

 

#usage "en: Adds a hole at the location and size of the selected circle\n"

            "run circleToHole install - to install to the boards context menu"

 

 

if (argv[1] == "install") {

     exit("edit .brd; set context circle 'Place hole (Non-PT)...' 'run circleToHole';"

          "           set context circle 'Place hole (PT)...' 'run circleToHole plated';");

} else {

 

    string cmd="";

    string grid="mil";

 

    if (board) {

       board(B) {

          if (B.grid.unit == GRID_UNIT_MIC) {

             grid = "mic";

          } else {

             if (B.grid.unit == GRID_UNIT_MM) {

                grid = "mm";

             } else {

                if (B.grid.unit == GRID_UNIT_INCH) {

                   grid = "in";

                }

             }

          }

          B.circles(C) {

             if (ingroup(C)) {

                if (argv[1] == "plated") {

                   sprintf(cmd, "GRID mil; VIA %f Round 1-16 (%f %f); CHA DRI %f (%f %f); GRID %s;", 2.0 * u2mil(C.radius), u2mil(C.x), u2mil(C.y), 2.0 * u2mil(C.radius), u2mil(C.x), u2mil(C.y), grid);

                } else {

                   sprintf(cmd, "GRID mil; HOLE %f (%f %f); GRID %s;", 2.0 * u2mil(C.radius), u2mil(C.x), u2mil(C.y), grid);

                }

             }

          }

       }

    }

 

    exit(cmd);

 

}

Then in the board do:

 

      run circleToHole install <return>

 

Then two context menu items will appear when you right click on circles in imported DXF's relating to hole positions (actually any circle but I can't easily differentiate). You can then select to insert a non-plated or a plated hole (which is just a via).

 

Best Regards,

 

Rachael

 

--

To view any images and attachments in this post, visit:

https://www.element14.com/community/message/198111

 

--

Mit freundlichen Gruessen / Best regards

Richard Hammerl

  CadSoft Support -- hotline@cadsoft.de

  FAQ: http://www.cadsoft.de/training/faq/

So i seem to be battling. I have imported the DXF for the CAD drawing which gives me my layout of where i want LEDs etc. It appears my holes are drawn as 4 x 1/4 round segments so selecting only selects one quadrant and not a full circle. How do i join the quadrants into circles. I saved the ULP but it doesn't work even if i select all 4 quadrants of the circle/hole.

I have been battling for hours. First time i am trying something like this BUT it is much easier to design the PC board around the panel

Am 30.05.2016 um 14:24 schrieb Sean Hearder:

So i seem to be battling. I have imported the DXF for the CAD drawing which gives me my layout of where i want LEDs etc. It appears my holes are drawn as 4 1/4 round segments so selecting only selects one quadrant and not a full circle. How do i join the quadrants into circles. I saved the ULP but it doesn't work even if i select all 4 quadrants of the circle/hole.

 

I have been battling for hours. First time i am trying something like this BU it is much easier to design the PC board around the panel

 

Hi again,

what info shows the "info of your quadrant?

Is it an arc?

If so than we(or racelp thanks for the ulp ) can think about

it (b.arc).

The issue: if the ulp goes straight throu all "arc" we get 4 holes per

dxf Hole.

HTH

werner