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Eagle v7.2 Export Libraries bugs?

gwideman

I think I've run into a bug in 7.2.0 Standard that defeats the Export Libraries feature much of the time. The main symptom is that during the export process a dialog pops up with "[Somefile.scr], Line [n] The Standard edition of EAGLE can't perform the requested action! You can't create layer 4". See attached image.

 

The root of the problem is that the Export function does not create the output libraries directly, instead it creates a script which it runs to create new libraries "in" the one or more new libraries. This generated script includes instructions to create in the new library a <layers> table corresponding to that in the source library.

 

Many source libraries contain a layers table with a complete set of entries. The generated script for these libraries contains instructions to generate a corresponding table in the new libraries which includes script steps like:

 

  OPEN '\path\to\new.lbr';

  Layer 1 Top;

  Layer 2 Route2;

  Layer 3 Route3;

  Layer 4 Route4;   <---- Oooops

  ...

Standard is not allowed to execute the Layer 4 command, because it's restricted to 4 layers total, including Layer 16 which is Bottom. So Eagle prevents the script from continuing. This despite the fact that the libraries in question don't actually do anything on the offending layers, other than just declaring and naming them.

 

It turns out that such a script can be repaired in a text editor by deleting all the lines that declare layers other then 1,2,3,16.  It's necessary to run the repaired script from the Schematic editor (or possibly the PCB editor), but not the library editor, as running the script there just causes the library editor to close.

 

Have I overlooked some way in which this all is intended behavior, or is this a bug? If it's a bug, how do I report it most effectively?

 

-- Graham

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  • 0

    On 29/04/15 08:12, Graham Wideman wrote:

    Standard is not allowed to execute the Layer 4 command, because it's

    restricted to 4 layers total, including Layer 16 which is Bottom. So

    Eagle prevents the script from continuing.

     

    Actually, when I ran into that same problem with Eagle v7, I found that

    it didn't refuse to continue, and if I simply acknowledged all the error

    dialogs it would load the library successfully.

     

     

    Have I overlooked some way in which this all is intended behavior, or is

    this a bug? If it's a bug, how do I report it most effectively?

     

    I'd say it's definitely a bug. It's probably intentional that the export

    function puts in commands to create all the default layers with their

    default names, although it seems entirely superfluous to me. However,

    it's definitely not sensible behaviour to include commands to create

    layers that it isn't going to refer to, especially if they're not legal

    on the free version.

     

     

  • 0 in reply to autodeskguest

    Hi Guest -- thanks for that prod. I tried again the original schematic which I was trying to export-to-library, and if I doggedly keep clicking on the OK button (or hitting return) over 80 times, it does finally accomplish its mission.

     

    Oddly, the resulting library files contain layer declarations for layers 1, 2, 3 and 16 as expected, and also 14 and 15, which are also RouteN layers. Apparently, the prohibition on more than 4 layers has a hole!

     

    BTW, this isn't the free version, it's the Standard not-free version.

  • 0 in reply to gwideman

    Hi Graham,

     

    The main issue here is that when you define the layers to be used, EAGLE

    expects a specific sequence to be used. The limits of the standard (6

    layers) should be made up of the following layers.

     

    1,2,3,14,15,16.

     

    That's why you see the additional layers in the output and why layer

    four shouldn't be used(it's not really allowed in the standard version).

     

    hth,

    Jorge Garcia

     

  • 0 in reply to autodeskguest

    Jorge:

    I went back to look at the features of Standard, and I now see it allows 6 signal layers, not 4. So the fact that the exporter exports declarations for 6 layers is not a surprise.

     

    However, the main point remains, if there are editions of Eagle that are restricted to 6 layers, then the Export Libraries feature needs to take that into account, and not get into trouble trying to export layers that are declared but unused. What it does at the moment is a bug.

     

    I am reporting this to support@cadsoftusa.com, unless someone has a better bug report channel?

     

    -- Graham

  • 0 in reply to gwideman

    ... and two days later, Jorge has emailed me a fix.

     

    For those following this issue:

     

    The Files > Export > Libraries menu item launches ULP exp-lbrs.ulp.

     

    Cadsoft has revised that ULP, which Jorge emailed me. The new script does the job, which is to say that the generated .scr file no longer declares layers 1-16. I guess it relies on the OPEN [path\to\newlib.lbr] to create a new library file initialized with the layers allowed by the edition of eagle that's currently running.

     

    Thanks Jorge and CadSoft!