Open Sch & Brd files together

"Silviu Epure" wrote:

I prefer another definition: Eagle should have support for files related

to /EAGLE/. See the difference?

 

I prefere an other way: "I want to make a board, for a schematic. I need 5

datasheet, informations from the boardhouse, and some pictures. I want to be

able to access all this from only one IDE, the one used for creating

boards".

that's your - very specific - usage scenario. But your PDF-centric

view of things doesn't match everyone's needs.

I'm creating documentation while I'm working with Eagle. That's

project specific documentation I want to store in vicinity of the

Eagle files.

But usually I do not want to store the documentation of the parts

used in the same directory since I re-use the parts in other projects.

Therefore this kind of documentation resides in a completely different

tree. I can put links to them  in the project directory.

That's my - also specific - workflow.

I don't want to open (by hand, one after an other) half of the programs

installed on my HDD to complete this simple project.; I don't want to swim

in backup files to find my 3 usefull files.

If you would learn to use a decent file manager (e.g. some "Commander"

like Freecommander, Total C. etc.), you could filter the Eagle backup

files from your view.

Then you might realize that the "one tool for one task" is usually the

best approach.

A good file manager has preview for many file types, opens

everything with the right (or individually selected) applications,

jumps to your preferred paths quickly and much more.

My approach ist not to make Eagle a better file manager but to improve

Eagle's capabilities of integration to use it with a filemanager (also

"Windows Explorer" is nor the worst file manager).

The strength of the Eagle Control Panel is library browsing and

management.

Oliver

Silviu Epure wrote on Fri, 26 February 2010 06:13

I prefere an other way: "I want to make a board, for a schematic. I

need 5

datasheet, informations from the boardhouse, and some pictures. I want

to be

able to access all this from only one IDE, the one used for creating

boards".

The point is that's unreasonable to ask Eagle to do.  You already have good

tools to do all those things.  Let's not ask Eagle to be another OS.

Besides, what are datasheets doing in a board directory anyway?  Datasheets

apply accross all projects.  I keep a completely independent tree of

datasheets elsewhere.  I don't want separate copies of the MMTB4401

datasheet in every Eagle board directory I used one of those transistors

on, for example.

Quote:

I don't want to open (by hand, one after an other) half of the programs

installed on my HDD to complete this simple project.; I don't want to

swim in backup files to find my 3 usefull files.

In Windows you don't need to open the programs for viewing particular files

first.  Just enter the file name in the command shell window and Windows

will open the associated program with that file automatically.

--

Browser access to CadSoft Support Forums at http://www.eaglecentral.ca

"Tilmann Reh" <usenet2007nospam@autometer.de> wrote in message

news:hm8hvh$3gg$1@cheetah.cadsoft.de...

Silviu Epure schrieb:

 

I prefere an other way: "I want to make a board, for a schematic. I need

5

datasheet, informations from the boardhouse, and some pictures. I want to

be

able to access all this from only one IDE, the one used for creating

boards".

 

Perhaps you got used to this method because you don't have a

useful/powerful file manager? (This is not meant offensive - but I just

can't imagine doing it that way could be considered as effective.)

 

We have hundreds of projects organised in a hierarchical tree. Not all

projects contain EAGLE data, and some contain several revisions of EAGLE

files. Of course we have everything that is really related to the

project in that particular project folder - however datasheets or

boardhouse information definitely belongs at other places, since these

are not project related (at least we use the same parts and boardhouses

for more than one project...).

 

I don't want to open (by hand, one after an other) half of the programs

installed on my HDD to complete this simple project.; I don't want to

swim

in backup files to find my 3 usefull files.

 

You think of EAGLE as a shell, from where you want to process/manage the

whole workflow. I think this is not what EAGLE was developed for. You

should think about using a shell that is meant for exactly this task.

Then you can do everything you mentioned above from that single program.

You activate the /documents/ (not the programs!) and the OS calls the

needed programs to open them, regardless of document type (EAGLE, PDF,

Word, Picture or whatever else). Of course all project related

documents/files are arranged in the same folder (or related subfolders),

so you have them all at hand when you open that folder.

 

Please take the time to really think about this. I'm pretty sure your

workflow would be much more efficient (and the needed programs much less

bloated) if your concept was more "object oriented" and less "program

oriented" - perhaps after a short time of getting used to it.

 

Tilmann

1. I do have a usefull file manager (totalcmd), and I know how to use-it.

But a full folder is a full foder no matter what file browser you use.

2. My concept is not "program oriented", but "project oriented"

3. and be honest... would you be bothered if Eagle could open pdf with

external application?

It is allready support writing pdf's....

"Tilmann Reh" <usenet2007nospam@autometer.de> wrote in message

news:hm8hvh$3gg$1@cheetah.cadsoft.de...

Perhaps you got used to this method because you don't have a

useful/powerful file manager? (This is not meant offensive - but I just

can't imagine doing it that way could be considered as effective.)

I see discution has become personally...

"KimP" <kim.portman@selectrasrl.it> wrote in message

news:hm33ok$8nr$1@cheetah.cadsoft.de...

Is there a way to open an existing Sch & Brd file together, by default.

When I double click either Sch or Brd file name on the Eagle Control Panel

it asks "Do you also want to load xxx.brd?" (or xxx.sch). I always respond

Yes, sofar never had a need to respond No.

 

Is there a eaglerc.usr setting to force (or make as default behaviour) the

opening of Brd & Sch files together. If not, could it be implemented. Much

requested for!!!

 

Kim

Yes, sch and brd should always open together, no matter if user clicked on

sch, brd or epf file. Without confirmation, because it's not needed.

Silviu Epure schrieb:

Perhaps you got used to this method because you don't have a

useful/powerful file manager? (This is not meant offensive - but I just

can't imagine doing it that way could be considered as effective.)

 

I see discution has become personally...

No - that's why I explicitly mentioned that my post was not meant offensive.

I was just trying to understand why you have this strong interest in

using EAGLE as your file manager.

Tilmann

KP wrote on Wed, 24 February 2010 06:49

Is there a way to open an existing Sch & Brd file together, by default.

 

When I double click either Sch or Brd file name on the Eagle Control

Panel it asks "Do you also want to load xxx.brd?" (or xxx.sch). I

always

respond Yes, sofar never had a need to respond No.

 

Is there a eaglerc.usr setting to force (or make as default behaviour)

 

the opening of Brd & Sch files together. If not, could it be

implemented. Much requested for!!!

So I've followed this entire thread and I'll add my $0.02CDN finally.

I understand the notion that EAGLE is a CAD tool and we'd rather have the

limited developer time spent on improving the CAD part of the tool.  We're

not a group about bells and whistles but real, bottom-line functionality.

I agree with that.

However, I think many under-estimate the role that good documentation plays

in CAD design.  In fact, I would argue that it that is just as important as

the actual schematic.  If you don't have the right input data (specs,

datasheets, requirements, ...) then you won't have the right output from

the CAD tool.  So I don't think it's unreasonable to request better

handling of that data.

The problem is that the format that data takes can be widely varying.

Building in a viewer for every possible type of file would be a huge

undertaking and probably a lot of wasted effort.

Can't we leverage the OS in this case though?  EAGLE 5 already has the

facility to use an external text editor.  Why not expand that a bit to

allow the user to maintain a list of known extensions and the external

commands to run when that type of document is activated from Control Panel.

It wouldn't take that much extra effort since the infrastructure appears

to be there already.  The list could come pre-populated with obvious

settings but the user could change them as required.

Doesn't that fit everyone's need?  A clean approach that gives easy access

to the design documents from within Control Panel.  Not much effort to

distract from other features and EAGLE doesn't become bloated.  A win-win I

think.

Cheers,

James.

--

James Morrison  ~~~  Stratford Digital

email:  james@eaglecentral.ca

web: http://www.eaglecentral.ca

Specializing in CadSoft EAGLE

• Online Sales to North America

• Electronic Design Services

• EAGLE Enterprise Toolkit

--

Browser access to CadSoft Support Forums at http://www.eaglecentral.ca

James Morrison schrieb:

Can't we leverage the OS in this case though?  EAGLE 5 already has the

facility to use an external text editor.  Why not expand that a bit to

allow the user to maintain a list of known extensions and the external

commands to run when that type of document is activated from Control Panel.

It wouldn't take that much extra effort since the infrastructure appears

to be there already.  The list could come pre-populated with obvious

settings but the user could change them as required.

 

Doesn't that fit everyone's need?  A clean approach that gives easy access

to the design documents from within Control Panel.  Not much effort to

distract from other features and EAGLE doesn't become bloated.  A win-win I

think.

Unfortunately, getting this to work is some effort, since you would have

to set up that file association list first before you can make use of

it. That's not a works-from-the-box approach, IMHO.

Luckily, the OS already has exactly such a list - why not simply use

that? You can pass the name of a file to the system shell and have the

related application started automagically.

Tilmann

Am 26.02.2010 18:43, schrieb Tilmann Reh:

Doesn't that fit everyone's need?  A clean approach that gives easy access

to the design documents from within Control Panel.  Not much effort to

distract from other features and EAGLE doesn't become bloated.  A win-win I

think.

 

Unfortunately, getting this to work is some effort, since you would have

to set up that file association list first before you can make use of

it. That's not a works-from-the-box approach, IMHO.

 

Luckily, the OS already has exactly such a list - why not simply use

that? You can pass the name of a file to the system shell and have the

related application started automagically.

With James' approach it would be possible to configure which files Eagle's

Control Panel shows. I'd rather not have all the files shown in the

folder list, as was mentioned by someone else in this thread already.

Please read this carefully:

In order to implement double clicking and opening of files from the

control panel of EAGLE. does not require to EAGLE to do anything, have

any file associations, nor any file viewers. as all have stated, this

already resides in the OS. all that is required is to pass "START

path\filename.ext" to the OS. just one string. that's it. maybe 10 lines

of code. no viewers, no tables, no nothing. and stop hiding files in the

control pane - which is simplifying the code. if this is untrue, I

challenge you to provide evidence to the contrary.

nobody is asking for EAGLE to be aware of or do anything with any type

of file except it's own. if you think i or anyone else here asked for

that, you are projecting your own prejudices, misunderstanding and

perhaps your ignorance of programming into the debate. please quote for

me where I, or anyone else, has asked for EAGLE to be aware of and

handle different file types. right, we only asked that they be opened in

the native application, not EAGLE, you misunderstood us. when we say

open, we mean "from the control panel", not "by the EAGLE application".

personally, i don't like the control panel. i totally agree that EAGLE

should be as light and CAD oriented as possible - I'd even dump the

integral text editor. i think CADSOFT should concentrate on real

features that improve the tool, not libraries, not databases. i think

there is real room to rethink EAGLE's project management paradigm - I

myself found it strange when introduced to it.

but, since I must use the control panel, I wish it wouldn't get in my

way of organizing projects in the way that works best for me. not for 10

lines of code at any rate.