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Autodesk EAGLE
EAGLE User Support (English) Determine current routing   layer in ULP
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Related

Determine current routing   layer in ULP

rachaelp
rachaelp over 10 years ago

Hi All,

 

After reading another thread on here I decided to attempt to write a quick

ULP which will allow me to assign shortcut keys to scroll between routing

layers whilst routing.

 

It's getting there except for two issues....

 

First, I can't find a way to get the current routing layer out of the

objects available to me in ULP. I thought maybe I would be able to do

something like:

 

 

board(B) {

   B.segments(S) {

      if (ingroup(S)) {

         S.wires(W) {

            if (ingroup(W)) {

               currentLayer = W.layer;

            }

         }

      }

   }

}

 

 

But unfortunately this doesn't work as the currently being routed signal

isn't found in ingroup() unless is has been grouped before the ROUTE

command is issued. Even if it is in the group the resulting wires in the

second ingroup() cover all the layers that it already exists on, rather

than the currently selected routing layer in the ROUTE command. Does

anybody have any ideas how to get the currently selected routing layer

number for use within ULP?

 

Finally, and this is probably the deal breaker on this ULP anyway, if

during a ROUTE operation I issue a LAYER command, it changes the layer

fine. If I issue the same LAYER command from ULP it terminates the ROUTE

operation (I've tried with and without the ; ). If I follow the LAYER

command with a ROUTE command in my exit() string it does go back into route

mode but not necessarily with the same starting point on the route and it

has ignored the LAYER change as you would expect because it's a new route

command starting from the layer matching the current routing start point.

 

Does anybody have any ideas about how to solve any of these issues or

should I consign it to the "It was worth a try but is not going to work"

pile?

 

Many thanks,

 

Rachael

 

 

 

 

--

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

 

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  • autodeskguest
    autodeskguest over 10 years ago

    On 27.05.2016 18:30, Rachael wrote:

    After reading another thread on here I decided to attempt to write a quick

    ULP which will allow me to assign shortcut keys to scroll between routing

    layers whilst routing.

     

    Maybe you want to add the current last mousepointer click to the hotkey

    assignment like "(@);via (@);run yourulp;" Then, in the ULP, you can

    exit with something like "layer x;wire (@)" to initiate the next segment.

     

    I guess the more friendly way is to assign hotkeys to "layer x" for all

    the used layers wich should not break your routing.

     

     

     

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  • rachaelp
    rachaelp over 10 years ago in reply to autodeskguest

    Thanks Morten, I'll give this a try later :-)

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  • autodeskguest
    autodeskguest over 10 years ago in reply to rachaelp

    On 30.05.2016 12:31, rachaelp wrote:

    Thanks Morten, I'll give this a try later image

     

    Setting via on a hotkey can become an issue tho.. You can quickly end up

    with an error.

     

    Yes it would be nice with a readout on current x,y mousepos, currently

    selected layers and other current set parameters. Maybe the cfgget

    command can do this, but as the helptext says, there is no doc on this

    command

    If you are specific on your needs, and why, maybe cadsoft can help.

     

     

     

     

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  • autodeskguest
    autodeskguest over 10 years ago in reply to rachaelp

    On 30.05.2016 12:31, rachaelp wrote:

    Thanks Morten, I'll give this a try later image

     

    Setting via on a hotkey can become an issue tho.. You can quickly end up

    with an error.

     

    Yes it would be nice with a readout on current x,y mousepos, currently

    selected layers and other current set parameters. Maybe the cfgget

    command can do this, but as the helptext says, there is no doc on this

    command

    If you are specific on your needs, and why, maybe cadsoft can help.

     

     

     

     

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  • rachaelp
    rachaelp over 10 years ago in reply to autodeskguest

    Jorge Garcia wrote on Tue, 31 May 2016 19:48

    Hi Rachael,

     

    I hope you're doing well. If you click both the left and right mouse

    buttons at the same time, doesn't that register as a center

    mouse-click?

    Usually on mice that don't have a scroll wheel or middle mouse button

    pressing both buttons at the same time registers with the mouse driver

     

    as a center mouse-click.

     

    Let me know if this is not the case.

     

    Best Regards,

    Jorge Garcia

     

     

    Hi Jorge,

     

    Unfortunately that doesn't work either on an Apple magic mouse or on the

    track pad on a MacBook Pro. There are no physical buttons and the soft

    implementation of these with gestures / multi finger presses doesn't

    translate into left/right/centre buttons in any way image

     

    Many thanks,

     

    Rachael

     

    --

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

     

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  • autodeskguest
    autodeskguest over 10 years ago in reply to rachaelp

    I think the correct solution is for CADSoft to put in a fix which gives an

    alternative to the middle mouse button for changing layers for those of us

    who don't have that option as it's a bit of an oversight on the OSX

    version.

     

    Best Regards,

     

    Rachael

     

    Hi Rachael,

     

    I hope you're doing well. If you click both the left and right mouse

    buttons at the same time, doesn't that register as a center mouse-click?

    Usually on mice that don't have a scroll wheel or middle mouse button

    pressing both buttons at the same time registers with the mouse driver

    as a center mouse-click.

     

    Let me know if this is not the case.

     

    Best Regards,

    Jorge Garcia

     

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  • rachaelp
    rachaelp over 10 years ago in reply to autodeskguest

    Thanks again Morten, this is all really useful. I'll test a few things out

    and see how I get on.

     

    I know assigning hot keys to switch to individual layers is the least error

    prone but I think that's only really a viable option if you have boards

    with few layers. It would be a nuisance on a 16 layer board and as you say,

    it changes depending on the stack up.

     

    I think the correct solution is for CADSoft to put in a fix which gives an

    alternative to the middle mouse button for changing layers for those of us

    who don't have that option as it's a bit of an oversight on the OSX

    version.

     

    Best Regards,

     

    Rachael

    --

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

     

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  • autodeskguest
    autodeskguest over 10 years ago in reply to rachaelp

    On 30.05.2016 13:32, Rachael wrote:

    rachaelp wrote on Mon, 30 May 2016 12:30

    Because the via might end up with an incorrect label and cause no

    connects or DRC errors?

     

    And by 'incorrect label' I mean incorrect net name on the via.

     

     

    If the hotkey via command is done on top of another via, you get an

    error "cant place via on via". (This is done exactly as you would have

    clicked manually. "(@)" just means "click on current mousepointer pos"

    so you can test the result.

     

    If you approach the via of a wire ending with a via, and use the hotkey

    command "(@);via (@)" as suggested, there will first be a requester

    asking what net to connect to after the (@) and then the via will pop up

    where the mousepointer was located when clicking on the requester..

    Weird sideeffects of the @ coord... (Would be nice to have a @@ or

    something to use same coord as last @ to address those multi @ cases)

     

    You don't get that if you approach with the name the netname tho. Ive

    seen a few double vias causing DRC errors. But of course, the eagle

    optimize should have fixed this by ignoring/deleting the second, but it

    doesn't (yet).

     

    In other words, this is a bit difficult. Maybe you should suggest a

    layer next/layer prev command, but it may conflict with the existing

    syntax. The fixed layer hotkey is a much more elegant solution, although

    depending on your board stack, you may want different hotkeys.

     

     

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  • rachaelp
    rachaelp over 10 years ago in reply to rachaelp

    I see the Eagle Central to Element14 forum link has gone bonkers again.....

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  • rachaelp
    rachaelp over 10 years ago in reply to rachaelp

    rachaelp wrote on Mon, 30 May 2016 12:30

    Because the via might end up with an incorrect label and cause no

    connects or DRC errors?

     

    And by 'incorrect label' I mean incorrect net name on the via.

    --

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

     

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  • rachaelp
    rachaelp over 10 years ago in reply to rachaelp

    rachaelp wrote on Mon, 30 May 2016 12:30

    Because the via might end up with an incorrect label and cause no

    connects or DRC errors?

     

    And by 'incorrect label' I mean incorrect net name on the via.

    --

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

     

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  • rachaelp
    rachaelp over 10 years ago in reply to rachaelp

    rachaelp wrote on Mon, 30 May 2016 12:30

    Because the via might end up with an incorrect label and cause no

    connects or DRC errors?

     

    And by 'incorrect label' I mean incorrect net name on the via.

    --

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

     

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  • rachaelp
    rachaelp over 10 years ago in reply to autodeskguest

    Morten Leikvoll wrote on Mon, 30 May 2016 11:53

    Setting via on a hotkey can become an issue tho.. You can quickly end

    up  with an error.

     

     

    Because the via might end up with an incorrect label and cause no connects

    or DRC errors?

     

    Morten Leikvoll wrote on Mon, 30 May 2016 11:53

    Yes it would be nice with a readout on current x,y mousepos, currently

    selected layers and other current set parameters. Maybe the cfgget

    command can do this, but as the helptext says, there is no doc on this

    command

     

     

    I'll have a dig around and see if this can help at all. If nothing else

    i'll learn a little more about another command image

     

    Morten Leikvoll wrote on Mon, 30 May 2016 11:53

    If you are specific on your needs, and why, maybe cadsoft can help.

     

     

    It's not urgent, I've lived with issuing layer commands for a while now and

    for low layer count boards then assigning these to hotkeys is fine. It

    would just be nice for boards with larger numbers of layers. Alternatively

    if CadSoft could fix this little gap in functionality on OSX in a sensible

    way without too much effort that would be nice too image

     

    Many thanks,

     

    Rachael

     

    --

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

     

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  • rachaelp
    rachaelp over 10 years ago in reply to autodeskguest

    Morten Leikvoll wrote on Mon, 30 May 2016 11:53

    Setting via on a hotkey can become an issue tho.. You can quickly end

    up  with an error.

     

     

    Because the via might end up with an incorrect label and cause no connects

    or DRC errors?

     

    Morten Leikvoll wrote on Mon, 30 May 2016 11:53

    Yes it would be nice with a readout on current x,y mousepos, currently

    selected layers and other current set parameters. Maybe the cfgget

    command can do this, but as the helptext says, there is no doc on this

    command

     

     

    I'll have a dig around and see if this can help at all. If nothing else

    i'll learn a little more about another command image

     

    Morten Leikvoll wrote on Mon, 30 May 2016 11:53

    If you are specific on your needs, and why, maybe cadsoft can help.

     

     

    It's not urgent, I've lived with issuing layer commands for a while now and

    for low layer count boards then assigning these to hotkeys is fine. It

    would just be nice for boards with larger numbers of layers. Alternatively

    if CadSoft could fix this little gap in functionality on OSX in a sensible

    way without too much effort that would be nice too image

     

    Many thanks,

     

    Rachael

     

    --

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

     

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