Have a question about CadSoft EAGLE?  Ask our Expert, Richard! (Archive)

Richard,

Is there a way to print schematics to a PDF file from a Linux shell prompt without user interaction?

I tried using the -C option to eagle and that almost works:

  $ eagle mydesign.sch -C'print 0.59 SHEETS ALL LANDSCAPE PAPER Letter FILE .pdf;'

I've verified that the 'print 0.59 SHEETS ALL LANDSCAPE PAPER Letter FILE .pdf;' command works from the command line in Eagle.

When I use the -C option, Eagle opens the control panel and the schematic editor and then nothing happens until I click on the schematic editor window to give it focus. At that point the print dialog comes up and I have to select the values and click on 'OK' to get the schematic printed to the PDF file. Then I still need to exit Eagle.

What I was expecting, and what I want, is for eagle to start, print the schematic to the PDF file, and exit. All without interacting with the GUI.

Any suggestions on what I might be doing wrong or other ways of accomplishing this task?

...jerry

Hi Jerry,

the correct syntax is:

eagle  -C "print 0.59 SHEETS ALL LANDSCAPE PAPER Letter FILE .pdf;" mydesign.sch

Now it should print. Please not the double quotes and the schematic file name at the end.

Regards,
Richard

Hi Richard,

Thanks for the corrected syntax. I had tried that form, with both double and single quotes, and it was not working as expected. I found that part of the problem is the shell script wrapper for eagle that I was using to set the LD_LIBRARY_PATH. I have fixed my script and I am now able to use the syntax you supplied.

The command still pops up the control panel and the schematic editor and then waits until I click on the schematic editor before it runs the print command. I did add a QUIT command to the end of the -C argument and eagle now exits after the print is complete. So the only problem remaining is that the print command does not start until I click on the schematic editor to give it focus. Is there are way around that problem, or even better a way to keep the windows from opening at all?

Here is the command I am using now:

   $ eagle -C "print 0.59 SHEETS ALL LANDSCAPE PAPER Letter FILE .pdf;quit;" mydesign.sch

BTW, I am running Ubuntu 10.04 with bash for my shell and Eagle 6.1.0.

Thanks,

...jerry

There is still a problem if the associated .brd file is not available.  In that case Eagle pops up only the Control Panel and the Schematic  editor. Focus is on the Control Panel so the command does not execute  until you click on the Schematic Editor window. That is a bit of an edge  case for me which I can work around by having a .brd file.

Yes, the command  edit  .sch  needs a board file. If there is no board this could make trouble as well. I will forward this matter to the development team, because it really seems to be a timing problem of opening the editor windows.....

Regards,

Richard

Hi Richard,

could you modify your command line, so that the schematic file is explicitely loaded before the printing starts?

 

It looks like this then:

 

eagle  -C "edit .sch; print 0.59 SHEETS ALL LANDSCAPE PAPER Letter FILE .pdf;" mydesign.sch

 

That does the trick.

There is still a problem if the associated .brd file is not available. In that case Eagle pops up only the Control Panel and the Schematic editor. Focus is on the Control Panel so the command does not execute until you click on the Schematic Editor window. That is a bit of an edge case for me which I can work around by having a .brd file.

I haven't had a chance to try the scripting idea and I'll keep it in mind for the future.

Thanks for your help,

...jerry

I'm pretty sure that the problem is a race between which window gets  focus and I'm not surprised that there is a difference between systems.  It could be Ubuntu vs. SuSE or just machine differences.

Jerry,

could you modify your command line, so that the schematic file is explicitely loaded before the printing starts?

It looks like this then:

eagle  -C "edit .sch; print 0.59 SHEETS ALL LANDSCAPE PAPER Letter FILE .pdf;" mydesign.sch

I will try this on my Ubuntu machine as well.....

Regards,
Richard

Hi Richard,

I am using SuSE 12.1 here and use the same command line from a bash window. It opens the EAGLE Control Panel, the schematic editor and then it prints. In the schematic I can see the message Printing... done in the status bar of the schematic window......

 

Just while writing this text.....................................

Is there a project loaded whan you start EAGLE? This could be the difference.

Close your project frist and then quit EAGLE. So with the next start it will not open a project automatically, but only load the schematic (plus board) and do the printing.....

 

By the way:

You could also start EAGLE form the command line with option -S which specifies a script file that will be executed. There we have the possibility to exectue a number of commands automatically.

I see the Printing... done message in the status bar of the board layout window, not the schematic window.

I'm pretty sure that the problem is a race between which window gets focus and I'm not surprised that there is a difference between systems. It could be Ubuntu vs. SuSE or just machine differences.

I did have a project open, though Eagle was not running (I had exited with  Alt-A). I tried again after closing all of the editor windows before exiting and I get the same results- a copy of the board layout in the PDF file.

Since you don't see quite the same problem as I have, maybe a solution would be found by asking why you don't get the board layout printed to the PDF file.

I will start looking into the -S command.

Thanks,

...jerry

Hi Richard,

I am using SuSE 12.1 here and use the same command line from a bash window. It opens the EAGLE Control Panel, the schematic editor and then it prints. In the schematic I can see the message Printing... done in the status bar of the schematic window......

 

Just while writing this text.....................................

Is there a project loaded whan you start EAGLE? This could be the difference.

Close your project frist and then quit EAGLE. So with the next start it will not open a project automatically, but only load the schematic (plus board) and do the printing.....

 

By the way:

You could also start EAGLE form the command line with option -S which specifies a script file that will be executed. There we have the possibility to exectue a number of commands automatically.

I see the Printing... done message in the status bar of the board layout window, not the schematic window.

I'm pretty sure that the problem is a race between which window gets focus and I'm not surprised that there is a difference between systems. It could be Ubuntu vs. SuSE or just machine differences.

I did have a project open, though Eagle was not running (I had exited with  Alt-A). I tried again after closing all of the editor windows before exiting and I get the same results- a copy of the board layout in the PDF file.

Since you don't see quite the same problem as I have, maybe a solution would be found by asking why you don't get the board layout printed to the PDF file.

I will start looking into the -S command.

Thanks,

...jerry

There is still a problem if the associated .brd file is not available.  In that case Eagle pops up only the Control Panel and the Schematic  editor. Focus is on the Control Panel so the command does not execute  until you click on the Schematic Editor window. That is a bit of an edge  case for me which I can work around by having a .brd file.

Yes, the command  edit  .sch  needs a board file. If there is no board this could make trouble as well. I will forward this matter to the development team, because it really seems to be a timing problem of opening the editor windows.....

Regards,

Richard

Hi Richard,

could you modify your command line, so that the schematic file is explicitely loaded before the printing starts?

 

It looks like this then:

 

eagle  -C "edit .sch; print 0.59 SHEETS ALL LANDSCAPE PAPER Letter FILE .pdf;" mydesign.sch

 

That does the trick.

There is still a problem if the associated .brd file is not available. In that case Eagle pops up only the Control Panel and the Schematic editor. Focus is on the Control Panel so the command does not execute until you click on the Schematic Editor window. That is a bit of an edge case for me which I can work around by having a .brd file.

I haven't had a chance to try the scripting idea and I'll keep it in mind for the future.

Thanks for your help,

...jerry

I'm pretty sure that the problem is a race between which window gets  focus and I'm not surprised that there is a difference between systems.  It could be Ubuntu vs. SuSE or just machine differences.

Jerry,

could you modify your command line, so that the schematic file is explicitely loaded before the printing starts?

It looks like this then:

eagle  -C "edit .sch; print 0.59 SHEETS ALL LANDSCAPE PAPER Letter FILE .pdf;" mydesign.sch

I will try this on my Ubuntu machine as well.....

Regards,
Richard