Continue to Site

Welcome to our site!

Electro Tech is an online community (with over 170,000 members) who enjoy talking about and building electronic circuits, projects and gadgets. To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

  • Welcome to our site! Electro Tech is an online community (with over 170,000 members) who enjoy talking about and building electronic circuits, projects and gadgets. To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

omfg i hate Eagle

Status
Not open for further replies.
It would appear that in the beta, you no longer have to hold shift to move more than about 5mm with the middle mouse! And right click menu! hurrah!
 
3v0 said:
Most people who have never used a decent cad program get bent out of shape when they first try. Eagle is no different.

I would agree. Once you get used to the command line, I find it easier than hunting through menus and menus of icons. Compare it with SolidWorks as a popular CAD program in Windows. There are so many potential icons and the ones displayed are context sensitive - that is, they may not always show and they may show in different levels of detail, and their location on the tool bar may change that I find it slow.

A simple command line entry, such as "show gnd" is for me much easier. Moreover, the common icons stay put and in the same order. I do wish there was a way to keep a "show" highlighted or in another color while working on another part of the PCB routing.

Using different layers doesn't help, because vias will be auto inserted. If you know a way, please speak up.

John
 
Pommie said:
Well, I'm a poor retiree and I don't steal software. We can all pirate software and if you are that way inclined then Eagle is not for you.

Maybe that was a little harsh but, you should bear in mind that a lot of hobbyist use what they are legally allowed. I really think that the producers of eagle deserve a medal. Other companies have to have reduced their price because of it.

BTW, what is the cost of comparable software?

Mike.

When I was first trying to pick a CAD program, I tried demos of the ones I could and got old pirated versions of the ones I couldn't. After I chose OrCAD I approached the Cadence and told them I was a student needing it for personal use and if they had a discount- they asked $10k. So I went and ripped it off because that's just ridiculous. I had been willing to pay up to $2k for the thing but I guess that wasn't good enough for them.
 
I don't know how common it has become, but SolidWorks put a new twist on its student licensing about 2 -3 years ago. I guess SW was worried about the students who used the same edition forever, so their student license today is a time-limited license. I guess it just goes poof.

It is always worth a check to see if Cadence now offers anything similar.

John
 
dknguyen said:
..they asked $10k. So I went and ripped it off because that's just ridiculous. I had been willing to pay up to $2k for the thing but I guess that wasn't good enough for them.

This logic is so wrong. If you wanted a new car and it was more then you wanted to spend would you steal it too? What about overpriced candy bars?
 
I tried ExpressPCB...yikes... Give me Eagle any day. I had to click over and over to get parts to select...or to move them. It did not automatically give sequential names (used J a few times..caused netlist error). And the parts would not show up when I linked the schematic to the board. It was as frustrating as trying to do custom indentation in crappy Word. And the auto-scroll was annoying too, it kept going off the page when I tried putting parts on the sides.

While we are on the topic of Eagle...How do I end a wire in the schematic without having to click the wire icon again? That is the only thing that I find annoying in Eagle.
 
HerbertMunch said:
Hi hans,
you shouldnt really include your plain-text email address in a forum! Its a sure way to end up with a massive dollop of spam!;)

Hi Herbert,

don't worry about spam. I use very effective anti-spam, not a free copy like Eagle light. :)

Hans
 
Ambient said:
While we are on the topic of Eagle...How do I end a wire in the schematic without having to click the wire icon again? That is the only thing that I find annoying in Eagle.

Double click at the end will terminate. Or, after you click the end where you want it, click the move button. I prefer the double click. John
 
3v0 said:
This logic is so wrong. If you wanted a new car and it was more then you wanted to spend would you steal it too? What about overpriced candy bars?

Except that the price of the software is not for it's material cost. It's geared towards people who make money off the software.
 
Pommie said:
Herbert, you can copy whole pages!! And, I use Autocad and could never imagine doing a PCB with it. Practice with Eagle.

... and not only that. Say you want to make a schematic with the same part of it repeatedly: Just group that part and cut it to the paste buffer. (Example: To detect a broken HV wire around my garden and its exact position I use 64 comparator circuits and I just drew one.)

Paste that part onto your working sheet and eliminate unnecessary nets. Cut again and group to copy to the paste buffer. Erase the pasted part using the right mouse button. (It's still a group, if not group again and erase it that way). Paste again and you have exactly what you want. (Don't change the grid size using that procedure or you'll end up the same way as dknguyen did. The parts are duplicated or multiplied depending on the number of pastes. And all of them have new and logical numbers.

Do that as often as required and you'll have created a design in no time.

If you hate Eagle it would be better to look for commercial software, if you are willing to pay 15.000,00 EURO for it.

Oh, I forgot to mention one thing, which has nothing to do with Eagle, but concerned with it. Using letter sizes smaller than 0.04 inches on the PCB they won't be printed on it. Gerber photoplotters have limits too! :D

Hans
 
dknguyen said:
Except that the price of the software is not for it's material cost. It's geared towards people who make money off the software.

I do not want to get into a long moral debate. :)

A word or warning. The files generated by the beta will not load in the current production version. If you instructor tries to load them you might have a problem.
 
Last edited:
HerbertMunch said:
Im fully aware of how to move groups. I cannot seem to copy a group though As i said before, After i have grouped some objects, i cannot utilise the copy command. It says "left click to select an object to copy" NO STUPID EAGLE, I WANT TO RIGHT CLICK!!!!!

I havent looked at the latest version yet, is it in this version that you can copy multiple objects?

Thanks.
chris

Hi Chris,

I thought you're Herbert.

You must have overlooked an important detail. Here is the exact procedure to cut groups and paste:

1. Use the group function in the tool bar. Group the part you've decided to copy. 2. Click the scissors symbol (cut) and observe the small traffic light on top of the display. It will jump from OFF to GREEN. 3. Hit the button next to it to acknowledge copying. 4. Next try the paste button. The copy should "hang" on the mouse button and you can move it anywhere on the sheet without clicking. Once the desired position is reached click left and all set!

Want more copies? Click the paste button again and do the same thing. :)

Don't worry! Be happy!

BTW, Eagle is still a DOS program (English: programme). Try to change the letter style somewhere in the setup as you can do even using the windows word pad. No success at all. Ask CadSoft how to change it. I know the answer already: Impossible to change due to the internal setup. To change it the program must be altered too, which is not their intention. (at least not changing peanuts.)

Any more problems or questions? I have been working with all Eagle versions for about 25 years and there is no secret to it after that time.

Hans
 
HerbertMunch said:
Ok nice one.

Is it in this version that i can copy multiple objects?

You can! One after another! The paste buffer can only remember one copy at a time. To copy multiple objects you must repeat the copy procedure.
 
It's got to be the world's worst user interface.

aussiepoof said:
I too hate Eagle... the tutorials at Sparkfun help, but still it's got to be the world's worst user interface.

I find ExpressPCB's UI fantastically easy and use it despite the proprietary nature of the storage format (i.e. not Gerber) I did a careful analysis of pricing from various Gerber compatible PCB shops vs ExpressPCB and couldn't find a compelling price difference that warranted the pain of learning Eagle.

My productivity in ExpressPCB outweighs any price difference anyway. I am also able to do single-sided prototype PCB's with it which is very useful.

Best PCB CAD I ever used was the old Protel on Windoze 3.1 Of course since Altium bought them they no longer provide the low-end product (i.e. basic PCB Schematic Capture+Layout) for a reasonable price... sigh.

P.

My sentiments exactly!
 
There is one other quirk to Eagle, but not really when you think about it, to the cut paste routine. Suppose you want to paste multiple copies of a routed PCB before you print. You outline, cut, and paste...then nothing happens!

What you need to do is outline, cut, then go to a blank/new PCB. You can paste to your heart's delight.

John
 
Using different layers doesn't help, because vias will be auto inserted. If you know a way, please speak up.John

Vias are only inserted automatically using the autorouter or routing manually changing layers. If you don't want to use double layer, switch back to the schematic, insert two solder pads (I made an extra library of solder pads with different pad sizes and drills) and connect them to the desired nets. Switch back to the PCB layout and move the new 'parts' to the desired position. Aligning them straight you'll remember that this should become a jumper. If not, just draw a line using the component layer (21) to indicate the jumper. Use a trace width of 0.01inches and make the jumper the way it doesn't annoy.
(Eagle doesn't care how you route jumpers)

When the board is finished it's up to you to leave the jumper as it is (a good reminder when mounting the board), or just erase it. Disable the solder layer (16) and erase the jumper.

For clarity I made a small portion of an existing board. Connecting a jumper to any pin on the schematic, Eagle creates a new net-name for it. In this example GND is connected to a jumper. Name it GND and route it on the bottom layer as shown. Despite putting a small symbol on layer 21 Eagle will show an unconnected net displaying it. Disable the layer 'unrouted' (19) to obtain a clean picture. However using it for the final work Eagle will remind you of the missing ground connection. This is almost like double checking.

The solder pads are clearly visible by their outline and you can give them own names like you can do with any part.

Hans
 
Last edited:
Wouldn't it be so easy, though, if you could type in the command line: color gnd = green (or whatever)? When I am routing, I like to keep track of a few nets, and it is inconvenient to keep having to use the command line for them. Not impossible, but inconvenient. Nevertheless, I would rather put up with that than some tarted up Windows version. John
 
Ambient said:
While we are on the topic of Eagle...How do I end a wire in the schematic without having to click the wire icon again? That is the only thing that I find annoying in Eagle.

Hi Ambient,

just have your net hang on the mouse, not let go. Use the scroll bars and move to the position you want to drop it. Next hook it up to the selected pin.

Procedure: 1. Select net (select the angle, right angles preferrably) 2. Start drawing the net. 3. Don't release it yet (you're not finished). 4. Move the schematic on the screen using the scroll bars until you have reached the destination. 5. Click the net to the pin. 6. Recheck using the 'display net' option (eye symbol) to have at least two pins and the net highlighted. 7. All set.

Some general remarks here, especially some for dknguyen: Using free software, no matter of which kind, you have to take things as they come. To improve is a matter of imgination and of will. Arguing that Eagle is software for people who want to use it for profit is certainly the worst way to look at it. You obviously didn't even bother looking at the advise I posted here just for you. People who want to use PCB software for commercial applications use some of the kind which is priced far beyond my budget. Putting some effort in the work with Eagle it will produce great results, almost compatible with high end main board producers. (No fine trace technology unless using a trace width of 0.1mm and the same distance with "finest grid". Try it! You'll like it :D )

There are many possibilies working with an easy schematic and layout program like Eagle. Eagle stands for: EASILY APPLICABLE GRAPHIC LAYOUT EDITOR. It's not more and it's not less! (I already see the next following argument approaching. No! I have no share with CadSoft!)

Just a little story which probably helps some of the members here complaining about Eagle: A B52 caught fire one day flying low level and the aircraft commander ordered bail out. Would you bail out flying low level knowing that you are going to be ejected downwards like the navigators on the B52? Certainly not! They did however. The reason: There was no checklist for that particular case. There is one thing to keep in mind: It's not the high speed which kills. It's the sudden stop! Hope that started make you think.

Sincerely

Hans
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest threads

New Articles From Microcontroller Tips

Back
Top