Software
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DIY Layout Creator 3.x beta
The latest and greatest multi-platform Java version. This one is still under development but will be backwards compatible with the previous two versions and offer better performance and higher flexibility. It’s got it’s own site now where you can grab the latest version report a bug or suggest new feature. The address is diylc.org.
DIY Layout Creator 2.x beta
Multi-platform Java version. Note that files created with version 1.x cannot be opened with this version. At this point, I would NOT encourage anyone to download or use 2.x beta because it’s just too buggy and slow compared to 3.x. Once I add all the components into 3.x, version 2.x will be officially retired.
DIY Layout Creator 1.x
This piece of software is great utility for everyone who draws board layouts, either for PCB, Perfboard or Stripboard. It has simple yet very effective interface which makes job much easier. Placing a component on board takes only 2-3 mouse clicks! You need to click on source and destination hole and program will place component between them. Placing polarized components is the same, but then you need to take care about hole order because program takes source hole for positive and destination hole for negative side. It’s similar with IC: pin 1 goes in source hole and last pin goes to destination hole. When working with PCB layouts you can set width of each trace and solder pad! Also, there’s “Print PnP” which gives printout ready for transfer on blank board (laser printer required).
Download version 1.x
Download complete layout collection for version 1.x
Note: files created in 1.x versions can not be opened in 2.x version. I’m working on the brand new version that should take care of that.
DIYLC 3 is profiled with YourKit!
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Version 2 doesn’t seem to work on 64 bit Linux.
I’m using Ubuntu 10.04 and the program starts but the library window is blank.
The main window loads fine and I can use all the toolbar menus.
Just the Library window won’t render any components.
did you make sure that working directory is set to the where the JAR is?
Great soft
I use LC 2x, but i can’t print the drawing….
I want to actualize the colection of layouts of version 1; how i made it please mail me rbarriost@yahoo.com; ok if there are a coleccion of layouts for the version 2!!!!!!!!!! please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the reply, Bane. Unzipping fixed it. (how embarrassing…)
I was very excited to find this, but I am having problems opening it. I am a vista user and when I try to open V2, I get a Java Virtual Machine Launcher error that states, “Could not find the main class: diylc.MainFrame. Program will Exit.” Any ideas? Thank you for all your hard work in developing this and maintaining the Q&A.
Do you have everything extracted or trying to run it directly from the zip?
Cheers,
Bane
Oops, the site does not like xml… try this, but add angle brackets at the beginning and end.
drawInstruction condition=”if($i==(x1 x2)/2,1,-1)” object=”rectangle” x=”$i” y=”$j” width=”grid-2″ height=”grid-4″ innerColor=”F0F0F0″ outerColor=”888888″ thickness=”1″ alpha=”1″/
Just an addendum. For a stripboard with a single centre column, create a new stripboard.xml in the library directory, give it a new name (first line in the XML) and insert the following line before the innermost drawInstructions (the one most indented)
With this, if you have odd-number-width perfboard, the centre column will be ‘highlighted’
Interesting piece of software, but have two items that I think should be filed under bug reports.
First, “Solder Pad” component is buggy. If you drag one pad and pass over another pad, the pads you pass over disappear. Also, if you highlight multiple pads then copy-paste, then try to move the new selection, they move erratically!
My trouble with the pads stems from trying to re-create my particular stripboard shape (7 – 1 – 7 configuration). Would be nice to be able to specify the layout, or at least to specify properties (like side margins) so that we can insert multiple stripboards side-by-side while maintaining the real pad spacings.
Still have alot of experimentation to do, but so far I like it!
its great the two are working good job, thanks a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I downloaded it as 2.1.3 (I think)..
Brian.
Hi there,
Are you referring to java version 2.x or old windows only version 1.x? In any case, performance issues will be hopefully fixed. I made a new engine that should be faster.
Cheers,
Bane
An excellent little gem but I have found a few problems.
1) After a few operations I get an error message and need to restart the program. Is there a buffer that gets too full?
2) After fitting many components/track cuts the prog goes extremely slow. More components/more slowly.
3) If too many components of the same type eg resistors are used the list scrolls off the bottom of the screen
Will these problems be fixed in the new version?
I am using a version dated 18/10/2006, I assume this is the latest.
Many thanks for a fine product…
@salman
there’s no way to specify board size, but I agree that may be a better way so I’ll try to implement in the new version. As for the library under linux, I believe that has been discussed on DIYSB forum few days ago. I’m not linux guru so can’t help much with that. I only know that you need to have DIYLC dir as current dir when running. Here’s the link
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=44838.1520
Cheers,
Bane
why are the library icons invisible in Ubuntu Linux?
how do I switch to inches and is there an option in the beta version to set the size of the board (perf) by specification and not drawing (making a 40×55 is easier this way)?
Text on potentiometers is upside down when the the component has the solder lugs to either side.
Wire mid-point-thingies appear and disappear with irritating lack of consistency.
It would be really nice if wire ends could stick to the thing they end at (boards, pots, etc), that would really make it much easier to move things around, when cleaning up the design.
I’d also like to be able to close the properties box with “enter” for OK, and “esc” for cancel.
Most if not all of these will be implemented in the next version…
Cheers
Nice work! I dont know if its a missing feature or that i just haven’t found it yet, but i can’t seem to be able to create a schematic and then drag the components on the stripboard with the lines still attached. Or is there a kind of auto-layouter?
With regards,
Reinoud
Nice work Bancika! Version 1 was painfully slow- 1 second between clicks?! Version 2 is much better. Would be nice to have parts for non-insulated and Cliff jacks, DC sockets and battery connectors, diodes and LEDs too (I can only find schematic symbols for diodes presently…)
M
yeah as an option, like being able to put angles on a trace while the components are locked to the solder points. then you could lay something out like a schematic taking up lots of space, then sort of pull it and fold it together and angle the traces to make it smaller and neater.
hope this makes sense i am terrible at explaining stuff.
you mean break down a trace in two instead of moving it? I think that it wouldn’t be a good idea to always work like that because you wouldn’t be able move traces at all. It may be useful to have an option that does it on demand, either Ctrl key or something like that.
Cheers