DIY Layout Creator

DIY Layout Creator (DIYLC in short) is freeware drawing tool developed with help of a large online community of DIY electronics enthusiasts. It incorporates many ideas that came from people using older versions of the application. The goal is to provide a simple interface and enough power to let the user draw schematics, board/chassis layouts and guitar wiring diagrams quickly and without a steep learning curve. Also, it is build around the flexible open source framework that may be used to draw pretty much anything. Below is a sample board layout drawn in DIYLC3.

DIY Layout Creator 3.x

The latest and greatest multi-platform Java version. Works on Windows, Linux, MacOS…anything that can run Java JRE. Mostly backwards compatible with the previous two versions and offers better performance, improved stability and higher flexibility due to the open source API. 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 bancika.github.io/diy-layout-creator/.

To get the latest build, visit Download Page
To file a bug report or issue request visit Issue Page

diylc_3_36_rangemaster
DIY Layout Creator 2.x beta

Multi-platform Java 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.

diylc_2
DIY Layout Creator 1.18

The very first version of DIYLC, written in Delphi and runs only on Windows. At this time I do not support or update this version, it’s been almost a decade since I last played with it. You can still find a bunch of layouts online drawn with this version of the software. It’s pretty easy to use and can draw smaller PCBs, Perfboards or Stripboards quickly. 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). However, it’s not very flexible and it’s written poorly, I keep it here because it’s kind of retro cool, but I don’t use it anymore these days.

diylc_screenshot

Download version 1.18
Download complete layout collection for version 1.x

v1 Layout Collection (works with v3 too)

Right click on a file and click “Save Target As…” to save a layout.

DIYLC 3 is profiled with YourKit!
YourKit is kindly supporting open source projects with its full-featured Java Profiler. YourKit, LLC is the creator of innovative and intelligent tools for profiling Java and .NET applications. Take a look at YourKit’s leading software products: YourKit Java Profiler and YourKit .NET Profiler

Comments
139 Responses to “DIY Layout Creator”
  1. DocJoe says:
    21/08/2012 at 20:27

    I can not figure out how to get an icon on my desktop to click which will open the application. When I select any one of the files, I have to choose an application to open it with. Also, if I double click on “diylc.jar” it will open the application and I can then get to my project. However, this seems very odd and unconventional. It is like I am having to make it work. I get that you say to select File->Open. My problem is to get the DIYLC open and running so I can select File and Open my project. I hate to be such an idiot about this, but I am trying.

    Thanks for all your help!

    Doc Joe

  2. DocJoe says:
    21/08/2012 at 13:25

    Ok, I have once again tried to get diylc onto my MAC. I understand you said to “cd” to diylc3. When I am in terminal mode and type cd \diylc-3, I get nothing except error. I need a script or something. I do not have the sophistication to run didly in terminal mode. I mean I need specific, key for key stroke instructions and EXACTLY what I need to type in. I am no dummy, I just don’t get this. Sort of like, Where would you begin to open up the insides of someones brain? That is simple for me. Is it for you? I am guessing you would want me to walk you through step by step. Well that is where I am with this. Hope that helps you understand what I need.

    Thanks,

    Doc Joe

    • Bancika says:
      21/08/2012 at 13:34

      You could try to execute the run.sh script directly from the folder. Right click on that file, open with, terminal or something and it should work.

      • DocJoe says:
        21/08/2012 at 14:04

        I opened it with Terminal and Text Editor and no go. I may just have to buy a PC for the sole purpose of running DIYLC. I do hate to do that though.

      • DocJoe says:
        21/08/2012 at 14:09

        I copied what Terminal returned. Maybe it would mean something to you.

        “/Users/drjoseph…/Downloads/diylc-3/run.sh ; exit;
        Drs-iMac:~ drjoseph…$ /Users/drjoseph…/Downloads/diylc-3/run.sh ; exit;
        Exception in thread “main” java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: org/diylc/DIYLCStarter
        Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: org.diylc.DIYLCStarter
        at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java:202)
        at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
        at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(URLClassLoader.java:190)
        at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:306)
        at sun.misc.Launcher$AppClassLoader.loadClass(Launcher.java:301)
        at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:247)
        logout

        [Process completed] ”

        Hope it means something to you.

        Doc Joe

        • Bancika says:
          21/08/2012 at 16:10

          try typing this

          cd /Users/drjoseph…/Downloads/diylc-3/
          ./run.sh

          (if not, try without …)

          • DocJoe says:
            21/08/2012 at 19:06

            I sort of got it to load and can bring up the application now. However, if I close the application and try to re-open my “test1.diy” there is not an application to open it with. I am in the directory with all the diylc-3 files. (which I put on my desktop). Any suggestions?

            Doc Joe

          • Bancika says:
            21/08/2012 at 19:18

            You have to open the app and File->Open from there

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  • About

    The idea behind this site is to share my experience with Do It Yourself approach to guitars, amplifiers and pedals. Whether you want to save a couple of bucks by performing a mod or upgrade yourself instead of paying a tech, or want to build your own piece of gear from scratch, I'm sure you will find something interesting here. Also, this is the home of DIY Layout Creator, a free piece of software for drawing circuit layouts and schematics, written with DIY enthusiasts in mind.