DXP, drag footprint outline?

Brett, Are you in the Library editor or the PCB editor? Library editor you would use selection (click while holding the shift key, or drag the cursor completely around all the parts you want selected), then use 'M'ove, "S"elected. If you are in PCB editor, you really shouldn't be modifying part footprints as though you are in the library editor. It can be done but it is not normally the place for such actions. once you have strecthed a part, you do not have another copy of that particular part to use for your next connector. Likewise if you were to do something that updated the design, the original library part could be reloaded and change your stretched part back to the unstretched version. Does that make sense? PCB designers usually don't stretch designs, the thought process is very different. You make different library parts and symbols for different purposes, then you interconnect them, not stretch them until you have another different part.

Hello, Brad! You wrote on Fri, 20 Jul 2007 05:43:54 GMT:

BV> Brett, BV> Are you in the Library editor or the PCB editor? Library editor you BV> would use selection (click while holding the shift key, or drag the BV> cursor completely around all the parts you want selected), then use BV> 'M'ove, "S"elected. If you are in PCB editor, you really shouldn't be BV> modifying part footprints as though you are in the library editor. It BV> can be done but it is not normally the place for such actions. once you BV> have strecthed a part, you do not have another copy of that particular BV> part to use for your next connector. Likewise if you were to do BV> something that updated the design, the original library part could be BV> reloaded and change your stretched part back to the unstretched BV> version. Does that make sense? BV> PCB designers usually don't stretch designs, the thought process is BV> very different. You make different library parts and symbols for BV> different purposes, then you interconnect them, not stretch them until BV> you have another different part.

Thanks for your input Brad.

My question may not have been concisely worded. I am working with footprints in the library editor. I have not touched the PCB editor, although I can hardly wait. My hair is not all turning gray quickly enough.

I don't really expect that there is a satisfactory resolution to my issue/problem, except for me to accept that dragging is not supported in the DXP footprint editor,(gasp). I must accept that fact - but I will try and explain my squack:

I am acustomed to using Eagle and creating my own parts and libraries. My circuits will be hand soldered. [The Altium supplied footprints may be great for dense packaging and automated assembly, but are not so good for home assembly. And god help the person doing de-soldering. Pads too small. Same thing applies with Eagle - I'll have wider pads, please.]

Here I go: Let's say I've started with two newly created libraries, called "resistor.pcblib", and, "connect.pcblib", and a single footprint in each library - created through the "(PCB) Component Wizard". (Of course, I work with only ONE library at a time.) After specifying the pads and body, I name the component. The newly created footprint name appears in the library "browser" pane and the new footprint's image is in the "edit" pane.

I will make an exact duplicate of the footprint like this: in the browser pane, right click the component's name, select , right click . Done, Finished. I then double click the new "Name-duplicate" for text editing. It has happened THAT fast.

The 'duplicate' footprint will be turned into, either a longer jumper, or a longer-leaded resistor. It would be great if I could (in the editor pane) just -stretch- the footprint a little bit, say, about 100~200mil. But it's not quite so easy.

Instead, after I decide and select whichever end to move, here's what happens: either an 'end-cap' line will bend at a vertex, or, a component body outline segment will break off from somewhere, or, a segment replica forms and becomes attached to the mouse pointer, or, EVERYTHING bends, or... or my mouse swipe may come up totally empty, -but, never never NEVER can I drag the end of a footprint outline with the rest of the body still attached to it. I am not making this up. I have tried alt, shift, and ctl, (+ mouse click) combinations. Everything I can think of. Sometimes the results seem random, but I know that's probably just MY random nature, and not DXP's. But, it wears me out trying to figure out the ground rules. "Vertex" is something I need to get a better grasp on, but that is a different (but related) issue.

So anyway, unless somebody can explain what I'm doing wrong, I will just do this (end), (pad),(end), then (end-of-top), (end-of-bottom) to close the body perimeter. That seems infinately faster that futzing around trying to drag an intact body outline. I probably couldn't find the instruction for body outline dragging because the function is undocumented because it's unsupported!!

With best regards, bretth2o.

Hi Brett, Okay your explanation tells a lot more of what you are trying to accomplish.

To make your stretched or longer jumper here is how I would do it. Let me expalin also that I use P99SE not DXP so I may be a little out of touch with some of the newer possiblities but the older manners do work in DXP.

Using the selection process on your starting footprint to select one pad and on Top overlay end line. Once selected I would set my grid to a known multiple of how far I want to move the pieces (usually 100 mils for things like jumpers or thru-hole parts). Enter "M"ove, "S"elect, click on a grid point as a starting point (or possibly the pad center), Then move the pad and end overlay line to the desired new location. You now have a broken overlay but your pads are where you wanted them for the new part. Now I would double click the moved end overlay line and note either it's X or Y grid location, then I double click both the side overlay lines that were detached and enter the new X or Y grid location to join them back to the end overlay line I had moved. You can join the two broken lines by dragging their vertices also, I just do a lot of work with the vertices because I find it more accurate and it doesn't matter which layer is my current layer to allow the snap function to work or changing grids all the time to make sure lines, etc., always meet properly.

Generally. Trying to move by vertices or simple dragging is usually limited in DXP (or P99SE) to only conducting the operation on one item at a time. (Not to be confused with schematic editting where "M"ove, d"R"ag, can be used to drag multiple selected wires or objects. Or within PCB editting where multiple connections to a component may be dragged when the component is moved.) Thus it won't work for an operation like above where you are trying to move multiple items at a time. That is unless you are talking of line vertices that drawn to meet precisely and they have joined, then moving the end vertice of one line will drag it's joined partner line's vertice along with it. Generally to move vertices the item must not be "Locked". Clicking on a item sets the focus on that item, small square vertice marks appear at either end of a line and one in the center. Once you have the focus on the item you can then move or revise the vertice points by clicking on them to move them. Note: a quick click should attach the vertice to the cursor and move just that vertice. Click and hold the cursor button for a brief period and the line should attach itself to the cursor and the whole line moves. Click quickly on the lines center vertice and you can essentially move the center vertice breaking the line into two.

Similarly but different, if a line is not focussed and not locked, you can click and hold the cursor button on the line, then drag. The line should move with your cursor.

Hello, Brad! Thanks for your help. There are some distractions working but I'll sit down with your text and work through it. By the way, I got a five watt size resistor package to rubberband the other day. I was absolutely agog, but way too tired to really enjoy it. Maybe I'll get lucky with scaled down packages.

As you have hinted, I'm sure the secret is in having the right grid setting, knowing the right spot to click (and ones to avoid), and managing vertices. A large part of my problem was that I would inadvertently create vertices, and hadn't learned how to get rid of them. This weakness would get magnified on small parts. There weere a bunch of line segments needing to be (re)joined before they would behave. "Keyboard shortcuts", "vertices", and managing grid settings are on my list of -training- objectives.

I'll be drawing some heatsink outlines in a day or so and try out your ideas. Thanks again!

E-mail: snipped-for-privacy@bellsoh.net move the ut to spell south

Snip...

Wow..

For comparison in Orcad PCB386 (DOS) you just execute: Block > Drag , Encompass the objects that you want dragged (stretched) in block and drag them to a new location.

It's a doddle in Pulsonix, as well!

Leon