Schematic Drawing

westaust55

Moderator
For the Sheet size, under the File/Titles and Sheet Setup there is a button on right side for Sheet Size. There you can select A4 and landscape.\

In the same File/Titles and Sheet Setup also (if not already ticked) click the boxes at the bottom for Display Titles and Display Sheet (borders) if you want a better final presentation.

By comparison with Martin57, my print preview on schematic comes up full size with scale 147%, print scale 100%, scale tables checked, scale to page checked (but scale to pages seemingly makes little difference.
Maybe as/if the printer type is already defined it makes some scaling assessment as the print preview scaling is not the same as the schematic drawing mode scaling.
 

ZOR

Senior Member
Thanks.

I am confused as to what I should see in print preview. I can see my drawing, but also I presume my paper (rh side) However if I alter scales to get my drawing larger, the drawing size increases but my page representation are goes.

PREVIEW.jpg
 

westaust55

Moderator
Thanks.

I am confused as to what I should see in print preview. I can see my drawing, but also I presume my paper (rh side) However if I alter scales to get my drawing larger, the drawing size increases but my page representation are goes.
Have you set up a page size?
Are you drawing your schematic within the sheet area?

Your image suggests you are drawing outside the sheet area.

From the toolbar view, Turn on/select the Display Sheet and display Titles so you see the drawing borders as per my attached screen shot.
Edit: (delayed getting second pic attached as somehow went to a new post) Then with a print preview you should end up with a display similar to my second attachment

Have you read the Tutorial that comes with DipTrace - see under the toolbar Help button. That covers a bit about sheet set up.
 

Attachments

ZOR

Senior Member
Sorry Dippy, it should read "My page representation image goes". If you look at my image, my drawing is on the left upper, but there is another image shown on the right towards the bottom. I presume my drawing has to be on this other image? However if I increase the scale so that my drawing gets larger, then the image of my paper sheet vanishes. I think I will just call it a day with this thread and just use screen print, but thanks for coming in.

EDIT Sorry Westaust, missed your posting, will check out your advice, thanks
 

ZOR

Senior Member
Please see images. If it's not easy to see then I will drop it and use print screen for now. Thanks

PREVIEW2.jpgPREVIEW3.jpg
 

Attachments

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westaust55

Moderator
@Zor,

As at this instant in time, the two attachments I added to my post above have not been viewed by anyone so that includes you.
How can we help if you will not look at the information we try to give you?

From your new image, you have the border now displayed but are drawings outside the sheet area - that is why you have the schematic in one quadrant of the preview display and the sheet in another quadrant.
 

ZOR

Senior Member
That's the most unintuitive print preview I have ever come accross.

I found by accident the compass type north/south/east/west tool to drag a drawing onto the paper.

PREVIEW5.jpg

Click on tool, slide drawing where you want.

I had a quick look at the tutorial but it seemed more with printing the pcb layout.

I hope my errors are of help to following. I would say apart from my last bit, this is the best software especially after Westaust and Mycroft put their time doing libraries. Thanks again
 

westaust55

Moderator
That's the most unintuitive print preview I have ever come accross.
I found by accident the compass type north/south/east/west tool to drag a drawing onto the paper.
Treat that method as a last resort to align the schematic and page and even then may not fit.

The far better and correct way is to draw inside the page border when creating the schematic in the first place (see my first image on post 44).
Use the scroll wheel on your mouse to zoom in and out until you can see the sheet border and then you know where you are drawing the schematic
 
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Cillakin

Member
What you're looking for, as I understand it, is a circuit simulator app. Something where you can just grab parts, place them, connect to stuff, and see how it all works. Eagle is great for PCB design, but doesn't seem like what you're looking for. So rather than try to convince you that you need to learn Eagle and all this other nonsense, I'll recommend two apps for Tablet/Smartphone that allow exactly what it is that you're looking for. Which again, as I understand it is that you want to just take a Diode, for example, and connect it to something. Not a specific type of Diode, like the N4148; you want just a diode.

If the Images do not load, right click, open in new tab.


I am hoping this is something for to your liking/suiting. This is called EveryCircuit. It's an app for Android.



This is iCircuit. Available for Android and iOS. It's a lot more robust, but just as easy (although slightly more frustrating at times) to use as EveryCircuit.


This is CircuitLab. It's a web-browser based simulator. I find it easy to use and more 'professional' than either of the previous two.

Here is another useful link with a bunch of other useful information and programs to use. I highly recommend this website as it contains pretty much every application you'll ever need for all things electronics. Hope this helps.

Link Below:
https://6002x.mitx.mit.edu/wiki/view/UsefulFreeTools
 

ZOR

Senior Member
I seem to out of sync with answers coming back.

1) Why is my drawing area black
2) I have selected to view Display Sheet and display Titles, but they do not appear on my drawing area.

PREVIEW6.jpg

Please, I seem to be annoying people so I am happy to use print screen now rather than going on and on taking peoples time with something I can work around. After all it's a Picaxe forum not software. Thanks for help. Regards
 

westaust55

Moderator
What you're looking for, as I understand it, is a circuit simulator app. Something where you can just grab parts, place them, connect to stuff, and see how it all works.
Sorry if I seem a little blunt, but that is no what was asked for.

The original request was for:
Does anyone know of a really simple schematic drawing program that just has various DIL sockets that are just that, ie not a product.
Also having a range of symbols, ie diode etc, again not being a product type. Simple line drawing pin to pin. It's just to keep circuits,...
Lets not confuse ZOR by introducing simulators.
Better to help him get sorted on one CAD package with some experience. If ZOR then wants to try another program for comparison and possible ease then so be it.

EDIT: The EveryCircuit, iCircut, CircuitLab that you have mentioned are all simulators with a very small generic library of components (more than 30 - even 50 or 100 are not many) and certainly no DIL / DIP sockets or generic chips/sockets as specifically requested by ZOR.
Too limited for me to consider trying after reading the website literature.
Yes you can print the circuits out but what other informaiton such as borders and title blocks can be added for reference.

By Comparison, DIPTRACE (and most likely EagleCAD and other CAD packages often mentioned on this forum) has a set of inbuilt libraries with a combined total in excess of 100,000 components. In addition there is the ability to add ones own library as mycroft (RIP) and myself have done to (between us) cover specifically all PICAXE parts produced to date and many chips and components often used with PICAXE chips. Schematic Drawings can easily be made professional looking with borders and title blocks and a series of sheets as a group if required.

Both the EveryCircuit, iCircut, CircuitLab and the DIPTRACE and EageCAD type packages use a drag and drop means to select a component from the menu and place where desired on the page. Click on a terminal and "drag" to another terminal or point to create a conenction wire/trace.
 
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westaust55

Moderator
1) Why is my drawing area black
2) I have selected to view Display Sheet and display Titles, but they do not appear on my drawing area.

You likely skipped over the step to set the background colour during install and initialisation.
To get the the conventional white sheet, from the toolbar select View / Colours and then in the popup window change "Black Background" to "White Background"

Have you tried to zoom in and out until you can see the sheet border and title block?
 

Cillakin

Member
Sorry if I seem a little blunt, but that is no what was asked for.

The original request was for:


Lets not confuse ZOR by introducing simulators.
Better to help him get sorted on one CAD package with some experience. If ZOR then wants to try another program for comparison and possible ease then so be it.
Why are you answering for ZOR? And yes, he asked for exactly what EveryCircuit does.

really simple schematic drawing program that just has various dill sockets that are just that, ie not a product
Dot to Dot, drag and drop. Its not CAD it's an app that a child could use. Have you even used the apps yourself? Again, answering for other people, bad etiquette.
 

ZOR

Senior Member
Thank you Westaust, now it's white, and no I did not try scaling, however now done and hey it's all there.

Many thanks for keeping in there. All is fine now.

Re simulator, yes looks easy to create circuits, but not on a phone thanks. Also DipTrace allows me to grow into it, and encompasses Picaxe development. Thanks
 

MartinM57

Moderator
Back now and glad to see it's all good - onwards and upwards ZOR...PCB layouts next, export to Gerber files and send off for cheap good quality boards from iteadstudio (other fab houses available) ... If you don't mind the wait for the slow boat from China/don't want to pay DHL shipping (which arrives in less than 3 days door to door, Schenzen to Bristol)
 

ZOR

Senior Member
Thanks for your help Martin, yes got there. I will look at your links for PCB manufacture, I did get some UV LEDS and bits, was going to make them. Will have a good look. Thanks to anyone I might have forgotten in my learning curve.
 
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