Author Topic: CircuitMaker open beta now live (Read 7937 times)

tszaboo · « **on:** May 17, 2015, 09:09:16 am »

Hello fellow engineers. I've been informed that CM open beta is now live. That is all. I need a few days to form an opinion on it, because right now it would contain too much profanity.
Hotkeys dont work what were they thinking?

PeterL · « **Reply #1 on:** May 17, 2015, 11:45:30 am »

Were you already able to download it? I tried, but I could not find a working download link.
So I thought maybe I should register again, but no. This is the reply (10 minutes ago) I got:

Quote

Welcome to the CircuitMaker community! By registering and showing your support, we can keep this thing moving in the right direction and bring you the best tool we can, as fast as possible.

Right now, CircuitMaker is in closed beta. Signing up puts you in the group of potential testers for our closed beta. You’ll be notified when you’re chosen to participate.

tszaboo · « **Reply #2 on:** May 17, 2015, 01:28:59 pm »

Quote from: PeterL on May 17, 2015, 11:45:30 am

Were you already able to download it? I tried, but I could not find a working download link.
So I thought maybe I should register again, but no. This is the reply (10 minutes ago) I got:

Quote
Welcome to the CircuitMaker community! By registering and showing your support, we can keep this thing moving in the right direction and bring you the best tool we can, as fast as possible.

Right now, CircuitMaker is in closed beta. Signing up puts you in the group of potential testers for our closed beta. You’ll be notified when you’re chosen to participate.

https://workspace.circuitmaker.com
login, download link.
They mentioned open beta in their mail, is it not open yet?

djsb · « **Reply #3 on:** May 17, 2015, 02:25:59 pm »

I registered my interest a while ago and got an invitation to activate my account by email and then download the software. I already have a license for Altium Designer so not sure how this would work for someone without one. But surely thats what "open" beta is meant for so that as many people as possible can get involved. I've only got as far as downloading and installing the software so far. It looks very spartan and stripped down. Anyway, worth a try I suppose.

ajb · « **Reply #4 on:** May 17, 2015, 03:24:02 pm »

I've registered, but haven't gotten an activation link either. I wonder if they're metering out the activations to slowly ramp up the server load.

PeterL · « **Reply #5 on:** May 17, 2015, 05:35:57 pm »

Quote from: NANDBlog on May 17, 2015, 01:28:59 pm

https://workspace.circuitmaker.com
login, download link.
They mentioned open beta in their mail, is it not open yet?

I don't have any credentials to login, resetting the password with my mail address does not work either.
And yes I read their mail from 3 weeks ago, but it's not open yet apparently. Well let's see what happens next week, now that they have this makerfaire behind them.

Oanu · « **Reply #6 on:** May 17, 2015, 11:34:41 pm »

Quote from: NANDBlog on May 17, 2015, 09:09:16 am

Hello fellow engineers. I've been informed that CM open beta is now live. That is all. I need a few days to form an opinion on it, because right now it would contain too much profanity.
Hotkeys dont work what were they thinking?

There are hotkeys (and I assume they work), the hotkeys are just different than Altium. I asked about it at the CircuitMaker booth at Maker Faire yesterday and they couldn't give a good reason for changing the hotkeys. They also had a special sign up at Maker Faire that would give you access to CircuitMaker pretty much instantly, but when I tried to activate my account after getting the email I got an error.

tszaboo · « **Reply #7 on:** May 18, 2015, 11:34:46 am »

Quote from: Oanu on May 17, 2015, 11:34:41 pm

Quote from: NANDBlog on May 17, 2015, 09:09:16 am
Hello fellow engineers. I've been informed that CM open beta is now live. That is all. I need a few days to form an opinion on it, because right now it would contain too much profanity.
Hotkeys dont work what were they thinking?

There are hotkeys (and I assume they work), the hotkeys are just different than Altium. I asked about it at the CircuitMaker booth at Maker Faire yesterday and they couldn't give a good reason for changing the hotkeys. They also had a special sign up at Maker Faire that would give you access to CircuitMaker pretty much instantly, but when I tried to activate my account after getting the email I got an error.

They changed hotkeys like Place+Track. I used it approximately hundred thousand times, since I've been using Altium. Are they expecting me to change? I know it is because the ribbon, but I dont like changes for the sake of the change. At least they should make a ribbon configuration where the good old hotkeys work.

leppie · « **Reply #8 on:** May 19, 2015, 04:20:35 am »

I just got my activation email. Seems they are rolling it out slowly

miguelvp · « **Reply #9 on:** May 19, 2015, 04:44:49 am »

got mine as well.

ajb · « **Reply #10 on:** May 19, 2015, 05:35:23 am »

Likewise. Just spent a few minutes playing with it. I immediately miss my DBLib and all of my schematic symbols with their clean and consistent graphic style. Too bad there's no apparent way to import libraries from AD--can't even copy and paste between an AD SchLib and the CM schematic symbol editor

By and large most things are similar enough to AD that it's not hard to find your way around, but a lot of the meat-and-potatoes are different enough to be annoying. It'll definitely take some getting used to. PCB selection and routing seem a little flakey. I kinda dig the blue/orange color scheme.

Definitely don't see myself using it for anything anytime soon, though, if only because I'd be really sad to have to leave my existing AD library behind. Man, the default schematic style is ugly!

ehughes · « **Reply #11 on:** May 20, 2015, 01:23:33 am »

I think knowing Altium puts you at a disadvantage. The UI was designed for those who are not used to the high end Altium workflow.

My guess is someone starting with no a priori knowledge of how Altium works will find the UI/workflow easier. I know I have some muscle memory I am trying to overcome.

s3t · « **Reply #12 on:** May 20, 2015, 09:44:54 am »

Yep, feels *almost* right. Almost, till you hit the keyboard.
CM feels like using on-screen keyboard instead of regular one.

daqq · « **Reply #13 on:** May 20, 2015, 09:50:02 am »

Is there any good tutorial for this? Or some documentation, or a quick start guide? Because right now I'm confused as hell, having no prior experience with Altium. The tutorials I've looked at are all for the "big" Altium.

tggzzz · « **Reply #14 on:** May 20, 2015, 10:31:09 am »

Looking at the front page, I don't see what the USP is; I only see a lot of empty corporate aspirational dross. The documentation doesn't give me enough info to make me want to read the second page, let alone install it!

"You need a PCB design tool made specifically for you. You’re a passionate electronics maker, and you’re part of a growing community. Every day you’re coming up with new and innovative ideas that need to be brought to life." Oh, pleeze! Generally useful technique: invert the clauses, and then since "you're a bored maker... never coming up with anything new/innovative... don't need to actually make anything" is nonsense, it means the original is content-free motherhood-and-apple-pie.

"CircuitMaker removes all of the traditional barriers in the PCB design process" Really? No worries about differential controlled impedance tracks, or decoupling resonances, or power dissipation etc? I think not!

"with zero limitations to hold back your design potential" I very much doubt that. Prove it!

"Your designs live and breathe in the real world" No, they don't. They are inanimate objects.

luky315 · « **Reply #15 on:** May 20, 2015, 02:04:20 pm »

Using Altium Designer professionaly I have my problems with the CM library editor... it assigns component names with no sense and there is no simple way to add a 3D body

And I miss the IPC Compliant Footprint Wizard.

tszaboo · « **Reply #16 on:** May 20, 2015, 02:30:24 pm »

Quote from: daqq on May 20, 2015, 09:50:02 am

Is there any good tutorial for this? Or some documentation, or a quick start guide? Because right now I'm confused as hell, having no prior experience with Altium. The tutorials I've looked at are all for the "big" Altium.

I guess it is in beta, so menus can change (I hope). So they did not bother making the guide until it is released.
Does anyone know where to send my feedback?

chad · « **Reply #17 on:** May 20, 2015, 10:32:49 pm »

Hi All first post.

Has anyone actually been able to download it and play with it? I have been following it from when it was announced forever ago. Signed up for info and never heard a peep from altium. Now when I try to sign up and download I get a "oops something went wrong try again...." Three days now... In typical altium fashion there isn't a peep on the blog And I can't find any public forum for it.
It is utterly astonishing how inept they can be when it comes to dealing with the "community"

And thanks dave for everything!

chad

zeino · « **Reply #18 on:** June 25, 2015, 07:56:15 am »

Do you guys suggest CM for a thesis project that involves building multiple MCU tags with IMU and a central unit with WiFi, blue tooth, Transceiver of choice with special code and Micro controller either M4 or M3 with an M0 for lower level? I felt it is going to be complex so I decided to go with altium so I can add documents and possible FPGA work ... but I faced a discriminatory treatment from CAD microsolution in Canada denying me the student license despite being a student. I now am choosing other options which is either orcad, Eagle ... and any other that I find suitable. For now I got free trial of Eagle which I am learning. Thanks for your help.

tszaboo · « **Reply #19 on:** June 25, 2015, 06:39:42 pm »

Quote from: zeino on June 25, 2015, 07:56:15 am

Do you guys suggest CM for a thesis project that involves building multiple MCU tags with IMU and a central unit with WiFi, blue tooth, Transceiver of choice with special code and Micro controller either M4 or M3 with an M0 for lower level? I felt it is going to be complex so I decided to go with altium so I can add documents and possible FPGA work ... but I faced a discriminatory treatment from CAD microsolution in Canada denying me the student license despite being a student. I now am choosing other options which is either orcad, Eagle ... and any other that I find suitable. For now I got free trial of Eagle which I am learning. Thanks for your help.

You dont want to design more than 1 board for a thesis. If you do one, you prove that you are able to do it. Making that 60+ page documentation on the other hand is the hard part.
Otherwise, why not? I designed mine in Protel.


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Author Topic: CircuitMaker open beta now live (Read 7937 times)

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