Free Unlimited Version of AutoTRAX PCB Design Software

[Zucca]

Iliya:

If nothing else...
... community

Lightages you are now in my buddies list. I rarely found another post on this EEVBlog that was more appropriate.
Thanks to people like you and Iliya there is still hope in this world.

[nctnico]

I'm wondering: how is the component management? For example: In Orcad Capture I can pick parts from a database which has the PCB footprint, prices, full part number, order code from Farnell, etc. A click on a button creates a comprehensive bill of materials which can go straight to an assembler.

[0xdeadbeef]

My 2cents

The goods:
$49 is a great offer and there seems to be a lot of functionality on top of what e.g. DipTrace offers.
The UI looks somewhat modern (yet a bit crammed and confusing).
 
The bads:
Editing in the schematics is slow and the slightest component shift gives you angled tracks and overlaps.
The PCB editor seems to be absolutely terrible compared to DipTrace. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but simple stuff like drawing a moving a track feels like steering a tanker in a china shop.
The whole "top Package" thing looks a bit toyish and I don't fully get the idea of it as it hides the tracks.
Panels like the property panel are hidden behind the default view and putting them in a sensible place is an ordeal since dragging/docking/undocking panels is so painfully slow.
The free version is actually not so free, as you get a nag screen at each start and "non commercial" watermarks all over the place (gerber, 3D view etc.).

Generally, with a bit polishing and a major performance overhaul, this could be a very nice eCAD system for the hobby user. In its current state though, it is more or less unusable for impatient people like me due to the very sluggish reaction to user input.

[zapta]

If nothing else, I think you are to be commended for your generosity to provide your hard work for free, and also to come here and stay here after the direct brutal (almost insulting) criticism that has been dumped on you.

+1

It's one thing to provide sincere feedback, it's another to be rude.

This is a very impressive body of work.

[pickle9000]

If nothing else, I think you are to be commended for your generosity to provide your hard work for free, and also to come here and stay here after the direct brutal (almost insulting) criticism that has been dumped on you.

+1

It's one thing to provide sincere feedback, it's another to be rude.

This is a very impressive body of work.

Absolutely agree on both counts.

It's not often you can download a program and just do something. I haven't looked at the manual, no need so far. It's hard to believe that the entire package was done by one person.

[DerekG]

You could try this... http://iliyakovac.com/ It's something I have been working on.

Yes, I like this very much. I can't say I mind the existing layout, however showing AutoTRAX's capabilities of some packed SMD boards is definitely a step up.

[aroby]

I tried to post to the forum on the AutoTRAX web site, but seems that an invitation code is needed to sign up.  Would be handy to have an DEX sub-section on EEVBLOG.

Of course, I've run into trouble tonight trying to figure out how to add a part.  It's just a SMD inductor with a 1008 package and I couldn't get anything like that to appear via search. I think I figured it out thought, but along the way found some odd behaviors.  One being that once a part is on the schematic, there is no (obvious) way to determine what library part it was sourced from.  And being able to change the package and footprint from the schematic would be useful - I assumed that that was the purpose of a parametric part.

[pickle9000]

I tried to post to the forum on the AutoTRAX web site, but seems that an invitation code is needed to sign up.  Would be handy to have an DEX sub-section on EEVBLOG.

Of course, I've run into trouble tonight trying to figure out how to add a part.  It's just a SMD inductor with a 1008 package and I couldn't get anything like that to appear via search. I think I figured it out thought, but along the way found some odd behaviors.  One being that once a part is on the schematic, there is no (obvious) way to determine what library part it was sourced from.  And being able to change the package and footprint from the schematic would be useful - I assumed that that was the purpose of a parametric part.

Have a look on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=autotrax+part

[pickle9000]

@Iliya

Dave's WIKI is pretty comprehensive, of particular interest to users on your forum would be pcb manufacturers and assemblers.

http://www.eevblog.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

[aroby]

I tried to post to the forum on the AutoTRAX web site, but seems that an invitation code is needed to sign up.  Would be handy to have an DEX sub-section on EEVBLOG.

Of course, I've run into trouble tonight trying to figure out how to add a part.  It's just a SMD inductor with a 1008 package and I couldn't get anything like that to appear via search. I think I figured it out thought, but along the way found some odd behaviors.  One being that once a part is on the schematic, there is no (obvious) way to determine what library part it was sourced from.  And being able to change the package and footprint from the schematic would be useful - I assumed that that was the purpose of a parametric part.

Have a look on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=autotrax+part

Yes, I've been there!  Amazing quantity of tutorials.  I think I got this figured out, although I'm not quite clear on what "pitch" is referring to when describing a part.  The software has some odd behavior when you copy a part which was screwing up the symbol.

[pickle9000]

I tried to post to the forum on the AutoTRAX web site, but seems that an invitation code is needed to sign up.  Would be handy to have an DEX sub-section on EEVBLOG.

Of course, I've run into trouble tonight trying to figure out how to add a part.  It's just a SMD inductor with a 1008 package and I couldn't get anything like that to appear via search. I think I figured it out thought, but along the way found some odd behaviors.  One being that once a part is on the schematic, there is no (obvious) way to determine what library part it was sourced from.  And being able to change the package and footprint from the schematic would be useful - I assumed that that was the purpose of a parametric part.

Have a look on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=autotrax+part

Yes, I've been there!  Amazing quantity of tutorials.  I think I got this figured out, although I'm not quite clear on what "pitch" is referring to when describing a part.  The software has some odd behavior when you copy a part which was screwing up the symbol.

Here is one you may like. My method for making parts is normally to find an existing one and them modify it. In this demo he downloads a 3d image from the manufacturer and uses that. In any case you can see that the part creation is pretty complete.

[aroby]

@pickle9000 - I'll take a look at that.  There are a bunch of small bugs I've encountered.  Trying to create a part for a Minicircuits JPS-2-1W, I started with an SOIC part and the pad layout wouldn't update, regardless of the values entered.  Closing and reopening solved that.  Trying to change the font on a terminal causes the terminal to disappear.  I went round in circles for a while trying to get the terminals assigned to pins - not sure where I went wrong there, but finally found a way to do it. 

[DerekG]

I think I got this figured out, although I'm not quite clear on what "pitch" is referring to when describing a part. 

Pitch is the distance between the pins (component legs). It is measured from the centre of the first pin to the centre of the 2nd pin.

[pickle9000]

@pickle9000 - I'll take a look at that.  There are a bunch of small bugs I've encountered.  Trying to create a part for a Minicircuits JPS-2-1W, I started with an SOIC part and the pad layout wouldn't update, regardless of the values entered.  Closing and reopening solved that.  Trying to change the font on a terminal causes the terminal to disappear.  I went round in circles for a while trying to get the terminals assigned to pins - not sure where I went wrong there, but finally found a way to do it.

I haven't had any issues so far.

[Iliya]

Best place for tutorial videos on using AutoTRAX  is http://kov.com/Videos/PCBs no sales pitches, no side adverts, just tutorials.

You can download them from http:///kov.com/Download/Videos

[elgonzo]

Best place for tutorial videos on using AutoTRAX  is http://kov.com/Videos/PCBs no sales pitches, no side adverts, just tutorials.

Iliya please revise your tutorial videos. Not only shows one of your videos issues with the autowiring in the schematic editor (i posted details in free_electron's thread reviewing your software, since i noticed he really hit a wall with the crazy autowiring), but you even call other software products "idiot programs" (as happened in your tutorial video "Schematic wiring made simple" at time 1:29) while your own software has its fair share of egregious issues. That does not shine the best light on you and makes me wanting to not even try your software...

Since i can't tell from the screenshots and the videos so far: Is your application truly MDI (i.e., the schematic and PCB editors exist only inside the main application window), or can the schematic editor and/or the PCB editor be undocked, so that i can place different windows on different monitors? This is important, since my workstation has a dual monitor setup where one monitor is landscape and the 2nd monitor is in portrait mode.

[Iliya]

Best place for tutorial videos on using AutoTRAX  is http://kov.com/Videos/PCBs no sales pitches, no side adverts, just tutorials.

Iliya please revise your tutorial videos. Not only shows one of your videos issues with the autowiring in the schematic editor (i posted details in free_electron's thread reviewing your software, since i noticed he really hit a wall with the crazy autowiring), but you even call other software products "idiot programs" (as happened in your tutorial video "Schematic wiring made simple" at time 1:29) while your own software has its fair share of egregious issues. That does not shine the best light on you and makes me wanting to not even try your software...

Since i can't tell from the screenshots and the videos so far: Is your application truly MDI (i.e., the schematic and PCB editors exist only inside the main application window), or can the schematic editor and/or the PCB editor be undocked, so that i can place different windows on different monitors? This is important, since my workstation has a dual monitor setup where one monitor is landscape and the 2nd monitor is in portrait mode.

DEX has tabbed views or MDI views.
To float a view onto another screen, in tabbed view, double click on a tab.
You can also float all control panels.
I use 3 monitors.

[Iliya]

The most serious is that nothing seems to line up with the grid:

The example schematics are the same. All the parts and wires are off the grid.

The other issue is minor. Zooming with the mouse wheel is really slow, and I can't find a way to make it faster.

You are using a metric grid.

DEX using a 0.1” pitch for alignment of symbol terminals. This keeps schematics easier to design.

A 0.1” pitch was chosen for visual appeal when printing.

In reality metric or imperial is totally irrelevant. Schematics are abstract representation and not physical. No a value of 1.1 is unit-less.

I have changed the wizard. See attached.

Can't help you with the mouse.

[Iliya]

Thanks, amazing level of service for something that is free! I'm thinking I could move over from Eagle with this.

I switched back to an imperial grid for the schematic, because as you say it makes little difference. As long as the symbols are metric I'm happy Is there no way to increase the amount zoomed in when the mouse wheel is moved? For some reason I find many programs set it far too low, e.g. Firefox and Chrome both scroll annoyingly slowly by default and IE scrolls way too fast.

I now understand your problem.
I added an option in application settings to increase/decrease zoom when using the mouse wheel. It is in Application->User Interface->Mouse Wheel Scale.
See attached.

Try entering 1.1
> 1 increases zoom in. < 1 decreases it.

New version now uploaded. Restart DEX and auto-update.

P.S. 57 minutes from your posting to this new version.

[ludzinc]

Hi Free_electron

Do you ever share your scripts?  This is something I'd like to get some practice with, and this looks like a good place to start.

Thanks.

[free_electron]

yes. one of em is on the google code page for Altium scripts.
i need to release some more. i have a schematic driven placer now to cluster parts. works really well to speed up initial placement. ( provided the schematic is drawn clean and not a ratsnest )

[Iliya]

Over 90 Tutorial Videos on AutoTRAX DEX
3D
3D PCB Viewing in AutoTRAX
Semi-transparent PCBs with AutoTRAX
Viewing PCBs and Their Internal Structure in AutoTRAX
Adding, moving and rotating 3D objects on PCBs
Active 3D Preview for AutoTRAX Design Express (DEX)

GENERAL
Viewing the AutoTRAX Sample Projects
LM3914 LED Display
Creating a simple amplifier using pre-designed circuits
100 Watt Amplifier Design
Installing AutoTRAX
Schematic, Simulation, PCB Design and Solid Modeling
Running AutoTRAX for The First Time
Updating DEX
The AutoTRAX Workspace
Viewports
Docking and Floating Panels
Undo/redo and disaster recovery
The AutoTRAX DEX Status Bar
Using the Color Bar in AutoTRAX
Arranging Viewports in AutoTRAX
The AutoTRAX DEX Settings Panel
Halloween with AutoTRAX
The AutoTRAX File Viewer
Switch from a ribbon to classic menu in DEX

GRAPHICS
Adding Graphics To Your Drawings
Text
Note Boxes
Polylines
Polygons
Rectangles
Ellipses
Arcs
Lines
Images/Pictures
Dimensions
Adding and editing lines
Measuring Distances in AutoTRAX DEX
Using Guides in DEX

NEW
Manufacturing Your Printed Circuit Board
Creating a Part for a Button Battery
Post Auto-Route Optimization
Adding a Button Battery to the LED Voltage Ladder
Schematic Editing
Convert TPH to SMT
LM3914 LED Display
3D Modelling in Active3D
Track Necking
Real-Time Design Rule PCB Checking (DRC)
STL 3D Export
Changing Track Width When Manual Routing
Adding Holes and Cutouts to a PCB
Adding Graphics To Your Drawings
Arcs
Polylines
Polygons
Rectangles
Ellipses
Lines
Text
Note Boxes
Images/Pictures
Dimensions
Viewports
Docking and Floating Panels
Importing a PCB from AutoCAD
Combing Shapes into a PCB

PARTS
Creating a part with 4 schematic symbols (Split part)
Creating a custom potentiometer
Splitting Part Symbols on a Schematic
Parts in DEX
Customizing a parametric footprint
Capturing Pin Details from a PDF
Creating a Custom SOT223 Transistor
Creating a Power Mosfet Part
How to create a PCB pad with a rounded end
Adding Thermal Vias
Creating round, rectangular and polygonal pads and offsetting pad holes.

PCBS
Convert TPH to SMT
3D Modelling in Active3D
Track Necking
Real-Time Design Rule PCB Checking (DRC)
STL 3D Export
Changing Track Width When Manual Routing
An Insight into PCB AutoLayout with DEX
Adding Holes and Cutouts to a PCB
Importing a PCB from AutoCAD
Combing Shapes into a PCB
One Click PCB board design, layout and auto-routing
Rotating Parts on PCBs
Swapping connections for a part
Quick Autorouting
PCB Manual Routing
3 Manual Routing Styles
Connection a SMT pad to an internal copper pour
Quick Manual Routing
Interactive PCB Routing with DEX
Manual Routing with DEX - 2
Manually Routing TPH pads and SMT pads
Manual Routing with Automatic Targets
Adding a Track Jumper in AutoTRAX
Swapping Layers with DEX
Setting a PCB track width from a schematic
Teardrops on pads/via with DEX
Auto-routing with DEX and ELECTRA
Cross Cursors in DEX
Solder Mask Differences in PCBs
True-type fonts for PCB production

SCHEMATICS
A Simple Resistor Ladder
Automatic wiring using DEX
Automatic Wire Jumpers
Wire and Bus junctions in DEX
Schematic Wiring Made Simple
Hierarchical Top-Down Design
Saving Designs for Re-use
Reference Designators in DEX
Schematic-PCB Cross Selection in DEX
Re-positioning symbol names and pin number
Marking terminals as no connection required

[Iliya]

AutoTRAX version 6 is no longer free.

You can download version 5 from http://kov.com/DexDownloads/DEX_NonCommercial.exe
This is the last version that is free for non-commercial use. If you use this and do not wish it to update to version 6 simply click no. You will now be asked again. So keep of copy of this.

Version 6 loads up a lot faster than 5 versions and contains over 3000 modifications/improvements to the code base.

Unlike other EDA programs, DEX has just one simple to understand price for use. Although it is not free, the ridiculously low price of $49 is extremely good value for what you get and it goes to fund new development.

I apologize if this is upsetting, but I do have to eat and fund development.

Thanks to all who has contributed valuable feedback and suggestions, yes, even to free-electron.

Regards
Iliya Kovac

[Neganur]

so all the nice free input you got to improve the software, and now bait and switch.

/clap

[Lightages]

I have mixed feelings about this move. I understand the need to make money and survive and so I see no problem with charging for work. It does seem however that the forums has been used to improve your software for free and then change the rules after all the feedback. But......

Version 5 is still free. So I don;t see how anyone can complain in reality. If you are not using it professionally then V5 is good enough and free. If you want to do things more professionally then buy V6 for $49.

On the other hand I spent the $49 for the professional use version on the back of the generosity of the author in providing the software for free.....

I am so confused.