DEX eval by free_electron

[Iliya]

On a few example PCB layouts posted here, i saw "NON-COMMERCIAL USE ONLY" on the silk screen.
Nothing against Dex giving a reminder about its usage policy, but what i wonder is what if you have small-ish, densely populated PCB where there would be no place for this label. Is it possible to delete or place the label outside the PCB boundaries?

You could pay for the software?

[Iliya]

I then watched the video. It was very good to have a grasp on how the creator works with the tool, but a few questions remained on my end:

- what is the key combination to move around on the PCB/Schematics using the mouse? I was only able to do this using the keyboard arrows (perhaps I missed that on the video)

- When creating the LM3914 you assigned all the pins but you did not modify their electrical properties such as output, input, passive, power, etc. Is this done by the Properties Panel?


- When you were manually routing the a net/track, all the others fully disappear. Would it be possible to leave them somewhat greyed out so the manual routing would be easier? This is just an enhancement.

Select terminal, select terminal pin type ( see previous video).
Hold down middle mouse button and drag to pan. Rotate thumbwheel to zoom in/out. When moving, creating stuff AutoTRAX smart pans. It remembers you original position.
You can turn auto-dimming off - settings panel.
When moving footprints, only connected tracks shown.

[elgonzo]

On a few example PCB layouts posted here, i saw "NON-COMMERCIAL USE ONLY" on the silk screen.
Nothing against Dex giving a reminder about its usage policy, but what i wonder is what if you have small-ish, densely populated PCB where there would be no place for this label. Is it possible to delete or place the label outside the PCB boundaries?

You could pay for the software?

I don't know how i should interpret your response. Does it mean the label is not deletable nor movable?
If so, i would like to point you to what your web site says:

The non-commercial license's only restriction is that it must only be used for non-commercial designs; there are absolutely no other restrictions, no board size or pin limits.

If the label is indeed not label not deletable nor movable, then you should perhaps add a note there, indicating the presence of this label on PCB layouts, since it can restrict PCB layouts in an undesired manner.

[Iliya]

On a few example PCB layouts posted here, i saw "NON-COMMERCIAL USE ONLY" on the silk screen.
Nothing against Dex giving a reminder about its usage policy, but what i wonder is what if you have small-ish, densely populated PCB where there would be no place for this label. Is it possible to delete or place the label outside the PCB boundaries?

You could pay for the software?

I don't know how i should interpret your response. Does it mean the label is not deletable nor movable?
If so, i would like to point you to what your web site says:

The non-commercial license's only restriction is that it must only be used for non-commercial designs; there are absolutely no other restrictions, no board size or pin limits.

If the label is indeed not label not deletable nor movable, then you should perhaps add a note there, indicating the presence of this label on PCB layouts, since it can restrict PCB layouts in an undesired manner.

I will change the wording. If I allowed removal of the text then AutoTRAX would be finished. Dead, like that parrot. Why pay for it. I do need to eat  It's only $49. Probably less that the cost of the first board.

[tautech]

I will change the wording. If I allowed removal of the text then AutoTRAX would be finished. Dead, like that parrot. Why pay for it. I do need to eat  It's only $49. Probably less that the cost of the first board.

Who could argue with that? 

[elgonzo]

I will change the wording. If I allowed removal of the text then AutoTRAX would be finished. Dead, like that parrot. Why pay for it. I do need to eat  It's only $49. Probably less that the cost of the first board.

Great!
I fully understand you. And nobody really likes dead parrots, except perhaps a certain group of very strange yet very famous compatriots of yours... 

[ozwolf]

Hold down middle mouse button and drag to pan. Rotate thumbwheel to zoom in/out. When moving, creating stuff AutoTRAX smart pans. It remembers you original position.

I couldn't figure out how you panned so easily, after reading this note I found it in the manual/help section.  These videos are very helpful, keep up the good work.

Ozwolf

[nctnico]

I will change the wording. If I allowed removal of the text then AutoTRAX would be finished. Dead, like that parrot. Why pay for it. I do need to eat  It's only $49. Probably less that the cost of the first board.

Who could argue with that? 

Me. Boards can be ordered for less than $49. BUT $49 is well worth it to spend on a PCB package if it suits you. IMHO if you want to have the text gone don't complain and just pay $49 (BTW: is that US $49 or AUS $49 ?).

[Monkeh]

I will change the wording. If I allowed removal of the text then AutoTRAX would be finished. Dead, like that parrot. Why pay for it. I do need to eat  It's only $49. Probably less that the cost of the first board.

Who could argue with that? 

Me. Boards can be ordered for less than $49. BUT $49 is well worth it to spend on a PCB package if it suits you. IMHO if you want to have the text gone just pay $49 (BTW: is that US $49 or AUS $49 ?).

Do you have something against Canadians?

[tautech]

I will change the wording. If I allowed removal of the text then AutoTRAX would be finished. Dead, like that parrot. Why pay for it. I do need to eat  It's only $49. Probably less that the cost of the first board.

Who could argue with that? 

Me. Boards can be ordered for less than $49. BUT $49 is well worth it to spend on a PCB package if it suits you. IMHO if you want to have the text gone don't complain and just pay $49 (BTW: is that US $49 or AUS $49 ?).

That was the point I was trying to make. $49 seems very good value.

[Mechatrommer]

I will change the wording. If I allowed removal of the text then AutoTRAX would be finished. Dead, like that parrot. Why pay for it. I do need to eat  It's only $49. Probably less that the cost of the first board.

Who could argue with that? 

Me. Boards can be ordered for less than $49. BUT $49 is well worth it to spend on a PCB package if it suits you. IMHO if you want to have the text gone don't complain and just pay $49 (BTW: is that US $49 or AUS $49 ?).

about the labelling output in gerber. fwiw it can be easily hacked, but only very good and expensive package that is worth hacking. if dex tries to fullfill all people (users) needs, you can sell it at more price, double or triple is still good value. but only few "basic things" need to be resolved. dex tries to be apart/special from the rest of packages, too radical thats the problem.

[firewalker]

I don't think there is a need for hacking the software. Gerber files are just text. I guess the are gerber editor around. Or if the text is alway the same, someone could regex it out.

Alexander.

[Iliya]

I don't think there is a need for hacking the software. Gerber files are just text. I guess the are gerber editor around. Or if the text is alway the same, someone could regex it out.

Alexander.

You are making a good argument for disabling Gerber output, printing, plotting and exporting in the non-commercial version. 
Oh and pin limits, layer limits, board size limits...

I don't think there are any free Gerber editors. GC-Preview plus is $595 Viewmate Deluxe is a snip at $95.
If you edit it out, you end up with a blank bit of PCB. Your board is bigger, costs you more. Needs a bigger box. Customer asks why the blank space. Oh, and you end up liable to a civil lawsuit. In California the punitive damages are shocking.
Imagine if your board was used by Ford in their latest SUV. Your career as an engineer is over, etc.  and I can retire on the punitive damages All for $49.

[ElektroQuark]

I'm with you Iliya.
It's practically free software boys.

[firewalker]

You are making a good argument for disabling Gerber output, printing, plotting and exporting in the non-commercial version. 
Oh and pin limits, layer limits, board size limits...

I don't think there are any free Gerber editors. GC-Preview plus is $595 Viewmate Deluxe is a snip at $95.
If you edit it out, you end up with a blank bit of PCB. Your board is bigger, costs you more. Needs a bigger box. Customer asks why the blank space. Oh, and you end up liable to a civil lawsuit. In California the punitive damages are shocking.
Imagine if your board was used by Ford in their latest SUV. Your career as an engineer is over, etc.  and I can retire on the punitive damages All for $49.

I don't think that editing the generated gerber files (open format) is illegal. I am not touching your intellectual work.

Could someone post a gerber file generated by DEX? I don;t own a windows machine.

Alexander.

[rsjsouza]

I don't think that editing the generated gerber files (open format) is illegal. I am not touching your intellectual work.

You are right; it is not illegal to edit Gerbers, but the intent is what is wrong with your action. Sure you can modify and hack it, but the principle of the matter is that you are trying to circumvent one of the limitations of the software to avoid paying $49.00 and not really rewarding the person that put the effort into it.

Could someone post a gerber file generated by DEX? I don;t own a windows machine.

With the intent above, it strikes me that you ask this: instead, why don't you buy a Windows PC, or install parallels, Wine, Virtualbox or VmWare, then install DEX, create your own board and generate your Gerber file?

[firewalker]

but the principle of the matter is that you are trying to circumvent one of the limitations of the software to avoid paying $49.00 and not really rewarding the person that put the effort into it.

No I don't. I just stated th obvious. That someone does not need mess with the software (and in some countries break the law).

Alexander.

[donotdespisethesnake]

You know, after browsing through this thread, I was thinking "I shouldn't touch this with a barge pole!".

But then I realised that perhaps I was looking at the messenger and not the message. I might actually try the software and see whether I like it. If it uses XML for data files, that would be a plus, as would reading Eagle files.

Much as I like Open Source software, Kicad just isn't doing it for me these days.

[elgonzo]

You are right; it is not illegal to edit Gerbers, but the intent is what is wrong with your action. Sure you can modify and hack it, but the principle of the matter is that you are trying to circumvent one of the limitations of the software to avoid paying $49.00 and not really rewarding the person that put the effort into it.

You got that wrong.

The PCB layout i create is MY work, MY intellectual property, I am the copyright owner of that work.
The software placing a label on the PCB does not change that fact in any way.

On the other hand, the copyright of the DEX software code and DEX' own file formats is owned by of Iliya or his company (i guess). So Iliya has the final say what can and cannot be done with his software and with information stored in his file formats.

The copyright on the Gerber file format is not owned by Iliya. Neither owns Iliya the copyright on the PCB layout i create in the software. Furthermore, the Gerber file format is an open standard. Who are you to say what i can do or not do with my own PCB layouts stored in Gerber?

Being the copyright owner of the DEX software, Ilya could demand as part of the licensing terms that the copyright on any work created in DEX is owned by him. Let's just assume that such licensing terms would be legal in your jurisdiction. By using the software you would agree to those terms and then Iliya could decide what to do or not to do with the PCB layouts you created. But even if it is legal to put such terms, it would be a stupid and suicidal move to do so...

You could also argue, that the label placed by the free version is a reminder, and by making it inconvenient for you to remove it makes the free version of DEX (slightly) less comfortable/elegant/whatever than the paid-for version -- which is actually the original intention of the label in the first place -- separate the free version from the commercial version.

Why it should be wrong to remove the label in my own Gerber files i do not understand.

What is the benefit of the label being on the PCB layouts, aside from it being a reminder and a feature that distinguishes the free version from the paid-for version (without being it a major annoyance or restriction for most if not all practical purposes)?

Will the possibility of editing Gerbers have a significant negative impact on sales? If you have to answer with yes, you have a problem with how you position the software in the market and you need to rethink your product and/or sales strategy...


It is probably for the best to adopt a 'laissez faire' attitude with regard to this matter.

After all, when people do this it also means that they are users of the software. They might or might not turn into paying customers in the future. But they are part of the user base. By hopefully sharing/publishing their projects made with the software, they help raising awareness about the software, which could lead to other people purchasing it. Chastising these users will probably only keep your user base smaller than necessary. And a small user base is only viable and paying your living costs if you have reasonably high margins on your software sales... Well, personally i believe not that many people will bother with the additional step of removing the label from the Gerber files anyway...

<EDIT: Corrected backwards sentences that came out in the wrong way...>

[c4757p]

Bloody hell, just pay for the software if you like it... it's only $49...

[Iliya]

In this video you learn how to do post-autoroute optimization of your PCB tracks.

Click to view

I have 2 more videos to come, creating the button battery part and CAM with AutoTRAX and that's me done. Will include printing, plotting, CNC output with viewer, Gerber output with viewer and documentation.

[rsjsouza]

You are right; it is not illegal to edit Gerbers, but the intent is what is wrong with your action. Sure you can modify and hack it, but the principle of the matter is that you are trying to circumvent one of the limitations of the software to avoid paying $49.00 and not really rewarding the person that put the effort into it.

You got that wrong.

I re-quote you: you got that wrong. Read my post. I did not mention anything about copyright/"who owns what". Instead, I comment on the fact that the only fair move to circumvent a limitation of the free version is to reward the creator of the software.

Peace

[rsjsouza]

No I don't. I just stated th obvious. That someone does not need mess with the software (and in some countries break the law).

You are right; I didn't read it that way this morning. I apologize for coming too hot.

Peace 

[elgonzo]

I re-quote you: you got that wrong. Read my post. I did not mention anything about copyright/"who owns what". Instead, I comment on the fact that the only fair move to circumvent a limitation of the free version is to reward the creator of the software.

Peace

Yeah, okay. I got you wrong there...

[Iliya]

I have now done all the videos asked for/promised.

This video shows you how to create the part for a button battery used in the previous singled sided PCB demo. It shows you how to create the footprint/land pattern, the symbol and how to import a 3D model.
Click to view...

This video show you how to plot the demo PCB artwork, output files for a CNC cuttter and how to zip up all the Gerber files, Bill of Materials file, NC drill file and pick and place file for manufacturing. It also show you how to preview the Gerber files.
Click to view...

So that's it. I suggest you take AutoTRAX for a drive yourself. http://www.kov.com