David Cary -- Geoff's description would be a good addition to the FAQ!
For step 6, "use one of the commands...", I'd suggest Tools | Interactive Placement |
Arrange Within Rectangle, then choose an appropriately-sized area on the PCB.
Dwight.
-----Original Message-----
From: Geoff Harland [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2001 6:39 PM
<snip>
It is possible to copy *all* of the footprints within a Pcb Library file
into a Pcb file. I can't remember, offhand, who advised us of how to do
this, but start with a blank Pcb file, and follow the following steps:
1. With the Design Manager panel on, select the "Browse PCBLib" Tab while
you have the Pcb Library file concerned currently selected.
2. Using the left mouse button, click on the *first* footprint listed in the
Design Manager panel.
3. While holding a Shift key down, (left mouse button) click on the *last*
footprint listed in the Design Manager panel. *All* of the footprints listed
in the Design Manager panel should now be in a highlighted state.
4.While the cusor is located over the area listing these footprints,
right-mouse click, then select "Copy" from the resulting popup menu.
5. Switch to the (blank) Pcb file, then invoke the (PCB:)Paste command. One
copy of each of the footprints will then be pasted into the Pcb file.
6. Because all of these components are in the same location, space them out.
Use the "Select All" command to select everything. (I don't know why, but
none of these components are in a selected state when they are *first*
pasted into the Pcb file.) Then use one of the commands (I'm not sure which
one off-hand, but it is provided) to space out the selected components
(which is all of them, because everything on the Pcb was selected
previously).
You can now generate a report fom the Pcb file and/or produce a printout
from the Drill Drawing layer. (Add a string to the Drill Drawing layer, with
a caption of .LEGEND (this is a Special String), and preferably place this
in the lower left hand corner of the Pcb file. That will then index and
count the usage of each hole size used, when the printout from this layer is
subsequently produced.) Yet another option is to produce Drill files from
the Pcb file; the Drill Report file will list the number of hole sizes used,
and the number of times each size is used.
Note: After this method of copying all footprints from a Pcb Library file
into a Pcb file was first reported (earlier this year?), I updated my
PcbAddon Server. It subsequently incorporated a new Process, which sets the
Comment field of each component within a Pcb file equal to its Footprint
(string). This Process can be useful after creating a Pcb file holding all
footprints from a Pcb Library file, as it facilitates identifying each
component's footprint. Those wanting to download this Server can do so from
the following URL:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/protel-users/files/Addon_Servers_99SE_SP6
/PcbAddon_6_6_1.Zip
Note that that Server can only be used if you have SP6 installed. For those
who still have SP5 installed instead, a distinct PcbAddon Server has also
been released, whose URL is as follows:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/protel-users/files/Addon_Servers_99SE_SP5
/PcbAddon_6_0_1.Zip
It is important to install the correct Server, depending upon which SP you
currently have installed. (I haven't checked, but you might have to be a
member of Yahoo before you can download these files.)
<snip>
Regards,
Geoff Harland.
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