Ian Wrote, I think that the fact that we can't controllably update footprints from a library, in P99SE, is a big oversight. It should have been there and certainly in one of the service packs for P99SE as we have been asking for it for a long time - not a bug though. It is an area under discussion by DXP users. Those with long memories will remember the very useful component property "Update Footprint" checkbox in V2.8 and will also remember the comments on and off over the years about its removal in V3 and later revs.
Ian , Yes I would say it was a big oversight. But looking at your responce to make a server, would it be possible to have the system report what footprints are out of date like you get to see what is being updated when doing a synchronization with schematic before you commit to the changes? I think some thing like that would be very handy. Or at the very least is there any way right now to at least get a report of what footprints do not match what is in the library, that way at least one could (much easier) keep track of what could or shold be updated. Still having to do it one by one but at least there is tracking of what changed easily. There may be times when one does not want to update a footprint. For that reason when the batch is done it would be nice to have the report prior to a commit to be able to control what gets updated. Just a thought, for who ever does do this or food for thought on DXP. I too have had little time and have not even looked at DXP yet so would hope that have improved it there??? Bob Wolfe ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ian Wilson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Protel EDA Forum" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, November 17, 2002 5:26 PM Subject: Re: [PEDA] Update several PCB footprints from library. > On 09:45 AM 15/11/2002 -0600, Yuriy Khapochkin said: > >Hi, > > > >is there any way to update all footprints in the PCB from library? > > > >Currently I press "Update PCB" button after editing each component in > >library, > >but it's too annoying. > > > >Yuriy. > > > This issue has cried out for a server for a long time. The problem is that > there is no documented PCBLib process that does this task directly, so it > is not possible to make a macro that uses the FirstComponent/NextComponent > PCBLib processes to iterate over the library and update. The UpdatePCB > button must cause execution of a number of steps not a single process - > either that or the process is not documented. > > There would be solution for anyone wishing to write a server. When your > server starts up it should check that a PCBLib window is active. It should > then check that the Design Manager is active and the Browse PCB tab > visible. Then the server should search all the child windows of the app > for a button with a caption "UpdatePCB" and stash its handle. Then iterate > over all the components in the library and send a WM_LBUTTONDOWN message > followed by a WM_LBUTTONUP message to the saved handle. It may even be > possible to find the Delphi TButton object from its handle and then use the > higher level Delphi object functions to activate the button. > > Finding the button handle is not too hard as you can search down the chain > from the top level window in a fairly consistent pattern. To find the > window tree use something Spy++ that comes with the M$ compilers. Then at > each level you can search for a known window caption to get to the next > level down. Save having to search all the apps child windows - though even > this would not take very long. > > There may have to be a deliberate delay in the server between updating one > component and calling the NextComponent process. > > It would not take long to knock this up but I will leave it to some one > else to do, I am too busy for a while now. If no-one puts up their hands > in a couple of weeks I will see if I can get something done. (The whiners > in this group will possibly construe the fact that a server was written to > enhance something as proof there was a bug - it has happened before, I am > sure the loonies will do it again sometime.) > > I think that the fact that we can't controllably update footprints from a > library, in P99SE, is a big oversight. It should have been there and > certainly in one of the service packs for P99SE as we have been asking for > it for a long time - not a bug though. It is an area under discussion by > DXP users. Those with long memories will remember the very useful > component property "Update Footprint" checkbox in V2.8 and will also > remember the comments on and off over the years about its removal in V3 and > later revs. > > A better server would run from the PCB and allow only selected footprints > to be updated - but this would be slightly more complex as it involves > copying a few parameters from the old instance to the new. > > Ian Wilson > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * To post a message: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * To leave this list visit: * http://www.techservinc.com/protelusers/leave.html * * Contact the list manager: * mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * Forum Guidelines Rules: * http://www.techservinc.com/protelusers/forumrules.html * * Browse or Search previous postings: * http://www.mail-archive.com/proteledaforum@techservinc.com * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
