TheBackShed.com

Forum Index : PCB Manufacturing : How to build a PCB design using Autotrax

Page 2 of 2

Author

Message

bigmik

Guru

Joined: 20/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2916

Posted: 08:40pm 09 Jul 2016

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Hi All,

Have you had a close look at the AutoTRAX DEX Home Page yet??

Or a look at the HELP page??

Yes, That is my `How to Build a PCB design Using AutoTRAX DEX' manual reformatted to suit a web page.

AND

My Serial BackPack (about to be replaced with a Ver 2) that I have allowed Iliya to add to DEX as an example.

I guess I must be doing something right.. (well sometimes I might)

Kind Regards,

Mick

Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<<

yahoo2

Guru

Joined: 05/04/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 1166

Posted: 03:39pm 17 Jul 2016

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Hi Mik
I have a question

I cant seem to recreate a screenshot in the silkscreen section of the tutorial

it is the bottom silkscreen viewed from the top with "pcb filled" checked in the layers menu, as soon as I do that the "current on top" box is greyed out.

I cant decide if it is some transparency setting I have missed or a difference in newer software.

I dont think it matters, I can view it with the "pcb filled" checkbox unticked or I can flip the board over and look at the bottom with the "view from" button.

It's just been bugging me that i cant work it out

I'm confused, no wait... maybe I'm not...

bigmik

Guru

Joined: 20/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2916

Posted: 04:14pm 17 Jul 2016

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Hi Yahoo2,

I just tried it and can confirm the same issue as yourself.. Iliya has either changed the way this works (layers UNDER the filled PCB) or it is some minor bug.. I will contact him and will let you know what he says.

Kind Regards,

Mick

Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<<

bigmik

Guru

Joined: 20/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2916

Posted: 12:28am 23 Sep 2016

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Hi All,

bigmik said Iliya, The Bloke who wrote AutoTRAX DEX, has created an ONLINE and ePUB version of the manual I wrote and is hosting them on his site.

They can be found HERE!!!!

As KOV.COM has changed its name to DEXPCB.COM the above link no longer works,

The correct link is HERE!!!

Regards,

Mick

Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<<

mikedownunder

Newbie

Joined: 03/03/2016
Location: Australia
Posts: 26

Posted: 04:54pm 28 Sep 2016

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Hi Mick and others

I have spent all of my hard earned cash this week purchasing the DEX software

. Really can't beleive the price for such a well designed piece of kit.
I have been using Protel 99se vitually since its' inception way back when. So I was a bit daunted when I first started it, but thanks to Mick's tutorial

I pretty well soon got the hang of it.
I finished the tutorial last night (Very late)

.
I like to make my own PCB's at home, (Love to get hands on and dirty)

.
I use the 'photographic' system where you use transparent paper and do a 1 to 1 on a UV sensitive PCB and was wondering whether Mick would like to add this to his tutorial.
I figured that if I just leave the layer that I require, turned on in DEX, then I can print only that layer, which is ideal. However the first printout I did covered a whole A4 page and was not scaled to 1 to 1. I noticed in the Print Preview window of DEX there is an icon that says scale which was set to 100, I unchecked Auto-fit and after a bit of testing a 0 was the right scale. Not sure why, I thought it was a percentage, but maybe not. Anyway I have managed to print to the right scale and did each layer. My only problem is with the location of the print on the paper which is smack bang in the centre. This would result in a lot of wasted transparent paper. Protel has a system whereby you can place the image with a X Y cordinate, so it can be placed anywhere on the paper.
Is there any way to contact Illyia and request this?

Again thanks for a great tutorial.

Mike

bigmik

Guru

Joined: 20/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2916

Posted: 06:41pm 28 Sep 2016

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Hi Mike,

I am glad the tutorial was of some use to you.. I too came from Protel 99se to DEX. I bought DEX because it looked like Protel, but it did not work like Protel.. I had to forget all I had in my head and start again.. I wish a tutorial like I wrote was out there when I started.. I fought with DEX trying to get it to do things the way my mind thought (at the time) eventually I allowed DEX to do things the way it wanted and life was much easier..

As to adding the PCB link to the tutorial, I think the tutorial as it stands bar corrections is all I will put in it at this stage.. However if you want to write a tutorial on how to use DEX to print your artwork and then use that to generate a board I am sure many people would love to see that document. I am sure that Glen would allow it to be placed on The Back shed DocRegister.

Regards,

Mick

PS. As to a way to contact Iliya you can do so through the DEXPCB Forum.. You need an invite code to access it but if you send me a PM with an email address I will send you an access code for the forum.

Forum is at DEXPCB Forum

Mik

Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<<

TassyJim

Guru

Joined: 07/08/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 6111

Posted: 06:50pm 28 Sep 2016

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Under the Help menu there is a 'wish list' option where you can submit a request.

You can also use the forum for that sort of thing. Using the forum givers others a chance to offer alternative methods to achieve what you want.

I use a CNC so don't have your problem and the issues I do have, I was ably to come up with a small program to edit the output to suit my requirements.

I assume that you are printing using the PLOT option.
I did a test and a scale of 'one' works for me.

Try this:
prepare your 'plot'
Make sure your paper size is correct.
Select an area on the plot view by dragging - it will automatically select the full page.
Right click and 'copy'
Open paint and 'paste' creating a full page image.
select the region with the PC board and crop
Print and adjust printing preferences (in paint) to 100%
Print

If you want to move the image to a spot on the page , when you select before cropping) select a larger area with blank space above and to the left to shift the printout.

I did this on Windows 10 and it seems to work.

Jim

VK7JH
MMedit MMBasic Help

TassyJim

Guru

Joined: 07/08/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 6111

Posted: 07:20pm 28 Sep 2016

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

2016-09-29_051812_Printing_where_you_want_to_on_the_page.pdf

Lucky it's a rainy day in Tassie

I hope it is clear enough.
Getting an option in DEX will be better.

Jim

VK7JH
MMedit MMBasic Help

Paul_L
Guru

Joined: 03/03/2016
Location: United States
Posts: 769

Posted: 02:56pm 28 Nov 2016

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Is it possible to exchange PCB designs between AutoTRAK DEX and Sprint Layout 6?

Does AutoTRAK DEX reliably import Gerber files written by other software?

Is Sprint Layout 6 reliable when it imports Gerber files written by DEX?

Sprint Layout 6 has a free viewer which lets you view any or all layers in a PCB design. Does AutoTRAK DEX have anything similar?

Paul in NY

Page 2 of 2

Print this page

To reply to this topic, you need to log in.