mirror of
git://projects.qi-hardware.com/fped.git
synced 2024-12-23 04:43:21 +02:00
2c9a359c0c
- convert icons in the manual from XPM to PNG so that Firefox can display them too git-svn-id: http://svn.openmoko.org/trunk/eda/fped@5534 99fdad57-331a-0410-800a-d7fa5415bdb3
236 lines
10 KiB
HTML
236 lines
10 KiB
HTML
<HTML>
|
|
<HEAD>
|
|
<TITLE>Fped GUI Manual</TITLE>
|
|
</HEAD>
|
|
<BODY>
|
|
<H1>Fped GUI Manual</H1>
|
|
|
|
This manual introduces the basic concepts of Fped and explains the elements
|
|
of the graphical user interface. Please refer to the file
|
|
<A href="README">README</A> for more
|
|
technical details and a discussion of the scripting language used by fped.
|
|
|
|
|
|
<H1>Objects and instances</H1>
|
|
|
|
Footprints tend to be highly repetitive, with many pads placed in a
|
|
simple geometrical pattern. With fped, the user specifies the elements
|
|
to repeat and the way they are repeated. Fped then generates the
|
|
repetitions automatically.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Here is a simple example:
|
|
<UL>
|
|
<LI> Start fped without a command-line argument.
|
|
<LI> Right-click on the yellow field that says "(root)" and select
|
|
"Add loop". An entry saying "_ = 0 ... 0 (0)" appears next to the
|
|
yellow field.
|
|
<P><IMG src="manual/intro-1.png">
|
|
<LI> Click on the underscore, type <B>n=1,5</B> and press Enter.
|
|
The entry should now show "n = 1 ... 5 (1 2 3 4 5)"
|
|
<P><IMG src="manual/intro-2.png">
|
|
<LI> Click on the dark-yellow vector icon on the right-hand side.
|
|
A red frame shows that it is selected.
|
|
<LI> Move the mouse pointer to the green dot in the middle of the
|
|
black canvas. A red circle appears when the pointer is over the
|
|
dot.
|
|
<LI> Press the left mouse button, drag a little to the right, and
|
|
release the mouse button. A white line appears and changes
|
|
to dark yellow after the button is released.
|
|
<LI> Click on the yellow line. It is now shown in bright yellow and
|
|
a number of text entry fields appear below the canvas.
|
|
<P><IMG src="manual/intro-3.png">
|
|
<LI> Click into the field on the top that probably says "0.1mm",
|
|
change it to <B>n*1mm</B> and press Enter.
|
|
<LI> Select "Zoom all" from the "View" drop-down menu. The canvas
|
|
should now show the green dot on the left, with a yellow arrow
|
|
pointing to the right, and four more even darker arrows following
|
|
that arrow.
|
|
<P><IMG src="manual/intro-4.png">
|
|
<LI> Click on the icon depicting a light-blue circle.
|
|
<LI> Move the mouse pointer over the green dot, then drag to the
|
|
circle at the end of the vector, and release the mouse button.
|
|
A series of partial circles should appear.
|
|
<P><IMG src="manual/intro-5.png">
|
|
<LI> Select "Zoom all" again to show the full circles.
|
|
<P><IMG src="manual/intro-6.png">
|
|
</UL>
|
|
The graphical items you have entered are a vector and a circle with the
|
|
radius determined by the vector. We call these items "objects". Furthermore,
|
|
you have defined a variable that gets set to the values from 1 to 5, in
|
|
increments of one. Fped had repeatedly drawn the objects for each such
|
|
value. We call the item that have been drawn "instances".
|
|
<P>
|
|
The innermost vector and circle are highlighted. You can highlight other
|
|
instances of the same objects by clicking on the numbers (1 2 3 4 5) shown
|
|
next to the loop.
|
|
|
|
|
|
<H1>Frames</H1>
|
|
|
|
Frames serve various purposes:
|
|
<UL>
|
|
<LI> To structure the footprint drawing by grouping like elements.
|
|
For example, one may want to place pads, outline, and the keep-out
|
|
area in different frames, and probably subdivide some of those
|
|
constructs even further.
|
|
<LI> To define an element that is used in several places. For example,
|
|
a pad.
|
|
<LI> To define a repetition through a loop or a table.
|
|
<LI> To set variables for child frames.
|
|
</UL
|
|
|
|
|
|
<H1>Variables</H1>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<H1>Iconography</H1>
|
|
|
|
The right-hand side of the fped window shows the component being drawn on a
|
|
black background. We call this the canvas. It is surrounded by a toolbar on
|
|
the right side and a few buttons with visibility options at the top.
|
|
|
|
|
|
<H2>The canvas</H2>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<H2>Blue screen</H2>
|
|
|
|
When an expression uses an unknown variable or evaluates to an incorrect
|
|
value (e.g., a bare number where a dimension is expected), the
|
|
instantiation fails. Fped indicates this by changing the background color
|
|
of the canvas from black to blue. The cause of the failure is explained
|
|
in the status bar at the bottom.
|
|
<P>
|
|
In this state, the canvas is no longer updated when making changes until
|
|
the problem has been resolved. The most common causes are a misspelt
|
|
variable name in an expression, the use of a number without unit where a
|
|
dimension is expected, or the removal of a variable that's still used
|
|
somewhere.
|
|
<P>
|
|
If the location of the error is not obvious, the list of objects can be
|
|
shown by selecting "Swap var&code" from the View menu. The object
|
|
in which the error occurred is shown in red. If the error occurred in a
|
|
loop variable, the variable name is shown in red.
|
|
|
|
|
|
<H2>Visibility options</H2>
|
|
|
|
When working on a complex component, the number of elements shown can be
|
|
overwhelming. The visibility options help to quickly hide irrelevant
|
|
details and get one's bearings. They are located in the menu bar at the
|
|
top.
|
|
<DL>
|
|
<DT><IMG src="manual/all.png"> <IMG src="manual/all_off.png">
|
|
<DD>Show all frames. If disabled, only show the currently active frame.
|
|
<DT><IMG src="manual/stuff.png"> <IMG src="manual/stuff_off.png">
|
|
<DD>Show vectors and frames.
|
|
<DT><IMG src="manual/meas.png"> <IMG src="manual/meas_off.png">
|
|
<DD>Show measurements.
|
|
<DT><IMG src="manual/bright.png"> <IMG src="manual/bright_off.png">
|
|
<DD>Highlight the elements that will be exported to KiCad, i.e.,
|
|
the pads and the silk screen drawings. To show the component
|
|
exactly as it will appear in KiCad, also turn off vectors,
|
|
frames, and measurements.
|
|
</DL>
|
|
The visibility options can be combined.
|
|
|
|
|
|
<H2>Tools</H2>
|
|
|
|
Tools are used to add new elements and to manipulate existing ones.
|
|
<DL>
|
|
<DT><IMG src="manual/point.png">
|
|
<DD> The pointer. This is the default tool. The pointer is used to
|
|
select items and do move points of the selected item.
|
|
<P>
|
|
To move points, select the item, then move the mouse pointer over
|
|
the point to move. A red circle will appear under the mouse pointer.
|
|
Then drag the point to its new location and release the mouse button.
|
|
<DT><IMG src="manual/delete.png"> <IMG src="manual/delete_off.png">
|
|
<DD> Delete the currently selected item. Whenever an item is selected,
|
|
the delete icon lights up. Clicking the icon deletes the item.
|
|
To undelete the item, press <B>U</B>.
|
|
<DT><IMG src="manual/vec.png">
|
|
<DD> Add a vector. To add a new vector, move the mouse pointer to the
|
|
new vector's starting point then drag towards the desired end point.
|
|
Vectors are normally specified via parameters. To enter the parameters,
|
|
click on the new vector.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Note that the starting point of the vector has to be in the same
|
|
frame as the vector being drawn. This limitation also applies to
|
|
points defining pads and silk-screen items.
|
|
<DT><IMG src="manual/frame.png"> <IMG src="manual/frame_locked.png">
|
|
<IMG src="manual/frame_ready.png">
|
|
<DD> Add a frame reference. A frame reference inserts the content of a
|
|
frame into another frame. There are three steps in this process:
|
|
<UL>
|
|
<LI> Select the frame to be inserted and click on the frame icon.
|
|
A large black dot appears in the icon to indicate that a frame
|
|
reference has been chosen.
|
|
<LI> Select the frame into which to insert the reference. The dot
|
|
changes to green to indicate that the reference can now be placed.
|
|
If the dot stays black, then the selected frame is not a valid
|
|
destination, i.e., because the reference in turn references this
|
|
frame.
|
|
<LI> Click on the location at which to attach the reference. This
|
|
location can be either the end of a vector or the frame's origin.
|
|
</UL>
|
|
When finished, don't forget that the destination frame is still selected.
|
|
In order to add elements to the newly referenced frame, you have to
|
|
select it first.
|
|
<DT><IMG src="manual/pad.png"> <IMG src="manual/rpad.png">
|
|
<DD> Add a pad. Pads are either rectangular or rounded. They are
|
|
defined by two points which are opposite corners of the rectangle
|
|
containing the pad. Move the mouse cursor to the first point, then
|
|
drag to the second point. The pad's name can be edited after selecting
|
|
the pad.
|
|
<DT><IMG src="manual/line.png"> <IMG src="manual/rect.png">
|
|
<DD> Add a line or a rectangle. Similar to pads, lines and rectangles
|
|
are defined by two points. The width of the line can be edited after
|
|
selecting the line or rectangle.
|
|
<DT><IMG src="manual/circ.png">
|
|
<DD> Add circle or arc. Circles are defined by their center end a
|
|
point at their radius. An arc has a third point, which defines the
|
|
angle at which the arc ends. If this third point is not located on
|
|
the radius, the arc ends where an imaginary line between the center
|
|
and the end point would intersect with the radius.
|
|
<P>
|
|
An arc is made by first drawing a circle with the radius point at
|
|
the location where the arc should start. Then click and hold the
|
|
radius point to drag the end point to the desired location.
|
|
<P>
|
|
To change the radius point of a circle, first drag the end point,
|
|
then drag the radius point itself to that same location.
|
|
<DT><IMG src="manual/meas.png"> <IMG src="manual/meas_x.png">
|
|
<IMG src="manual/meas_y.png">
|
|
<DD> Add a measurement. Measurements show the distance between points.
|
|
They can either measure diagonally or only horizontally or only vertically.
|
|
Unlike other items, measurements are not limited to points in the same
|
|
frame. Instead, they operate on the minimum, maximum, and next greater
|
|
coordinates of instances of objects.
|
|
<P>
|
|
A measurement is added as follows:
|
|
<UL>
|
|
<LI> Click on one of the three measurement icons to select the
|
|
measurement type. All possible endpoints are highlighted.
|
|
<LI> Drag from the desired starting point. Now all the endpoints
|
|
available for this starting point are highlighted.
|
|
<LI> Drag to the endpoint and release the mouse button. The measurement
|
|
will now appear as a double-headed arrow and text between the two
|
|
points (if this is a diagonal measurement) or extending vertically or
|
|
horizontally from one of the two points.
|
|
<LI> To move the measurement arrow away from the two points, select
|
|
the measurement and set an offset.
|
|
</UL>
|
|
Sometimes, the second point becomes unavailable after selecting the
|
|
first point. This means that the two points are not a minimum or maximum,
|
|
or a minimum and the next greater neighbour. In this case, just try
|
|
another pair of points measuring the same distance.
|
|
</DL>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<H1>Keyboard shortcuts</H1>
|
|
|
|
</BODY>
|
|
</HTML>
|