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283 lines
12 KiB
HTML
283 lines
12 KiB
HTML
<HTML>
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<HEAD>
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<TITLE>Fped GUI Manual</TITLE>
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</HEAD>
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<BODY>
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<H1>Fped GUI Manual</H1>
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This manual introduces the basic concepts of Fped and explains the elements
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of the graphical user interface. Please refer to the file
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<A href="README">README</A> for more
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technical details and a discussion of the scripting language used by fped.
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<H1>Objects and instances</H1>
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Footprints tend to be highly repetitive, with many pads placed in a
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simple geometrical pattern. With fped, the user specifies the elements
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to repeat and the way they are repeated. Fped then generates the
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repetitions automatically.
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<H2>Hands-on example</H2>
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<P>
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Here is a simple example that illustrated the basic steps of constructing
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things with fled:
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<UL>
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<LI> Start fped without a command-line argument.
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<LI> Right-click on the yellow field that says "(root)" and select
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"Add loop". An entry saying "_ = 0 ... 0 (0)" appears next to the
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yellow field.
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<P><IMG src="manual/intro-1.png">
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<LI> Click on the underscore, type <B>n=1,5</B> and press Enter.
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The entry should now show "n = 1 ... 5 (1 2 3 4 5)"
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<P><IMG src="manual/intro-2.png">
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<LI> Click on the dark-yellow vector icon on the right-hand side.
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A red frame shows that it is selected.
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<LI> Move the mouse pointer to the green dot in the middle of the
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black canvas. A red circle appears when the pointer is over the
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dot.
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<LI> Press the left mouse button, drag a little to the right, and
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release the mouse button. A white line appears and changes
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to dark yellow after the button is released.
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<LI> Click on the yellow line. It is now shown in bright yellow and
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a number of text entry fields appear below the canvas.
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<P><IMG src="manual/intro-3.png">
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<LI> Click into the field on the top that probably says "0.1mm",
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change it to <B>n*1mm</B> and press Enter.
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<LI> Select "Zoom all" from the "View" drop-down menu. The canvas
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should now show the green dot on the left, with a yellow arrow
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pointing to the right, and four more even darker arrows following
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that arrow.
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<P><IMG src="manual/intro-4.png">
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<LI> Click on the icon depicting a light-blue circle.
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<LI> Move the mouse pointer over the green dot, then drag to the
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circle at the end of the vector, and release the mouse button.
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A series of partial circles should appear.
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<P><IMG src="manual/intro-5.png">
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<LI> Select "Zoom all" again to show the full circles.
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<P><IMG src="manual/intro-6.png">
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</UL>
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The graphical items you have entered are a vector and a circle with the
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radius determined by the vector. We call these items "objects". Furthermore,
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you have defined a variable that gets set to the values from 1 to 5, in
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increments of one. Fped had repeatedly drawn the objects for each such
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value. We call the item that have been drawn "instances".
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<P>
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The innermost vector and circle are highlighted. You can highlight other
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instances of the same objects by clicking on the numbers (1 2 3 4 5) shown
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next to the loop.
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<H2>Conceptual view</H2>
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The following picture illustrates the concept: the model is defined in
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terms of objects, in this case a vector from the origin to the circle's
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center, a vector for the radius, and the circle itself.
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<P>
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<IMG src="manual/concept-inst.png">
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<P>
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The vector to the center uses a variable that gets iterated through the
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values 0, 1, and 2. For each iteration, an instance is generated.
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<P>
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Only the instances of silk screen objects and pads are exported to KiCad.
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Elements used for construction, such as vectors, only appear in fped.
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<H1>Frames</H1>
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Frames serve various purposes:
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<UL>
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<LI> To structure the footprint drawing by grouping like elements.
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For example, one may want to place pads, outline, and the keep-out
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area in different frames, and probably subdivide some of those
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constructs even further.
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<LI> To define an element that is used in several places. For example,
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a pad.
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<LI> To define a repetition through a loop or a table.
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<LI> To set variables for child frames.
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</UL>
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At the bottom of the hierarchy, we have the root frame. To add another
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frame, right-click on the root frame's label "(root)" and select "Add
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frame".
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<P>
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To be able to put items into the new frame, it has to be attached to
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the root frame (or to any other frame that's attached). This is called a
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<I>frame reference</I>. First, we need a place to attach it to. This
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can be the origin of its parent frame or it can be the end of a vector
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in the parent frame. To create the frame reference, do this:
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<P>
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<UL>
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<LI> Click on the parent frame to select it.
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<LI> Press the left mouse button on the frame you wish to reference
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and drag it (move the mouse pointer while keeping the left button
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pressed) into the canvas. When dragging, the mouse cursor changes
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to show a hand.
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<LI> When the mouse pointer is above a suitable point of attachment,
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the point of attachment is highlighted with a red circle and the
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mouse cursor changes to show a hand with a plus sign.
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<LI> At the desired location, release the mouse button.
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</UL>
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If you wish to cancel the operation, simply release the mouse button at
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any place that isn't a point of attachment.
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<H1>Variables</H1>
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<H1>Iconography</H1>
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The right-hand side of the fped window shows the component being drawn on a
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black background. We call this the canvas. It is surrounded by a toolbar on
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the right side and a few buttons with visibility options at the top.
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<H2>The canvas</H2>
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<H2>Blue screen</H2>
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When an expression uses an unknown variable or evaluates to an incorrect
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value (e.g., a bare number where a dimension is expected), the
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instantiation fails. Fped indicates this by changing the background color
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of the canvas from black to blue. The cause of the failure is explained
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in the status bar at the bottom.
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<P>
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In this state, the canvas is no longer updated when making changes until
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the problem has been resolved. The most common causes are a misspelt
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variable name in an expression, the use of a number without unit where a
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dimension is expected, or the removal of a variable that's still used
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somewhere.
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<P>
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If the location of the error is not obvious, the list of objects can be
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shown by selecting "Show code" from the View menu. The object
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in which the error occurred is shown in red. If the error occurred in a
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loop variable, the variable name is shown in red.
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<H2>Visibility options</H2>
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When working on a complex component, the number of elements shown can be
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overwhelming. The visibility options help to quickly hide irrelevant
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details and get one's bearings. They are located in the menu bar at the
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top.
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<DL>
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<DT><IMG src="manual/all.png"> <IMG src="manual/all_off.png">
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<DD>Show all frames. If disabled, only show the currently active frame.
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<DT><IMG src="manual/stuff.png"> <IMG src="manual/stuff_off.png">
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<DD>Show vectors and frames.
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<DT><IMG src="manual/meas.png"> <IMG src="manual/meas_off.png">
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<DD>Show measurements.
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<DT><IMG src="manual/bright.png"> <IMG src="manual/bright_off.png">
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<DD>Highlight the elements that will be exported to KiCad, i.e.,
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the pads and the silk screen drawings. To show the component
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exactly as it will appear in KiCad, also turn off vectors,
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frames, and measurements.
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</DL>
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The visibility options can be combined.
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<H2>Tools</H2>
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Tools are used to add new elements and to manipulate existing ones.
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<DL>
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<DT><IMG src="manual/point.png">
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<DD> The pointer. This is the default tool. The pointer is used to
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select items and do move points of the selected item.
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<P>
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Clicking on an item selects it. If items overlap, the one with the
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highest priority is selected. The priority is based on how difficult
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it usually is to select an item, with frame references having a low
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priority, pads, circles, arcs, rectangles, measurements, and lines
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having increasingly higher priorities. There are a few special cases:
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<UL>
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<LI> The circle at the end of a vector has the highest priority
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while its line has the lowest priority.
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<LI> To select a frame reference, click on the L-shaped upper left
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corner.
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<LI> To select a measurement, click on the line with the text, not
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the (hypothetical) line connecting the points being measured.
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</UL>
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If multiple items are under the mouse pointer, repeatedly clicking
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iterates through them.
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<P>
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To move points, select the item, then move the mouse pointer over
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the point to move. A red circle will appear under the mouse pointer.
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Then drag the point to its new location and release the mouse button.
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<DT><IMG src="manual/delete.png"> <IMG src="manual/delete_off.png">
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<DD> Delete the currently selected item. Whenever an item is selected,
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the delete icon lights up. Clicking the icon deletes the item.
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To undelete the item, press <B>U</B>.
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<DT><IMG src="manual/vec.png">
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<DD> Add a vector. To add a new vector, move the mouse pointer to the
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new vector's starting point then drag towards the desired end point.
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Vectors are normally specified via parameters. To enter the parameters,
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click on the new vector.
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<P>
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Note that the starting point of the vector has to be in the same
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frame as the vector being drawn. This limitation also applies to
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points defining pads and silk-screen items.
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<DT><IMG src="manual/pad.png"> <IMG src="manual/rpad.png">
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<DD> Add a pad. Pads are either rectangular or rounded. They are
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defined by two points which are opposite corners of the rectangle
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containing the pad. Move the mouse cursor to the first point, then
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drag to the second point. The pad's name can be edited after selecting
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the pad.
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<DT><IMG src="manual/hole.png">
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<DD> Add a hole. There are two purposes for holes:
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<UL>
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<LI> Pins of through-hole components. In this case, the hole has to be
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inside a pad.
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<LI> Mechanical support. In this case, the hole has to be outside any
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pads.
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</UL>
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The construction of holes is the same as for pads.
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<DT><IMG src="manual/line.png"> <IMG src="manual/rect.png">
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<DD> Add a line or a rectangle. Similar to pads, lines and rectangles
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are defined by two points. The width of the line can be edited after
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selecting the line or rectangle.
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<DT><IMG src="manual/circ.png">
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<DD> Add circle or arc. Circles are defined by their center end a
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point at their radius. An arc has a third point, which defines the
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angle at which the arc ends. If this third point is not located on
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the radius, the arc ends where an imaginary line between the center
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and the end point would intersect with the radius.
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<P>
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An arc is made by first drawing a circle with the radius point at
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the location where the arc should start. Then click and hold the
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radius point to drag the end point to the desired location.
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<P>
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To change the radius point of a circle, first drag the end point,
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then drag the radius point itself to that same location.
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<DT><IMG src="manual/meas.png"> <IMG src="manual/meas_x.png">
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<IMG src="manual/meas_y.png">
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<DD> Add a measurement. Measurements show the distance between points.
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They can either measure diagonally or only horizontally or only vertically.
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Unlike other items, measurements are not limited to points in the same
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frame. Instead, they operate on the minimum, maximum, and next greater
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coordinates of instances of objects.
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<P>
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A measurement is added as follows:
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<UL>
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<LI> Click on one of the three measurement icons to select the
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measurement type. All possible endpoints are highlighted.
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<LI> Drag from the desired starting point. Now all the endpoints
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available for this starting point are highlighted.
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<LI> Drag to the endpoint and release the mouse button. The measurement
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will now appear as a double-headed arrow and text between the two
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points (if this is a diagonal measurement) or extending vertically or
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horizontally from one of the two points.
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<LI> To move the measurement arrow away from the two points, select
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the measurement and set an offset.
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</UL>
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Sometimes, the second point becomes unavailable after selecting the
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first point. This means that the two points are not a minimum or maximum,
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or a minimum and the next greater neighbour. In this case, just try
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another pair of points measuring the same distance.
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</DL>
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<H1>Keyboard shortcuts</H1>
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</BODY>
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</HTML>
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