Just out of curiousity Gene, why are you trying to use Inkscape for PC boards when you could use Kicad, gEDA or the free version of Eagle?
>________________________________ > From: gene heskett <ghesk...@wdtv.com> >To: emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net >Sent: Friday, December 30, 2011 12:30 PM >Subject: Re: [Emc-users] Probably Dumb questions of the week, about inkscape > >On Friday, December 30, 2011 09:56:25 AM Ben Jackson did opine: > >> On Thu, Dec 29, 2011 at 09:00:50PM -0500, gene heskett wrote: >> > I haven't fooled with inkscape in probably 5 years, but back then I >> > could compose dots and bars and place then, however with NDI what the >> > scale was, it appeared to be completely arbitrary at the time. >> >> The default scale is usually pixels. You can change the display of it >> in a pulldown (just above the image area). You can change the default >> for your document in the document properties. I've made a template for >> my laser cutter which has a document in mm with a "page size" equal to >> the cutting area. > >I am not sure how wide & high this board will be, but I have made what >looks to be a usable starting blank page for one copy of this. I guess I >am at the rank beginner stage, and can't see the tree I need in that forest >of buttons. Everytime I look at a gfx composition program it seems the >biggest hurdle is setting the size of the project in units to match EMC, >which is running in inch mode here in the middle of the WV hills. At least >I think I have everything set to inches now, and have a view that is about >2/3rds screen for a board a bit larger than an airmail stamp. Thanks for >the detailed location of what I needed to modify. > >> > So, how do I draw these things to make up a PCB trace without those? >> >> To draw PCB traces I'd use one of the line tools on the left. One of >> them makes straight lines as long as you don't click and drag when >> placing points. > >The first thing I need to do is setup a layer that can later be removed, >which contains the 12 holes I have already drilled in the board to mount >the parts, and to clear the leads of the parts. Those holes are .125" in >diameter and now that I have changed every place I've found px settings >reset to inch, the best way to place them is via the centerpoint >measurements EMC already used to position the drill before drilling. But >that doesn't seem to be available, so I have to calculate the left and >lower boundaries by subbing the radii, and enter the x,y diameters instead. >kcalc to the rescue. :) > >So this is this a place circle, then adjust its properties to fine tune the >location and size. > >But I've now drawn to a reasonable accuracy (the curser location display on >the lower right only being 2 digits is a PIMA) the pattern to mount one >interrupter, is there a way to copy all 4 holes and stamp them down at >.340" spacings 2 more times? > >That would sure beat the heck out of the 3 hours I got in putting down 4 >.125" diameter circles where the mounting and lead clearance holes are. > >Obviously I'm missing something that is going to bite me shortly, if not >already. :) > >Silly Q, has this generated a procedure file that can be edited, then >reloaded? > >Once I have that, then the end holes of each pattern (another layer of this >drawing) need excavated to the diameter of the screw heads + about 20 thou, >to a depth that is below the copper by 10 thou or so, which will insulate >the screws and give me another half a thread of nut penetration. This can >be done with a .125" 2 flute mill. So that will be layer2. > >I hope to be able to arrive at a 3 or 4 layer image, each layer of which >can be exported to emc as gcode and carved once the proper bit is in the >spindle. Layer 1, the mounting holes. is already done. > >The room on the pcb left from layer1, then layer2's screw head isolation, >is the room I'll have to actually build circuit traces with. It may also >require a vacuum table to be built to hold it as flat as possible, and that >used as a precision holding jig. I figure the first one goes in the trash, >its a tool to learn how to do it. Plus the shack has more pcb material. :) > >If push comes to shove, it might be possible to switch to 2-56 screws, >which should allow the cells to be pushed around a bit to fine tune the >quadrature pattern obtained when the spindle is at speed. Some room for >that is available with 4-40 screws, perhaps 20 thou. > >Now, off topic for this discussion...... > >Silly Q to the folks who did the encoder modules index logic: >How to you define which edge of the Z pulse to call 0 degrees? With my >wheel size limitations, that error on reversal is at least 2 degrees if it >zero's only on the down edge. > >It seems to me that what it should be doing is looking for the edge, not >the pulse, which we can diddle cell locations such that the CW edge of the >z slot in the wheel always occurs when A=B=0 in the cycle. > >Or am I way behind the thinking here and it already does this? The >integrators manual doesn't appear to get into that fine a detail. > >Back on subject: > >> Then bring up the format menu (ctrl-shift-F) and set >> the width and corner style to whatever you want (turn fill off). > >Not for the first 2 layers, I need to see it. I haven't tried but I >presume I can color each layers objects to help visualize. > >> If >> you want traces to be outlines you can use "convert stroke to path" in >> the Path menu which will use your line width/join settings and create a >> new polygon where the filled area is what the stroked area of the line >> was. > >That worked to give me a view of the holes that actually looks like a hole, >and I just found the menu item that allows data entry for positioning, but >it seems to be disabled once this stroke conversion is done. And because >it rounds to the nearest thou, I can see some slight positioning errors I >cannot now correct. The present screen scale is 747%. > >> To edit lines use the second tool (below the "select" tool) which is the >> "node" tool". That will let you move intersections and add/delete them. > >> >> > Also, to serve as the anchoring image, how can I get the hole pattern >> > emc has already drilled, into a format that shows the actual diameter >> > of the holes I have already drilled, into a format inkscape can >> > import as dots of missing material? >> >> You can import and scale an image. Put it on another layer and lock the >> layer (even make it partially transparent). > >Do I need potrace installed for that, or is it build in? I note that one >of the functions 'based on potrace' doesn't seem to work. > >> If you have an Excellon drill file and some python programming expertise >> you could write a plugin to import them as circles. > >No, sorry, neither. So I'm doing this by hand, with kcalcs help. > >As I close this message, my next question is "how to multi-select the 4 >objects I have, so that I can paste them down at X increment intervals of >.340" to complete the other two cell mounts?" > >I did this, but one hole at a time, so that is done and saved as drill- >holes-layer1 > >But now I have added another layer on top of that one, but don't seem to be >able to draw in it, and it is selected according to the caption at the >bottom of the screen. All I seem to be able to get are the handle boxes. > >Thanks a bunch. I appreciate the help, I might eventually grok this thing >yet. :) > >Cheers, Gene >-- >"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: >soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." >-Ed Howdershelt (Author) >My web page: <http://coyoteden.dyndns-free.com:85/gene> >"Linux: the operating system with a CLUE... >Command Line User Environment". >(seen in a posting in comp.software.testing) > >------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >Ridiculously easy VDI. With Citrix VDI-in-a-Box, you don't need a complex >infrastructure or vast IT resources to deliver seamless, secure access to >virtual desktops. With this all-in-one solution, easily deploy virtual >desktops for less than the cost of PCs and save 60% on VDI infrastructure >costs. Try it free! http://p.sf.net/sfu/Citrix-VDIinabox >_______________________________________________ >Emc-users mailing list >Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net >https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ridiculously easy VDI. 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