I am trying to create a pattern for a rotary switch. The Place Pad Circle function might be very useful. Is there a way to edit the properties of this tool? Specifically, the spacing of the pads. I need 2 circles of pads: the inner circle with 6 pads and the outer circle with 12 pads. If I can change the spacing of the pads I should be able to get the number of pads I want for a given radius.

Unless there is another way to use this tool...

Lucas

Hi Lucas,

You can select "Circle" type on pattern properties panel, enter number of pads and radius. Then add new pattern, create another circle of pads with different parameters. Finally, copy these pads and paste them to the first pattern.

very nice.
is there any way to rotate, say 15 degrees?

-- 22 Jun 2012, 15:42 --

http://www.taiwanalpha.com/english/p_e_144.htm to part I am trying to create if that helps clarify. note pin circle position/rotation in relation it each other and part.

Isburden,

The only way I have found to have complete control and ease of pattern/pad design.. is to do the pads in an external "auto-cad like" program that will export dxf...

Then import the dxf file into "pattern editor"...

The control of angular manipulation and exact placement of different pad geometries is glaring weakness of the diptrace program. This weakness ripples thru other aspects of the Diptrace program such as design complicated Board Outlines.

Another related issue.. is pasting a group of pads or other elements with precision... I tried Alex's suggestion of copying "another circles of pads" and got frustrated by the fact I could not center the one pattern within the other without calculating the position of each pad (of pasted pads).

Often also get frustrated with not being able to correlate a "datum" point between a dxf file and the Diptrace datum point / (0,0) point in PCB Layout. All works good if you do not change from the diptrace default (0,0)... if you change the diptrace origin manually within the "define origin" function...the correlation between and imported dxf datum and diptrace datum is lost. This is important not to forget if you import dxf routinely due to lack of "placement control" issues within diptrace.

I really don't want to have to draw in an "auto-cad" like program. can't say I have ever had to do a dxf export/import.
do you know of any decent freeware I can use instead of autoCAD?

Am not aware of any free dwg software..

I use program called AutoSketch 9... I got it for approx... $50 dollars on amazon... it is easy to use and easy to learn.

after thinking about it for a while...
Pretty sure that in Eagle I can draw radial pin patterns. From there I can import into diptrace. Goin to give that a go.

-- 25 Jun 2012, 14:50 --

I imported a switch library from Eagle that had similar Alps rotary switches that I can probably edit.
I will do some searching, but...
are there any known issues with importing libraries from Eagle?