Precision placement of copied group?

Making PCB Layouts, Manual routing, Auto-routing, Copper pouring, Updating from Schematic, Manufacturing Output
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MarkChapman3220
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Joined: 15 Sep 2017, 17:34

Precision placement of copied group?

#1 Post by MarkChapman3220 » 15 Sep 2017, 17:43

I want to replicate the relative placement of 10 components 12 times on the same board.

Intuition says I should be able to lay out the relative placement around the origin; then group; then copy; then be able to set the x&y of the group centre point.

Every time I try, I epically fail. Is it me? It seems impossible to believe this is not supported. If it isn't supported, I would happily contribute to a crowd source to get it done.

Alex
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Joined: 13 Jun 2010, 23:43

Re: Precision placement of copied group?

#2 Post by Alex » 18 Sep 2017, 00:08

There is no way to specify group origin in DipTrace.
You can try "Edit->Copy Matrix" to multiply existing components and place copies with controlled X/Y offset.

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VEC7OR
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Re: Precision placement of copied group?

#3 Post by VEC7OR » 19 Sep 2017, 12:40

Alternatively you can group the components together with a shape placed on a mechanical layer, you can use corner/point of that shape a fiducial/reference point when dragging stuff around.
My rhombicosidodecahedron is bigger than yours.

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KevinA
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Re: Precision placement of copied group?

#4 Post by KevinA » 19 Sep 2017, 15:34

VEC7OR wrote:Alternatively you can group the components together with a shape placed on a mechanical layer, you can use corner/point of that shape a fiducial/reference point when dragging stuff around.
That was one of the real awakenings when I discovered how to use the point/comments dimensioning tool see
http://www.diptrace.com/forum/viewtopic ... 24&t=11808

I drew the board outline and placed the holes using TurboCAD, it has mature 2D drafting tools to make complex PCB outlines with radius corners and complicated hole placement in minutes. Once imported I used the point/comments dimensioning tool to mark the two locator holes for the connectors and when I placed the connectors I used the point/comments dimensioning tool on the pin in the connectors I needed to line up, set my grid and used the arrow keys to nudge the connectors into place, a few seconds later I was done.
As far as better 2D tools go, maybe after color schematics, better routing/placement, better line layout in schematics. FreeCAD works fine for complex PCB board drafting ...

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