Should I uninstall the previous ver first?
-Tom
Installing new Ver 3.2
Re: Installing new Ver 3.2
That's what I did, including a restart afterwards before installing the new version. Just make sure you have a backup of all of your projects and custom library files before starting the process.
Tom
Re: Installing new Ver 3.2
You can install version 3.2 over 3.1 since we didn't change standard libraries. But it is OK to uninstall previous version and install the latest one.
Re: Installing new Ver 3.2
Having my working directory at C:\diptrace made the upgrade simple, adding the libraries back into diptrace took a few minutes and I'd like to suggest some means to 'restore' a library structure after an upgrade, some xml like file with groups and libraries we could point to.
Update: I found where they keep information about libraries: C:\ProgramData\DipTrace\Data_Unicode it is in binary format.
Update: My Units stayed mm so I checked the registry and found HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE now has a Novarm with the 3.2 version but no information
HKEY_CURRENT_USER has a Novarm entry with information about everything but the version is 3.1
I also have a Diptrace Beta besides DipTrace.
Checking the files in C:\ProgramData\DipTrace\Data_Unicode shows they are changing as I moved my libraries around (consolidated) so it appears DT is using DAT files now instead of the registry.
Update: I found where they keep information about libraries: C:\ProgramData\DipTrace\Data_Unicode it is in binary format.
Update: My Units stayed mm so I checked the registry and found HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE now has a Novarm with the 3.2 version but no information
HKEY_CURRENT_USER has a Novarm entry with information about everything but the version is 3.1
I also have a Diptrace Beta besides DipTrace.
Checking the files in C:\ProgramData\DipTrace\Data_Unicode shows they are changing as I moved my libraries around (consolidated) so it appears DT is using DAT files now instead of the registry.
Re: Installing new Ver 3.2
DipTrace installation is designed to easily install it over existing version without overwriting your libraries or settings. It overwrites only standard libraries which actually can not be changed by editors (this is the reason why you can't add your components there).
DipTrace stores lists of customer libraries, DRC settings, BOM, Pick and Place, Gerber, list of hotkeys, etc. in dat files (C:\ProgramData\DipTrace\Data_Unicode) and single values like grid size in registry. Registry is not touched by installer at all, in Data folder it overwrites: English UI language files (.lng), templates of pads, patterns and symbols (Template fields in main window of Component/Pattern Editors and Pad settings), standard title-blocks and pages (if you add your own title-blocks - it stores them in separate file and they will be saved). All other settings works in the following way: the program feature checks for its settings in Data folder and loads them if file exists, otherwise sets them by default, and stores .dat file with new/updated settings when you edit settings or complete the task.
Regards,
Stanislav
DipTrace stores lists of customer libraries, DRC settings, BOM, Pick and Place, Gerber, list of hotkeys, etc. in dat files (C:\ProgramData\DipTrace\Data_Unicode) and single values like grid size in registry. Registry is not touched by installer at all, in Data folder it overwrites: English UI language files (.lng), templates of pads, patterns and symbols (Template fields in main window of Component/Pattern Editors and Pad settings), standard title-blocks and pages (if you add your own title-blocks - it stores them in separate file and they will be saved). All other settings works in the following way: the program feature checks for its settings in Data folder and loads them if file exists, otherwise sets them by default, and stores .dat file with new/updated settings when you edit settings or complete the task.
Regards,
Stanislav
Re: Installing new Ver 3.2
The weakest part of DipTrace is the libraries. There are so many issues, I could write a book. All schematic capture and PCB applications, except DipTrace, allow the user to select the location of the libraries. This is so you can select different components with different patterns and keep in control of this. The links between symbols and patterns is hidden, so finding the link in a component is nearly immpossible and in some cases absolutely impossible. When editing a pattern, you have no idea which component can be effected and which will hot and even changing patterns in a component is a crap shoot. I have asked many time for the architecture so I can create some work arounds, but have been stonewalled.
Re: Installing new Ver 3.2
Unfortunately DipTrace doesn't have the similar feature, but we plan to create it.
Re: Installing new Ver 3.2
There is no link at all. Pattern is part of component and is stored in component library, so when you edit pattern from pattern library, you don't touch any component. To update pattern in component, you should reattach it from updated library. Architecture is quite simple:The weakest part of DipTrace is the libraries. There are so many issues, I could write a book. All schematic capture and PCB applications, except DipTrace, allow the user to select the location of the libraries. This is so you can select different components with different patterns and keep in control of this. The links between symbols and patterns is hidden, so finding the link in a component is nearly immpossible and in some cases absolutely impossible. When editing a pattern, you have no idea which component can be effected and which will hot and even changing patterns in a component is a crap shoot. I have asked many time for the architecture so I can create some work arounds, but have been stonewalled.
Pattern library is file with patterns, component library - file with symbols and patterns (patterns are parts of this file, no auto-update links). Schematic file also includes all patterns inside and if you change pattern or component library, nothing changes in it. If you want to update anything - you should do that manually (pattern in component - reattach it, component in schematic - there is update from library option), but nothing can be updated itself, you edit ONLY the file you actually edit.
Updating patterns in component library feature exists for our internal use, we can easily open it. But it should be also run manually to update patterns in component library.
Automatic linking is pain at my opinion as it may corrupt existing libraries or projects, however we plan project structure with related library paths and probably optional auto-update for project libraries.
Re: Installing new Ver 3.2
Check out http://www.diptrace.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11914
Over the years I've used Tango, Protel, Orcad and other applications, having read-only libraries are a blessing, the reason I say this is the number of times I've fur-bared a part and had to extract the original library from a CD or floppy. If you don't like the current DipTrace Read-Only Lib folder, copy it somewhere and create a new Group to point at them, it only takes a second or so.