How to add USER Libraries & use of Library Setup?

Making your own components and patterns, organizing and using libraries.
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CraigS
Posts: 7
Joined: 06 Mar 2015, 12:15

How to add USER Libraries & use of Library Setup?

#1 Post by CraigS » 21 Apr 2020, 17:59

Been using DipTrace for many years. Managing the library files .eli and .lib have to be the most convoluted process I have ever seen. It's 2020 this should have been normalized to behave like any windows app years ago. Not talking about making parts just setting up the file and library infrastructure Rant over.

Anyway I went to add an empty pattern library to add some patterns I was building. I noticed there was a new tool called Library Setup in the schematic editor that appeared to be an ease way making a new pattern library by selecting User Patterns and clicking Add Library. Nop nada does nothing. It opens up an explorer window but doesn't allow you to create a patternxxx.lib file. I already have several other patternxxx.lib files in my User DT library folder. The location is not in Program Files, other locked down spot or in the DT install path. So if the tool doesn't create and empty .lib file what is the bloody tool used for? Can't seem to find any docs. Most posts I found referenced earlier versions which did not apply. Using W10 professional(1909), DT 3.3.1.3

What am I missing here? It surely can't be this complex to add and empty .eli or .lib file
Any help and explanation would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

After playing around for several hours this is what I found to work: (I would guess this applies to the component editor as well)
1. Open up the Pattern Editor
2. Select Library >> NEW
Popup Window: Name the new library and select User Patterns then OK
3. Go to Library >> Save and save in your personal DipTrace Library Folder with the same name
as entered in 2 above. This will create the .lib file when you select save

4. Go to Library >> Library Setup and select User Patterns in Groups and select your new name
in the Group Libraries window. It will show the path to the new .lib file.

5. Highlight the new library and click click Add Library -- A file explorer window will show up
select the new .lib file and select open then ok. The new library should be setup.

To delete the new libarary and .lib file
1. Open up Library Setup select the User Patterns Group then the libary in Group Libraries
and click on delete selected then ok.
2. Open file explorer and delete the .lib file from the personal DipTrace library folder.
3. Exit the Pattern Editor and it should be gone.

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KevinA
Posts: 639
Joined: 18 Dec 2015, 08:35

Re: How to add USER Libraries & use of Library Setup?

#2 Post by KevinA » 21 Apr 2020, 19:10

I typically build a file structure D:\diptrace\project\STM3DController and in that directory subdirectories PDF 3D Document I then use Component Editor Library/Library Setup to create a New Library Group (Component + Pattern) STM3D, then I do Library New and add STM3Dcomp component library to the group, I copy all components I will be using to the new component library. Next in Pattern Editor, Library/New STM3Dpat create a new pattern library and add it to STM3D group, while pattern editor is open I grab the patterns from the components in the new component library. Now I have a directory where all the information to reproduce a PCB resides, after the project is done I can remove the Group name without impacting the actual libraries. Where I've gotten into issues is changing a pattern without realizing it was used in another project until I tried to update the older project....
And yes, the library structure is confusing and it is confusing because of what it does, trying to keep track of millions of parts with almost unlimited combinations that grows daily with multiple differing standards.
I keep hoping that DipTrace will start using relative mapping instead of absolute:
X:\diptrace\project is the root \STM3D is the library home, it is relative to the root, using relative I can copy that project folder and move it to any drive/folder I want by changing the root and all the embedded files in the project will still work. As it stands if you have a project C:\Users\Kevin\Documents\DipTrace\Projects\STM3D and try to share it the new user can relink all the files or add a user to their computer called Kevin. BUT adding relative addressing will also increase the complexity..

FredSomething
Posts: 2
Joined: 26 Jul 2020, 05:07

Re: How to add USER Libraries & use of Library Setup?

#3 Post by FredSomething » 27 Jul 2020, 06:07

CraigS, I cannot agree with you more. The UI for simply creating a place to store (i.e. library) for a custom pattern is so confusing I couldn't even describe what I don't understand about it. Spent a couple hours watching YouTube tutorials incidentally. Why isn't the decades-old standard Windows/Mac/Linux hierarchical file system used for this? I'm glad I decided to begin learning how DipTrace handles custom components before investing time learning the rest of it. Since it's of no use to me if I can't create and save (trivially simple) components that aren't in the existing libraries. Here's a stupid question - is a '.lib' file a collection of patterns, or a single pattern?

AyalaResearch
Posts: 4
Joined: 26 May 2016, 08:51

Re: How to add USER Libraries & use of Library Setup?

#4 Post by AyalaResearch » 30 Jul 2020, 17:53

For what its worth, I am in the same boat, I really can't visualize how the libraries function. For the 3 projects I completed I managed to find something that resembles the part (pattern) I want. I've created a few of the associated models in SolidWorks and attached them to a pattern because I couldn't for the life of me find the right model to go with the pattern file. Fortunately I didn't have that many components I had to create from scratch. It does seem harder than it needs to be.

I do realize the scope of complexity, but I feel like part of the issue could be solved by simplifying the process creating your personal parts library.

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