Allow datasheet link to be a website or local file location

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SteveThatcher
Posts: 4
Joined: 23 Apr 2017, 05:41
Location: Kenmore, WA
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Allow datasheet link to be a website or local file location

#1 Post by SteveThatcher » 23 Apr 2017, 06:23

one of the things that I find really helps is the design process is to be able to bring up a datasheet quickly for a particular part. DipTrace has the ability to do this but only for a web address. I have always maintained a local "parts" folder that contains all of the parts I have either designed with or am interested in. I can (and have) copied them to my website, but I want to be able to be "offline" and access these parts from a schematic also.

A related issue to this is the "protected status" of the diptrace libraries. I can't add a valid link to an already defined part - example National Semi LM386 and there is not link and I can't add one without copying the part to my library and then adding a link. This really defeats the purpose of having massive libraries from diptrace if the info isn't there.

Maybe there is a way to get the info to DipTrace, but then how long would I have to wait before it shows up...

[that night after posting this]
The component editor should have a browse button for the datasheet. I can cut and paste a link. I can also use a local file based link in the field, so I answered part of my feature request issue -

file:///drive/folder/part.pdf will work
- drive is c: etc
- folder is just where ever you store local parts
- part.pdf is the part

example

file:///c:/parts/IC_MICROCHIP_POC24F16KA101.pdf

I just end up having to cut and paste rather than navigate to the location. By the way, I realize I could "add" the pdfs to my project, but I really want to get to the datasheet when I am looking at the part in the schematic - would be nice to have a datasheet button in the right clock context menu on the part (DesignSpark does this, but their datasheet stuff is broken).

Jack_M
Posts: 23
Joined: 31 Mar 2016, 20:38

Re: Allow datasheet link to be a website or local file location

#2 Post by Jack_M » 01 Aug 2018, 04:28

FWIW, on windows you already can (i just tried it). just copy the full path

in your case c:/parts/IC_MICROCHIP_POC24F16KA101.pdf

SteveThatcher
Posts: 4
Joined: 23 Apr 2017, 05:41
Location: Kenmore, WA
Contact:

Re: Allow datasheet link to be a website or local file location

#3 Post by SteveThatcher » 16 Feb 2021, 11:30

of course you can copy the path, but that is still a pain. Why not have a browse button and just select the file. I am back to working in the 4.1 version and it is still clunky when it comes to data sheets. I need to be able to access datasheets offline and the web links won't work all the time. I would also like a way to also download the datasheet and replace it with the path where I save it with the press of a button.

Dave8266
Posts: 49
Joined: 20 Mar 2020, 16:57

Re: Allow datasheet link to be a website or local file location

#4 Post by Dave8266 » 18 Feb 2021, 11:30

Copying a local path can be problematic too. Say for example, you have your datasheets all nicely sorted on your local machine. Then you decide your datasheets would really be better on a NAS, so that you can access them from two machines. What then? You would have to go through every single component in your DipTrace library and update the links manually...

SteveThatcher
Posts: 4
Joined: 23 Apr 2017, 05:41
Location: Kenmore, WA
Contact:

Re: Allow datasheet link to be a website or local file location

#5 Post by SteveThatcher » 18 Feb 2021, 19:28

easy solution - you have the option of entering just a partial path & filename for your components and a second setting that is a starting drive, URL, network path that is the base global path to where the files are. If the filename starts with a ".\" then the global path is used. If there is a full path with the filename, then that is used.
Nothing breaks the current method and you can freely move your parts folders, whatever anywhere you need to with the enhancement.

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