[sdiy] Schematics Software

[Ben Bradley]

Here's the details Eagle pricing policy, which changed after Autocad
bought it - they converted it (the pay versions) to subscription-only,
which a lot of people don't like, and which got me less interested in
it and more interested in Kicad:
https://hackaday.com/2017/01/19/autodesk-moves-eagle-to-subscription-only-pricing/


On Fri, May 19, 2017 at 8:02 PM, Ben Bradley <ben.pi.bradley at gmail.com> wrote:
> I was taught Autocad in a work environment circa 1989 to draw ...
> circuit schematics.  I think Autocad has been famous for a rather
> tough learning curve, but I don't recall it being especially hard to
> learn, or maybe the guy who tutored me was really good at teaching as
> well as Autocad. He also used it for PCB layout (!).  Circa 2001 I got
> Cadopia Intellicad 4, an Autocad work-alike, and I continue to use
> that version, for schematics and general mechanical drawings.
>
> I've used ExpressPCB a few times over the past 15 years, it has free
> software that's very easy to learn and use, but uses a proprietary
> format that's only good for having PCBs made through ExpressPCB, and
> the prices perhaps weren't too bad way back when, but compared to
> what's available now they're really expensive.
>
> In the last year I've been learning Eagle and more recently Kicad. The
> learning curves on both of these are greater than expected, and way
> more than the ExpressPCB software (which admittedly doesn't do as
> much, and I haven't even used the schematic entry functions in their
> recent versions). Maybe I'm reading the wrong instructions, but it's
> been tough going, or maybe I'm getting old and it's getting harder to
> learn things - I'll try these pages on Hackaday and see how I do.
>
> Back to the OP's question of FREE drawing or schematic capture apps, I
> can't think of much offhand. There's an object drawing program as part
> of LibreOffice (in Writer? I forget), kind of like MacDraw (if anyone
> else remembers that), but I haven't learn the LibreOffice draw program
> because I haven't had a need.
>
> Oh, there's LTSpice, it has a learning curve, but I feel like I've
> mostly mastered it because circuit simulation is so useful that I kept
> at it. The schematic-drawing interface is definitely clunky, but
> again, I've used it enough that I feel "accomplished" in it. I don't
> know that the schematics look "professional" but it's a free download
> to try it. It's the best bet that I know of.
>
>
> On Fri, May 19, 2017 at 5:37 PM, Quincas Moreira <quincas at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Thanks Don, I'll check it out!
>>
>> On Fri, May 19, 2017 at 4:36 PM, Quincas Moreira <quincas at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> I think Ornament and Crime was designed in Fritzing!
>>>
>>> On Fri, May 19, 2017 at 4:31 PM, Pete Hartman <pete.hartman at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, May 19, 2017 at 4:18 PM, Peter Pearson
>>>> <electrocontinuo at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> This is a good cross comparison:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> http://hackaday.com/2016/09/21/creating-a-pcb-in-everything-introduction/
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Friends don't let friends use Fritzing" LOL :)
>>>>
>>>> Pete
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Quincas Moreira
>>> Test Pilot at VBrazil Modular
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Quincas Moreira
>> Test Pilot at VBrazil Modular
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Synth-diy mailing list
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>
> On Fri, May 19, 2017 at 5:37 PM, Quincas Moreira <quincas at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Thanks Don, I'll check it out!
>>
>> On Fri, May 19, 2017 at 4:36 PM, Quincas Moreira <quincas at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> I think Ornament and Crime was designed in Fritzing!
>>>
>>> On Fri, May 19, 2017 at 4:31 PM, Pete Hartman <pete.hartman at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, May 19, 2017 at 4:18 PM, Peter Pearson
>>>> <electrocontinuo at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> This is a good cross comparison:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> http://hackaday.com/2016/09/21/creating-a-pcb-in-everything-introduction/
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Friends don't let friends use Fritzing" LOL :)
>>>>
>>>> Pete
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Synth-diy mailing list
>>>> Synth-diy at synth-diy.org
>>>> http://synth-diy.org/mailman/listinfo/synth-diy
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Quincas Moreira
>>> Test Pilot at VBrazil Modular
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Quincas Moreira
>> Test Pilot at VBrazil Modular
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Synth-diy mailing list
>> Synth-diy at synth-diy.org
>> http://synth-diy.org/mailman/listinfo/synth-diy
>>