PCB - Cadsoft EAGLE users - help needed

[malc-c]

Been using eagle for some time for hobby use. It takes a bit of getting use to but its not that hard to use. Yes the library of components are vast, but you find that you tend to use just a few more common ones, rather than dedicated sockets or devices.

The good thing is that more and more PCB houses are supporting Eagles BRD format allowing the cheap production of quality PCB's without having to understand the usual GERBER convertions.

[geckogrotto]

I'm using Eagle from Cadsoft and im having issue with not being able to place parts in exact postions. The only way to move parts that I can see is with the mouse. Is there a command I'm missing that will allow me to move a given part a specifc distance like move X,Y.

[Ioannis]

Have you tried to change the grid?

Ioannis

[geckogrotto]

I did try the grid and the alt grid but I was looking for something more along the lines of move to X,Y cords so that I can easily pop down parts where I know they need to be instead of dragging them around to get to the same spot.

[Ioannis]

Yes, I understand what you mean. I use the indicators for the x-y cordinators to place parts. The difficult is when you have a part that its cross is not on its corners, but somewhere in the middle.

Ioannis

[geckogrotto]

Yea you kinda need to have your own parts designed to have it all work like expected I guess but I did find the move command if anyone is interested.

To move a resistor named R1 its move R1 (X Y)

[brid0030]

I've been using eagle a bit, and I have found it necessary to build a number of devices. It's a bit of a struggle at first, but once it's done it's done.

Since we're on this subject, does anyone know a way of automatically filling in space on circuit boards? I make my own boards, so the less copper I etch away the better. As of now I have to put in a bunch of squares and triangles manually, and when I want to change something on the board, I have erase many of them and put them back. Now that I think of it, there may be a way to do this with photoshop or something just before printing the negative (basically draw black lines around all objects). Any thoughts?