Using macros

To use the macros in your layout, you have to open the macro-library first. Select MACRO LIBRARY from the OPTIONS menu, or click on the corresponding button in the toolbar:

The macro-library will apear on the right.

Select a macro-directory

With the top-line of the macro-library you can navigate through your macro-directories:

 

With a click on the left button (here: DIL),  a list appears with all available macro-directories. Just select the desired directory.

 

To prevent clicking through the whole directory-tree, whenever you want to select a new macro-directory, a macro-root-directory exists. This is the directory, which includes all macro-directories. The macro-root-directory is predefinded with the macro-directory in your installation path (e.g. C:\PROGRAMS\LAYOUT40\MACROS). That is where all installed macro-directories are located.

 

The directory-list which appears by clicking the button, contains entries of all subdirectories in the macro-root-directory.

 

You can easily change the macro-root-directory. Just click on the button with the folder-symbol on the right.

Select a macro

Below the directory-button, you find a list of all macros in the selected directory.

Click to one of the macro entries to get a preview of the selected macro. Two lines of text can be added to each macro as description.

 

Simply drag & drop a macro from the preview to the layout to add a macro to your board: Click on the preview, hold the left mouse button down, move the mouse to the layout and drop the macros at the desired position.

 

The macro will always be placed on the active board-side.

 

If necessary, the macro will be mirrored automatically. This depends on the functions MIRROR and CHANGE SIDE.

Additional macro-functions

Below the list of the macros, you find some buttons with the following functions:

 Save macro

Saves all selected elements on your layout as a new macro.

 Delete macro

Deletes the selected macro from your disk.

 Through-pad macro

Converts all pads in the macro into through-pads.

 Mirror macro

Mirrors the macro.

 Change side

Changes the board side of the macro.

 

Note:

The last two functions 'Mirror macro' and 'Change side' are likely to be used together, because changing the board-side of a macro usually makes mirroring necessary as well.

 

Use the CLOSE button (X) in the headline of the library to hide the macro-library.

 

Tip:

You may change the width of the library. Move the cursor to the boarder line between the library and the editor. The mouse cursor changes to a double arrow. This indicates that you can move the border, while you hold down the left mouse button.

• Download macros