*EasyEDA - Web based EDA official support topic*

[dillon]

Hi,
 This is Dillon, co-founder of http://easyeda.com. Thanks to Dave and Mrs EEVblog spread EasyEDA to the world http://www.eevblog.com/2014/04/22/eevblog-606-mailbag/. EasyEDA got more +200 registered users in two days, lots of them have created awesome designs.

So, we think some users will ask something, we are listening at here.

[jucole]

Very impressive online tool!   is there any information on fabrication prices / capabilities?

I read your "about us" but to be honest I didn't really understand your logic for creating the EDA tool from what you wrote;  you say you developed the EDA tool because you were hardware hackers building some hardware and didn't want to spend money / time learning a commercial package;  so instead you and your team spent 3 years and a half years creating your own.   But if that was true surely contributing that many hours to maybe the KiCAD project would have made more sense?

[GiskardReventlov]

I gave it a quick try and I found it pretty easy to use. I couldn't figure out how to delete a line I made but I only spent minutes.  I do think it's a solid tool.  It's more intuitive than kicad for me.

@jucole, with language barriers, geographic barriers, etc. contributing to kicad would probably have been a very frustrating experience. That's not even including personalities.

You should (if you don't already) consider selling easyeda, because I would rather run it hosted locally than over the internet.  And consider making it opensource so that others could contribute and survey the code.

Ironically the main website crashed my browser but easyeda never crashed.

[dillon]

Very impressive online tool!   is there any information on fabrication prices / capabilities?

Check it via http://easyeda.com/cms_files_easyeda-pcb-fabrication-prices-capabilities.htm

I read your "about us" but to be honest I didn't really understand your logic for creating the EDA tool from what you wrote;  you say you developed the EDA tool because you were hardware hackers building some hardware and didn't want to spend money / time learning a commercial package;  so instead you and your team spent 3 years and a half years creating your own.   But if that was true surely contributing that many hours to maybe the KiCAD project would have made more sense?

We are sure we have checked KiCad, it is good enough. But it is hard to use. Most important, most of desktop software will be replaced by Browser or App.

BTW, EasyEDA can import all of the Kicad Libs.
Thanks.

Dillon

[dillon]

I gave it a quick try and I found it pretty easy to use. I couldn't figure out how to delete a line I made but I only spent minutes.  I do think it's a solid tool.  It's more intuitive than kicad for me.

Select it, then press the DEL key. BTW.

 

@jucole, with language barriers, geographic barriers, etc. contributing to kicad would probably have been a very frustrating experience. That's not even including personalities.

You should (if you don't already) consider selling easyeda, because I would rather run it hosted locally than over the internet.  And consider making it opensource so that others could contribute and survey the code.

 All the best softwares are not open source, except Linux.  We are about to make EasyEDA opensource, check http://easyeda.com/cms_files_a-letter-from-the-easyeda-team.htm

Ironically the main website crashed my browser but easyeda never crashed.

EasyEDA is strong, and EasyEDA has a good Crash Recovery .

Dillon
Thanks.

[EEVblog]

You should (if you don't already) consider selling easyeda, because I would rather run it hosted locally than over the internet.

And that is the problem with all these new web based EDA tools (how many of them are there now?). No professional would (or in many cases is allowed to) trust their EDA to an internet connection.

[EEVblog]

All the best softwares are not open source, except Linux.  We are about to make EasyEDA opensource, check http://easyeda.com/cms_files_a-letter-from-the-easyeda-team.htm

That's cool 

[GiskardReventlov]

Select it, then press the DEL key. BTW.

That was what I tried first.

We are about to make EasyEDA opensource, check

I read that as "you will go opensource if you're current business model doesn't generate revenue to support the team." So you're not announcing that you're going opensource. You are saying that it's possible that you will go opensource. But it seems that the opensource business model that works is the one that does both. You have commercial offering and also an opensource product.  So really you should already have your product for sale and have it opensource.  Trying to make your business model work may tire out your team.

I think there are some people here that can attest to that model working for them and their companies.

This should appeal to teachers for sure:

"A10: All teachers can have a lifetime VIP account (subject to verification of your educational status), and they can get free PCBs from EasyEDA for their public projects now."

[HackedFridgeMagnet]

I had a bit of a problem with the delete key too.
I had to select an area to delete instead of a segment, even though the segment was highlighted.

Also the arrow keys seem to work a bit randomly, sometimes ok, at least half the time do nothing?

Using firefox latest on windows.

It does look very well organised and intuitive.

We are sure we have checked KiCad, it is good enough. But it is hard to use. Most important, most of desktop software will be replaced by Browser or App.

Not sure which fortune teller you have asked this question too, but I really doubt it, especially for EDA and most other large screen apps for producing propriety designs.

What is an App anyway? just desktop software on a small screen.

[dillon]

And that is the problem with all these new web based EDA tools (how many of them are there now?). No professional would (or in many cases is allowed to) trust their EDA to an internet connection.

It is excited that Mr eevblog give this a reply. Do you know EasyEDA can work in offline? Try to shut down your network and open http://easyeda.com/editor again. Depending on internet is bad, but check your design every device is awesome.

EasyEDA is not for every one we know,  we are sure we have a great target users. Now EasyEDA has 1000+ users, 3 PCB orders. A user used EasyEDA every day for the last 30 days, and he ordered a complex PCB with 1100+ Pads.

Thanks.

Dillon

[dillon]

Select it, then press the DEL key. BTW.

That was what I tried first.

We are about to make EasyEDA opensource, check

I read that as "you will go opensource if you're current business model doesn't generate revenue to support the team." So you're not announcing that you're going opensource. You are saying that it's possible that you will go opensource. But it seems that the opensource business model that works is the one that does both. You have commercial offering and also an opensource product.  So really you should already have your product for sale and have it opensource.  Trying to make your business model work may tire out your team.

I think there are some people here that can attest to that model working for them and their companies.

This should appeal to teachers for sure:

"A10: All teachers can have a lifetime VIP account (subject to verification of your educational status), and they can get free PCBs from EasyEDA for their public projects now."

Now, can you delete your wire? It is a bit litter hard to select a wire,we will make it better.

EasyEDA will be Ads supported free EDA tool, just like eevblog. We talk about open source,  it makes our early birds trust all of their designs will keep when we can't run the company. Every one can installed EasyEDA in their computer.

Yes, we are sure we will provide free PCB for all open source hardware projects later, we provide free PCB for teachers now, it seems we can't find the teachers

[dillon]

I had a bit of a problem with the delete key too.
I had to select an area to delete instead of a segment, even though the segment was highlighted.

Also the arrow keys seem to work a bit randomly, sometimes ok, at least half the time do nothing?

Using firefox latest on windows.

It does look very well organised and intuitive.

We are sure we have checked KiCad, it is good enough. But it is hard to use. Most important, most of desktop software will be replaced by Browser or App.

Not sure which fortune teller you have asked this question too, but I really doubt it, especially for EDA and most other large screen apps for producing propriety designs.

What is an App anyway? just desktop software on a small screen.

Two guys have problems in deleting , I am sure there are some problems, but we can't reproduce this problem, we are Firefox fans, we test a lot under Firefox and Chrome. Can you get me more infromation? Do you zoom in your canvas big enough? Thanks.

App is not good for EDA, but browser will be excellent for EDA. We need some time.

Thanks.

Dillon

[HackedFridgeMagnet]

I worked my issue out, not actually a bug but a UI misunderstanding.

I was hovering over a net and it glowed red. At this point the net is not selected, so you can't delete this.

If you then select the net and the nodes go green then the del key works.

[HackedFridgeMagnet]

Further thoughts.

Also if you try to select a node without the net already selected, it doesn't select.

You should be able to select a node and get something, either whole net or just node.

So new users pay attention to what is selected. The nodes go green in the middle when selected.

I am not sure you need to highlight the net 'on hover', especially when another net is currently selected.

Quite easy to draw stuff in this package, I think I will experiment further and will probably use it to at least draw quick schematics.


If I get time I will try some stuff in the simulator.

[dillon]

Further thoughts.

Also if you try to select a node without the net already selected, it doesn't select.

You should be able to select a node and get something, either whole net or just node.

So new users pay attention to what is selected. The nodes go green in the middle when selected.

I am not sure you need to highlight the net 'on hover', especially when another net is currently selected.

Quite easy to draw stuff in this package, I think I will experiment further and will probably use it to at least draw quick schematics.


If I get time I will try some stuff in the simulator.

'on hover' is a state which tell the user that he can click and select the objects.

Thanks for giving a deep test. and let me know the next idea.

[HackedFridgeMagnet]

Maybe have a different colour for selectable, and selected then.
Currently both red.

[dillon]

Maybe have a different colour for selectable, and selected then.
Currently both red.

Seems good, add it to TODO list. Thanks.

[GiskardReventlov]

Now, can you delete your wire? It is a bit litter hard to select a wire,we will make it better.

I spent very little time at it and it may be that I didn't have the wire selected as mentioned in the other post.

EasyEDA will be Ads supported free EDA tool, just like eevblog. We talk about open source,  it makes our early birds trust all of their designs will keep when we can't run the company. Every one can installed EasyEDA in their computer.

If the designs can be saved in a portable format then people will be able to use them in another package. Is your format portable?

Yes, we are sure we will provide free PCB for all open source hardware projects later, we provide free PCB for teachers now, it seems we can't find the teachers

Not sure if ads will support free PCBs but it's an ambitious goal.

There are at least a couple of teachers in these forums.
Thanks for taking time to answer here.

[Mechatrommer]

Most important, most of desktop software will be replaced by Browser or App.

oh really? the Opera i have is crawling, IE8 crashed, let alone your online App (which lets net lines in schematics transformed into rat nests when i drag a component)...

[dillon]

Now, can you delete your wire? It is a bit litter hard to select a wire,we will make it better.

I spent very little time at it and it may be that I didn't have the wire selected as mentioned in the other post.

EasyEDA will be Ads supported free EDA tool, just like eevblog. We talk about open source,  it makes our early birds trust all of their designs will keep when we can't run the company. Every one can installed EasyEDA in their computer.

If the designs can be saved in a portable format then people will be able to use them in another package. Is your format portable?

Yes, we are sure we will provide free PCB for all open source hardware projects later, we provide free PCB for teachers now, it seems we can't find the teachers

Not sure if ads will support free PCBs but it's an ambitious goal.

There are at least a couple of teachers in these forums.
Thanks for taking time to answer here.

Is your format portable? Yes. You can use a notepad to create a PCB project or schematic project. It is Ascii and opened. Check the EasyEDA source

How I can let the teachers know EasyEDA's free PCB service ?

Thanks your time too.
Dillon

[Bored@Work]

Most important, most of desktop software will be replaced by Browser or App.

Don't be so sure, young whippersnapper. I hear that since 15 years or longer. Still it is in the same category of "Linux will take over the desktop". Slow progress, but long away from being true.

[dillon]

Most important, most of desktop software will be replaced by Browser or App.

Don't be so sure, young whippersnapper. I hear that since 15 years or longer. Still it is in the same category of "Linux will take over the desktop". Slow progress, but long away from being true.

Thanks. This is just a willing. Maybe you should wait another 15 years .

[firewalker]

The funny thing is that GNU/Linux took over everything else. From coffee makers to military equipment.

Alexander.

[dillon]

The funny thing is that GNU/Linux took over everything else. From coffee makers to military equipment.

Alexander.

Please talk about http://easyeda.com/ 

[signality]

EasyEDA tries to do a pretty good job of making a complicated tool simple to use but even so it is well worthwhile having a read through the EasyEDA Tutorial which can be reached through this page:

http://easyeda.com/cms_files_how-to-use-easyeda.htm

or via the i > Help Topics menu on the top toolbar.

Context sensitive help can be reached via the ?Help button in any dialogue box.

Yeah, I know. Blokes and asking for directions, rtfm and all that but what the heck: if it saves time.