topic Re: Feature Request: Updateable Design Blocks in EAGLE Forum

Feature Request: Updateable Design Blocks

pmark23 — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 13:24:18 GMT

It would be nice if you could make a change to a Design Block, and then in a project that uses that Design Block you could use a "update Design Block" command (or something) and have it change all the relevant Design Blocks on all the sheets in the project.

It should not update Design Blocks automatically, only when the command is given (that would be terrible.)

Use case: I need to change component values in a Design Block that is used dozens of times on a PCB, and I need to do this with a dozen separate Design Blocks on a dozen different projects. This would take only minutes (instead of hours and hours) with updateable Design Blocks.

Re: Feature Request: Updateable Design Blocks

yuzhou.lei — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 05:25:25 GMT

no design block update command available

I tried all the possible group of commands, the help files and online information, no good news.

every time when I change some information of a design block, I need to redesign the schematic and lay out the related PCB.

maybe I just do not find the proper command.....

Re: Feature Request: Updateable Design Blocks

one-of-the-robs — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 08:22:50 GMT

I don't think design blocks are intended to do the job you're trying to use them for. Perhaps modules are the thing you want?

Re: Feature Request: Updateable Design Blocks

yuzhou.lei — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 09:58:05 GMT

I think the module is for the hierarchic schematic design.

I will check the function to see if the module could work the way I want.

thank you.

BTW, I check the forum there are some guys asked almost the same question as mine.

Re: Feature Request: Updateable Design Blocks

one-of-the-robs — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 10:52:10 GMT

@yuzhou.lei wrote:
BTW, I check the forum there are some guys asked almost the same question as mine.

Indeed. I'm not suggesting that what you want isn't reasonable but the way design blocks have been implemented reflects a different intent - more of a "here's something you can adjust to your needs to make your initial design task easier" (like the github "gists"). They were not attempting to address "this circuit had umpteen copies of an identical sub-circuit", whereas the hierarchical schematic methodology feels like somwhere that question might be answered.