topic Re: BUG: Routing SnapTo is to coarse in EAGLE Forum

BUG: Routing SnapTo is to coarse

adminZ7JQ9 — Mon, 29 May 2017 17:54:20 GMT

It is very tedious to route WLCSP (wafer level Chip scale packages, similar to BGA package) and other parts with <0.4mm pitch as the "snap to" facility in the board router is far too coarse.

Would it be possible to relate the "snap to" to the grid size or even better the current zoom level?

Re: BUG: Routing SnapTo is to coarse

rachaelATWH4 — Mon, 29 May 2017 18:04:05 GMT

@adminZ7JQ9 wrote:
It is very tedious to route WLCSP (wafer level Chip scale packages, similar to BGA package) and other parts with <0.4mm pitch as the "snap to" facility in the board router is far too coarse.
Would it be possible to relate the "snap to" to the grid size or even better the current zoom level?

Does the SET SNAP_LENGTH <value> command help with what you need? It's not automatic with grid changes or zoom changes but it allows you to set it based on the currently selected units.

Best Regards,

Rachael

Re: BUG: Routing SnapTo is to coarse

adminZ7JQ9 — Tue, 30 May 2017 10:36:54 GMT

Thanks for the reply, I wasn't aware of this command, and it does solve the issue.

It's still a PITA when moving between parts, so I will change this from a bug to a feature request

Re: BUG: Routing SnapTo is to coarse

Anonymous — Tue, 30 May 2017 16:38:45 GMT

Why isn't this most important parameter in the menu is beyond me. Who cares it is in some help file? We need the basic setup to be accessible, at worse in the form of about:config with descriptors in the settings.

I'm going to boot up computer just to change this hellish setting... 😕 😕 😕

Re: BUG: Routing SnapTo is to coarse

C.Nicks — Tue, 30 May 2017 18:04:36 GMT

ADresden,

It IS an easily accessible setting in the settings menu. You could make a menu to be able to select different settings right from the toolbar if this is something you need to change often. See the MENU section of the help file. This is something I never touch though.

"Who cares it is in some help file?"

Do us all a favor and read the help file, it's there to tell you how everything works.

Re: BUG: Routing SnapTo is to coarse

Anonymous — Tue, 30 May 2017 19:20:02 GMT

Is there a help file that pairs the window names with menu items?
Your window says "Settings".
So I browse all the items in the top bar.

File>Settings no such,
Edit>settings, no such
View>Layer settings, that is something else
Tools>Searc, statistics
Library...
Options...

I search Settings in Help file. I feel like in BASH or Python.

Search in HELP file:
Control panel>settings yields only Backup.
The generic search finds only the command line SET...
How do I view the current settings for SNAP_LENGTH, CATCH_FACTOR, SELECT_FACTOR and do a "test-drive" like I can do in keyboard and cursor settings? (or display action radius from current cursor?)

The middle click canvas drag, does not work in the help.

So, after trial and error, as the help or menu does not help, I find that you mean the menu: Options>Set...

Can't switch to HELP window while the Options>Set... Settings window is open.
There is no tooltip help on those items.

OK, findings: catch factor increases when zooming in closer than 100-milimeter view, so, it is almost never valid. "inrceases logarithmically when zooming further in"... as in current_catch_factor= catch_factor*log(4inches/current range) ?? And the range iz X or Y dimension of the screen? Or diagonal?

The help doesn't help.

Changing values doesn't change anything, the help doesn't say whether I need a program restart.

even after restart, catch factor of 0.004 and select factor of 0.001 catch polygon outline from about 10% of vertical distance.

Caring about HELP file did not get me anywhere.

Further trial and error: from close in, the catch factor is CONSTANT and catches too far (relative to the screen size), and when I zoom in considerably, the selected catch factor applies and does not catch anything (the above numbers).

So, dear Eagle: your math is wrong.

I tried to zoom in and out, the "less than 4 inches" only one catch radius was applied (about 1.9mm) and above some larger level of zoom out, the user setting was suddenly valid.

Why do I have to diagnose these things that should be working out of the box?

Re: BUG: Routing SnapTo is to coarse

C.Nicks — Tue, 30 May 2017 19:42:36 GMT

ADresden,

I find opening the pdf version of the help is way better than opening it from Eagle. I think there is a lot to be done about the help system, but this is what we have to work with. The pdf version is located in the doc folder in the installation folder (C:\EAGLE 8.2.1\doc).

Then you can have any Eagle window open and also be able to zoom the text size.

The current values for SNAP_LENGTH, CATCH_FACTOR, SELECT_FACTOR are in the settings dialog. (Options -> Set... -> Misc)

As far as I know you do not need to restart in order for them to take effect.

"Why do I have to diagnose these things that should be working out of the box?"

I have never needed to change my settings and I don't have any issues navigating or selecting items. I have them setup in my eagle.scr file so they are restored with every version change.

They are:

Catch Factor=5%

Select Factor=2%

Snap Length=0.0508mm

Re: BUG: Routing SnapTo is to coarse

Anonymous — Tue, 30 May 2017 20:02:59 GMT

With catch factor of 0.004 and select factor of 0.001, I can select a 0402 resistor from 3 resistor widths away, while the resistor height is 11% of displayed screen height.

I used help file. Didn't work.

When I set value of "1" for both, the same results. I set both to "10" and the result are the same as with 1 and 0.004 and 0.001.

The very, very same.
I'm used to being ignored.

Re: BUG: Routing SnapTo is to coarse

C.Nicks — Tue, 30 May 2017 20:30:15 GMT

I don't know how the values are handled internally, but I cannot replicate your situation.

Again I will state this. The more information about your setup, the more likely somebody can help.

What operating system and version?

What version of Eagle?

Re: BUG: Routing SnapTo is to coarse

Anonymous — Tue, 30 May 2017 21:09:40 GMT

8.2.1
Xfce
Debian stable
AMD APU

I forgot how to get system version report.

if you are able to make small software change, to draw circle rings around the cursor, with the catch, select and snap distances, you will see them change.

Maybe, set first Mouse wheel zoom in "User interface" to 1.09051
Limit zoom factor is ON, User guidance is ON if that matters...