Autodesk 123d Circuit Maker Now Available

Question

Hey guys , making projects easier means having the right tools. Ezb does alot, but it can do even more by making simple circuits. This is a new tool that last year was in beta from the autodesk family. It is available now to use online through the Web or installed on a PC as an application for free. Previously circuits was a independent open source group and still follows collaborative effort among other users. They can share circuit designs and even entire pcb designs. Upgraded account are available with additional features. You may want to weight out the services that are best for you.

https://123d.circuits.io/ is the current URL

jstarne1 · Answer

Screen shots of products

Rich · Answer

What makes this any better than ExpressPCB which can produce schematics and PCB designs for free and doesn't require any upgraded membership to enable all functions? Not trying to be a pain or anything but how is this a tutorial? It's just a bunch of screen grabs of products from AutoDesk with no information on how to use them. I only mention this because I would prefer the forums not to become full of posts labelled as tutorials but are missing a lot of information, or even some information and there are a fair few posts mounting up which are the beginnings of a tutorial but that's it and they haven't been touched in months. This will make new members a little uncertain when it comes to the quality of the help, advice and tutorials on offer from the EZ-Robot community. Hope that hasn't caused any offence.

jstarne1 · Answer

It's just what I chose to label it , and I planned on doing a basic " this is how you use this tool to find circuits" later today. More can be added as time goes on if members find it particularly useful. This is for the benefit of members to find a circuit they need to do the job instead of asking you each time. It's unavoidable to get everyone to do it themselves but beneficial none the less. If you feel there are tools you know how to use that are better then your more than welcome to post them and how to use them just the same. I dream of a forum where the new guy doesn't ask " how do I wire this circuit" or " please draw this circuit for me" , instead this is a DIY solution.

Rich · Answer

My point is, and hopefully none of this comes across the wrong way (as you know we all appreciate what you do) but a tutorial should be everything from start to finish, preferably in the first post, all together, all written clearly, working links where necessaryetc. Look at any of the tutorials in the learn section DJ wrote, complete information from start to finish. Look at the community tutorials from Anthony, myself, robot-doc, they all have full, complete, from start to finish information and not this "to be added later". Don't be in such a rush to get a tutorial or post up, make it complete. I have around 30 unfinished tutorials on my PC, some are now redundant but others need a bit more work done to them, they wont be posted until they make total sense and cover the topic from start to finish with a complete and working solution/method/answer. There is no tutorial or amount of tutorials which will stop new (or even existing) members of the community asking questions. There are tutorials which you and other members of the community can link to which answers those questions and saves re-writing everything over and over. If tutorials are missing information this will only confuse people more. I hope you understand where I'm coming from.

Antron007 · Answer

It does not appear to be available for download to the PC. I'm only a free user so maybe that has something to do with it?

irobot58 · Answer

Both of you, josh and rich contribute so much on this forum! I have learned so much from both of you and thank both of you! I can definitely understand both of your approachs to the hobby we all love so much. I like feel the energy and passion yet understand the need to organize!

Dave Schulpius · Answer

@jstarne1 , Thanks for putting this up. I'm not interested in the timing issue that was bought up above but I was wondering what this was all about myself and how to use it when I saw the post pop up. This really excites me because I've been wanting to find and learn a design program like this. If you are able to post the steps to start and use this program the process would be much easier for me. I don't shy away from much but for some reason this kind of stuff seems a little overwhelming. Although I'm sure I could figure out how to use it I really don't have much time to learn it. It seems like I'm always building little circuits to add the functions to something. Just over the past few days I had been struggling with adding an extra lamp and socket that is piggybacked off and existing lamp in a controlled lamp circuit in a pinball machine. Controlled lamps on most pinball machines are wired in a matrix design. I wanted a spotlight to come on and shine on something at the same time that an under playfield lamp comes on that shows a shot to make. Anyway, just adding the spotlight and wiring it to the under playfield socket didn't do the trick and it caused a lot of other lights in the matrix to turn on and off at the wrong times. The added light was confusing the computer that was controlling the matrix I think. To make a long story short (too late) after several failed attempts all I had to do was add a series of blocking diodes to the added lamp. One across the feed wires and one more in each of the feed wire but in different directions. With a tool like you have pointed to and knowledge of how to use it things like this would be much easier to figure out. I like the idea that you can run simulations and even order a board to be made. I have a lot of home made project boards with circuits I've built in pinball games and my B9 robot that I'd love to have made into a more professional looking boards. Anyway, sorry for the long post. I'm looking forward to seeing your steps on how to use this tool. @Rich, I'd also love to see more about the program you mentioned; ExpressPCB. I think I looked at once but didn't have time to work through the learning curve, got a but frustrated and put it aside. I guess I need to just sit sown sometime and soldier through this kind of thing. sick

Rich · Answer

Express PCB is one of the tutorials I have in process so I'll put that one up the list a little After having a good nose around circuits.io the two programs, while similar do have big differences. Circuits.io is more tailored to arduino though with it's simulated circuits and simulated arduino. My concern with it is the fact it is not really a monitored/moderated source so downloading a circuit may have a chance of being a bad circuit that could have the potential to destroy your EZ-B. Sure that is worst case but the potential is there so always use caution

whitemarcy9 · Answer

This is a great option! I just tried an alternative though and I love it! It's Lucidchart and you can check it out at https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/circuit-maker-free-download

Dave Schulpius · Answer

I'll have to check out the link you just posted. I found and liked the one that Digikey offers on their website but I'm always open to trying something new.

Purple · Answer

ExpressPCB is an awesome free program that will take you from concept to schematic to manufactured board. Its free an easy to use. I looked at digikeys program, its ok but you cannot run it unless you are connected to digikey online and you cannot make boards only schematics. Digikey is a great company for parts but if I need to make a board I would just use ExpressPCB. My 2 cents.

jstarne1

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