TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

[#1]

@shutter  after importing a netlist of a KiCAD circuit design, The components show-up in VeeCAD as a series of default simplistic components in the bottom RHS of VeeCAD's strip-board design board.  The names of the imported components (defined in KiCAD) are listed in VeeCAD's Outlines screen.  VeeCAD's Outline allows you to create a footprint-like shape to change each of the initial default shape to more realistic footprint shapes with the pins locations located in the more realistic shapes. 

The set of realistic shapes now depicted on the strip-board design screen can be moved to locations on the strip-board to your liking.

VeeCAD's strip-board  shows the rat-lines between the footpints.  The small set of tools allows you the cut the strips and put jumperr wires between strips as necessary tor correct connectivity until all of the rat-lines are eliminated. 

The finished strip-board design can be printed to give you the image of the design screen that you can use to make the required strip-board part.

I have only used KiCAD and VeeCAD for one circuit so far (LED Dimmer Circuit).  The circuit contains:

1 off 555 IC, 2 off diodes, 1 off potentiometer, 2 off capacitors. 2 off resistors, 1 off N type MOSET, 1 off LED,  Vcc and GND.

I spent 4 or 5 hours wrestling with the TinyCAD's wiring issue I encoutered before setting it aside and trying KiCAD 9. Becoming familier enough with KiCAD 9 to generate a netlist took about 2 or 3 hours without any wiring issues.  I had the VeeCAD strip-board design finished in about 4 or 5 hours overall.

When I get a bit more time I will define another circuit in KiCAD and genrate the strip-board design in VeeCAD.  Based on the experience with my first attempt, I think it will take a much shorter time to get a finished strip-board design.

[#2]

@AJB1 ok.  Thanks for the information... 

quote

The set of realistic shapes now depicted on the strip-board design screen can be moved to locations on the strip-board to your liking.

VeeCAD's strip-board  shows the rat-lines between the footpints.  The small set of tools allows you the cut the strips and put jumperr wires between strips as necessary tor correct connectivity until all of the rat-lines are eliminated.  

Unquote....

so far, it appears that you still need to place  the component shapes, and decide where to cut the strips, rather than VeeCad  placing them and cutting the strips to make up the circuit layout...  

Or am I reading you wrong, and there is another process that will "magically" move the "netlist"  now in Veecad components on to a suitable chosen size strip board layout, and  produce an image of it " as it should be ".. 

A type of "stripboard pcb" ready to power up and "go" ... ( once the components have been soldered on, of course ! ) . 

[#3]

@shutter 

You are correct in your appreciation of what VeeCAD does.  VeeCAD makes use of the CAD design tools exported netlist to enable correctly connected components on a strip-board.  It is up to you to generate decent looking footprints using the rudimentary tools that VeeCAD provides.  VeeCAD also has tools that facilitate removing the ratlines when you position your footprint outlines on the strips and use jumber wires between strips and cut the strips at appropriate places.

It would be very nice if VeeCAD did more of the manual stuff but it doesn't.  VeeCAD is not the "ready -to-go" tool that would be ideal.  But even being able to import a circuits component definitions together with the circuit netlists is a very useful aid in making stripboard based circuit boards.  

Even though VeeCAD is not ideal, it eliminates some of the manual task in making a strip-board based circuit board.

I have no particular expertise in the CAD design tools or VeeCAD but so far having sees what can be done, even with its limitations, VeeCAD looks to be very useful. Maybe it will be improved upon over time.

[#4]

@AJB1  Ok Thanks again for more details... appreciate it very much. 

Am busy on a couple of other (non circuit board type ) projects. so am leaving that  in abeyance for a while.

Thanks again

Cheers

[#5]

I tried exporting a KiCad netlist into VeeCad on another circuit using different components to my first test circuit.  The KiCad netlist was imported into VeeCad without difficulty, VeeCad's Board/Outlines and Board/Components accurately imported all of the KiCad circuit components.

The new circuit used a Buzzer, Capacitor, Resistor, DC Jack, 01x02 Connector and an N type MOSFET.

I am getting more familier with KiCad 9 and it looks as good as DipTrace that I have been using up until now.