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from the better-than-a-sharp-stick-in-the-eye dept.
Hackaday reports
Things are about to get interesting in the world of PCB design software for the open [...] hardware community. This week, Altium launched the open public beta for its new [CircuitMaker] software[1], and it's a major change from what we looked at previously. Everything is [gratis].
You heard that right, [gratis]. Unlimited board size and unlimited layers--all [gratis]. And this isn't some stripped-down, bare-bones software here. They've thrown in almost everything under the sun: a 3D viewer, team project collaboration, [Cadsoft EAGLE] and DFX import, integrated Octopart supplier and pricing information, no commercial usage limits, and project sharing. And if that isn't enough, the "engine" seems to be the exact same back-end that is used in the full $10,000 Altium Designer as well (with a bit easier to use user interface on top).
This is a major departure from the pre-beta we covered back in September. Altium was going [to] have board size and layer limits, with the ability to "upgrade" at a cost.
[...] there are a few gotchas[...]. The software uses cloud based storage for your project files and [it] is community based. It won't work without an Internet connection, there is no local storage, and it forces you to share your projects with the world. You do get two "Sandbox" designs that you can hide from the world before you generate your Gerber files, but after that, your project is online for the whole world to see.
[...] anyone with a doggy Internet connection is not going to enjoy using [CircuitMaker] (we're hoping they remove that limitation in the final product). [...]how many people will be willing to trust their designs to a free service that could be turned off on a whim?
[...] If you want to see in-depth review of [CircuitMaker], we highly recommend you watch the video[...]. Dave Jones of the eevblog, gives you a full rundown on the beta version. Dave's in a unique place to review this software: Not only has he been using Altium since the mid-80's as a professional engineer, he's also a former Altium employee.
[1] The CircuitMaker page contains a "Free" link, but it doesn't lead anywhere--especially not to source code (even after allowing the 8 scripts that the page wants to push at you). There is some vague gibberish about GPL at the bottom of the CircuitMaker page but, again, no mention of actual source code. It appears that although the Hackaday submitter used the term "open source", that is used incorrectly.
In addition, the Download link doesn't lead anywhere for me--again, even after allowing the 8 scripts. Justice_099 in the comments says "Downloading requires a CircuitMaker account and I don't see any way to create an account there." (This really looks like amateur night.)
There is also no mention of operating systems, so I'm assuming this is Windows-only. (imroy264 in the comments says that is so and Anonymous below him says it fails via WINE).
majost in the comments says "My biggest issue with CircuitMaker is you cannot import manufacturer or third-party supplied parts libraries, and the Ciiva Library is lacking quite a few parts."
The comments also contain numerous mentions of (GPL'd, zero-restriction) KiCAD.
Related: CERN is Getting Serious About Development of the KiCAD App for Designing Printed Circuits
Original Submission
(Score: 5, Informative) by anubi on Monday June 22 2015, @12:45AM
Reminds me of "Free" CircuitLAB spice simulator that /. got me started on.
I toyed around with it for a while... even put up about a dozen circuits public... unusual circuits I had used before and knew they worked.
Then one day I signed on and discovered it was no longer "free". It was now subscription based, and all the effort I had done training myself to use their system was now held as an encouragement for me to open a paid account. Problem is I do not have all that much money, but I do have time - which I used to create content for their site ( as I do here ). I kinda hate to pay, as well as leave personal and banking information on yet another site, when I already have several versions of SPICE, dating back to a C++ rewrite of the original Berkeley 2G5/Fortran ( which was done by one of my colleagues at the aerospace company I used to work for. )
I figured they would have grandfathered me in due to the public circuits I had left... ( the only private ones I had were ones that were experimental for me and usually had very serious bugs ). I knew better than put anything on this that was confidential to my customer. I use LTSpice for those.
Main thing I was looking for was when I am at the local community college, I sometimes help out and show students how to use tools that I am free to share. I had found CircuitLAB handy for showing another student what circuit simulation was all about without involving loading a program into the College's PC's ( which they frown on - for good reason too ). No big thing though... I know the college administration well enough they will let me install LTSpice.
I did not go back and wipe out all my files at CircuitLAB, but I have not been back to leave any new ones either. I can't leave any new ones. That was a Managerial Decision.
The main thing I use CircuitLAB any more for is showing my other clients why they should not trust the "cloud" for anything more than ephemeral data. Do not leave your jewels in the cloud. They may not be there when you come back. Or your jewels may be held hostage to enforce your compliance with someone else's demands.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Monday June 22 2015, @09:48PM
Yep, the only cloud storage you can count on is on your own servers. Then you have only to hope that you don't turn into a dick when you put your sysadmin hat on and deny yourself access to the files.
Washington DC delenda est.