LayoutEditor

by: CNET staff on September 12, 2010

CAD tools tend to be large, big-ticket packages that often pack stiff license fees. Open-source software increasingly rivals expensive applications. Imagine a cross between a full-featured graphics tool and top-drawer CAD package, optimized for designing electronic circuits and nanodevices, and that undergoes constant improvement and enhancement: that's LayoutEditor. It's a powerful suite of tools for designing and editing layouts for fabricating microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and integrated circuits (ICs), including multichip module (MCM), chip-on-board (COB), printed-circuit board (PCB), and thin-film technologies, among many others.

As open-source software goes, this program is no lightweight; it's a 30MB download that offers the choice of several versions when you install it, including a totally free basic version and two versions that requires a license key available from Juspertor for a small fee. However, this tool is so complex that starting out with the basic edition seems sensible. LayoutEditor has about as many icons as you can imagine, especially the full version, which adds numerous features over the reduced and basic versions. All editions share the same basic interface, a familiar layout seen on countless graphics, CAD, and design tools, completely customizable in its appearance and its complement of tools. The main display is a black field delineated by a grid of dots, with floating, draggable toolbars for this program's vast selection of geometric shapes, angles, and grids. The program uses Photoshop-style layers and cells that you can create, save, and reuse. Its full complement of drawing tools will pose little challenge to anyone who has used a typical graphics editor. Lacking IC design experience, we were basically able to create pretty patterns, but the examples of what this tool can do in experienced hands actually resemble artworks in their geometric complexity and colorful patterns. That they're actually functional nanocircuits only makes them that much more amazing.

Open-source projects like LayoutEditor have the power to put high-tech tools into a lot of talented and deserving hands. Who knows where it could lead?

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LayoutEditor is a program to design and edit layouts for MEMS/IC fabrication. It is suitably for Multi-Chip-Modules (MCM), Chip-on-Board (COB), Low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC), Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMIC), printed circuit boards (PCB), GDS Editor thick film technology, and thin film technology. It has sophisticated functions like all angles, font generator, macros, Boolean operations, design rule checker, OPC, netlist driven layout and LVS. The Calma GDSII file format is used as the primary file format. Also OASIS (Open Artwork System Interchange Standard), DXF, CIF (Caltech Intermediate Form) and Gerber (RS-274X) are full supported. Alliance, Lasi file can be imported.

All versions:

2.3 stars out of 3 votes

5 star: 1 4 star: 0 3 star: 0 2 star: 0 1 star: 2 Current version:

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Write review 5.0 stars

"nice software"

December 29, 2011  |   By tester546

Version: LayoutEditor build 20111218

Pros

very fast display of huge files, excellent viewer!

Cons

documentation could be more detailed

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1.0 stars

"Not free software. You cannot save files"

June 29, 2010  |   By Andrea2005

Version: LayoutEditor build 20100404

Pros

None. Could not use it because you have to pay to safe.

Cons

Not a free software. You have to pay.

Summary

Very unfair from the company to give this product as "free" while it is effectively useless as you cannot save. There was nothing in the limitations section for that.

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1.0 stars

"a bait and switch I don't appreciate being duped"

March 25, 2010  |   By bigfoot03242

Version: LayoutEditor build 20100217

Pros

There are none as of yet

Cons

Sadly it is not what is addvertised

Summary

It is indicated as sketch up Layout tool update not even close I will give it a try but from what I have seen your layout editor isn't even close Tech tracker did the same to me in the ArtRage 2.5 Free it said it was an update to full install which I own already it replace my full installed version. so had to reinstall my full version and uninstall the version I downloaded through TechTracker which says I need to update again. I don't appreciate the Bait and switch tactics cnet uses

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