The Developer's guide provides you with an overview of the main topics and workflows for using the Drawlogix Object Library.

Drawlogix Object Library

The Drawlogix Object Library allows you to manipulate Drawlogix programmatically by exposing Drawlogix objects to the programming language.

Each exposed object represents a precise part of Drawlogix. There are many different types of objects. For example:

  • Graphical objects such as lines, arcs, text, and pads are objects.
  • Style settings such as linetypes and dimension styles are objects.
  • Organizational structures such as layers and pages are objects.
  • Even the job and the application are considered objects.

Macro commands

By programming the objects exposed by the Drawlogix Object Library, you can create commands to perform particular operations. They are particularly useful for:

  • Speed up editing and formatting operations.
  • Grouping multiple commands.
  • Automate a complex series of operations.
  • Extend program functions.

Footprint models

For some families of components it is possible to create footprints automatically by specifying the dimensional parameters of the components in the Footprint Wizard dialog box. Using the script language, new footprint models can be easily created.

Scripting Editor Window

The Scripting Editor is a built-in editor you can open within Drawlogix and use to create or edit text files. To open the editor you need to create a new script document as explained in: Create a new document.

About JavaScript

Javascript is a simple language to learn for those who already know similar languages such as C++ or Java, but it is not even difficult for those who approach it for the first time given its syntactic simplicity and its manageability.

Using a programming language like JavaScript has some advantages:

  • The main characteristic of Javascript, is to be a scripting language, but above all it is the scripting language par excellence and certainly the most used. This implies that there are numerous publications and information available about JavaScript.
  • The development environment is integrated in Drawlogix and does not require the installation of external software.

See also