ABACOM - ELECTRONIC SOFTWARE

Hello,

new update add plugin support, this is great

when do plugins arrive? Who will prepare plugins

can users create plugins?

is there a tutorial for creating plugins?

will plugins be paid?

thanks.

Experienced programmers may create own plugins.
Please refer to the section "Miscellaneous Functions -> Plugins" in the manual.
Whether and when which plugins may appear depends on the Sprint-Layout community.
Sprint-Layout only provides the option of plugin programming.

Trotzdem wäre es Gut wenn abacom mal ein Beispiel vorstellt, denn schließlich hatten die Entwickler dieser Funktion ja etwas im Hinterkopf wofür dies gut sein könnte.

I have more or less written such plugin, but before Plugin support was added in Layout60. See viewtopic.php?f=11&t=5546#p18062
It is an external program that looks at all connections that are made (after placement, before routing) and replaces them with the shortest net possible. I use this feature intensively myself.
The external program works on the Text-IO manual exported file. I could give a try to make a real plugin version of the tool.

To Abacom support: My suggestion on the Plugin option is that the file structure should allow for additional information, that can be added by the plugin developer, and that is neglected but retained by Sprint Layout. This allows i.e. for keeping the initial connections (rats nest) stored in the design, but unvisible, and after completion do a full design routing test against the initial rats nest.
For such additional information, Abacom should then propose a flexible format, so that a certain standarisation takes place.
Then the users community could really help to enhance the Sprint Layout functionality, and Abacom could in the future adopt or integrate succesful plugins.

I have written a plugin using the features published by Abacom.
The plugin works on a design where all connections are already added (rubber bands, rats nest or air wires), and the tool
rearranges the connections so that the shortest connections are made. Useful during placement of the components in dense
medium or high complex PCB's.
Download the .exe file, instructions and the Visual Studio source codes, all in one archive, here:
https://www.benbulsink.nl/wp-content/up ... Plugin.zip

Free to use. Suggestions welcome. Send mail to benbulsink@outlook.com!

Hi benb. Could you share your tool again, it's not available anymore. Do you also have the source-code of your tool? Thanks in advance.

CD32Freak hat geschrieben: Sonntag 26. November 2023, 19:49 Hi benb. Could you share your tool again, it's not available anymore. Do you also have the source-code of your tool? Thanks in advance.

Hi CD32Freak, It appears that the onedrive link to the plugin always gets inactive over some time. Now I linked to a place of my own:
https://www.benbulsink.nl/wp-content/up ... Plugin.zip

Sorry for the late reply...
Ben Bulsink

Thanks for sharing, Ben!

benb hat geschrieben: Montag 6. April 2026, 15:05 Hi CD32Freak, It appears that the onedrive link to the plugin always gets inactive over some time. Now I linked to a place of my own:
https://www.benbulsink.nl/wp-content/up ... Plugin.zip

Sorry for the late reply...
Ben Bulsink