Addition of objects:

An object is one of the following: line, circle, pin, net, box, bus, text/attribute, and component. A component is a collection of lines, circles, pins, boxes, text, and attributes.

• Add Component Opens up a dialog box which lets you place components from the component libraries. To place a component do the following:
  1. Select a Component library (which, btw, is specified in the Resource files, see section below) from the left list

  2. Select a Component from the right list.

  3. Move the mouse into the main drawing window (you should see an outline).

  4. Press the first mouse button to place the component.

  5. Keep pressing the first mouse button to place additional instances of the component.

  If a component name is already selected, hitting apply and moving the mouse into the main window will allow you to place that component again.

  You can rotate the component before you place it by clicking the middle button. For every button click, the component will be rotate 90 degrees.

  To cancel a component place press the last mouse button or the ESC key.

  Please see the dialog box section for detailed information on this dialog box.

• Add Net Draws a net segment. If you select this off of the top menu bar then:
  1. Press the first mouse button to start the net.
  2. Press the first mouse button to end the net.
  3. Another net will start at the last endpoint.
  4. Press the first mouse button to end that net etc...
  Press the last mouse button or ESC to cancel any net in progress.

  If you started this using the keyboard shortcut then the net start immediately at the last mouse position and then it behave exactly as above (except for line #1).

  After drawing a net segment (or segments) and canceling the last net segment, you are automatically placed in select mode. You must pick add net again or type the shortcut to add more nets.

  You can hold down the control key to draw non-orthogonal nets. Just keep in mind that you cannot connect anything to the middle of a non-orthogonal net.

  The boxes at the end of the nets are connectivity cues. Filled boxes signified a dangling net (not connected to anything). Filled circles are midpoint connections/junctions. These cues are drawn automatically and are an indicator of electrical connectivity.

  See the section on electrical connectivity below for more information.

• Add Bus Basically the same thing as nets, except that it draws buses. Buses are very new and there are many aspects which are not defined yet, so keep that in mind as you uses buses. *More to be added here eventually*

• Add Attribute... Brings up the add attribute dialog box. This dialog box is ONLY used to add attributes. It does not display or manipulate already placed attributes.

  An attribute is nothing more than a text item which is in the form name=value (there cannot be any spaced to the left or right of the name,value pair). It can be either unattached or attached.

  To add an unattached attribute do the following:

  1. Select an attribute name off of the pulldown list -or- type in the attribute name into the name entry.
  2. Type in a value for the attribute.
  3. Pick any of the attribute options.
  4. Click Apply and the attribute will be placed.

  If you want to attach an attribute to an object then select the desired object first and then press the add attribute apply button. The text should be yellow which signifies an attached attribute. If you click on an object which has attached attributes, the attached attributes should be selected as well.

  If you select Add/Attribute... off of the pull down menus then you do not have much control as to where the attribute gets placed (it gets places either at the lower left hand corner of the object extents or at the origin of any selected object). However, if you execute Add/Attribute using the hot key then the current mouse position is used as the anchor point for the attribute item.

  You cannot place an incomplete attribute (an attribute without a name and value).

  Please see the section on attributes below for more info on how to use attributes and more details.

• Add Text Opens up the text add dialog box. To place text:
  1. Type in text in entry field
  2. Hit enter or click Apply
  3. Move the mouse into the main window (an outline of the text should appear and follow the mouse)
  4. Press the first mouse button to place the text
  If you leave the text add dialog box open you can place the same text item again and again by just clicking apply (or pressing enter) and moving the mouse into the main window.

  Text which is placed will be automatically capitalized. Please see the Resource file section below on how to control this behavior.

  To cancel a text place press the last mouse button or the ESC key.

  If you create text in the form name=value, then you are creating attributes. gEDA allows for general attributes to be free floating (or unattached). It is a good idea to change the color of these floating attributes to the current attribute color (which is also called the attached attribute color) to signify that this text item is an attribute.

  You can rotate the text before you place it by clicking the middle button. For every button click, the text will be rotate 90 degrees.

• Add Line Draws a line in the same fashion as drawing nets with the following exceptions:
  • A line has no electrical significance
  • Only a single line is drawn
  • You keep drawing lines as long as you are in line drawing mode.
  To cancel a line rubberband in progress press the last mouse button or the ESC key.

• Add Circle To draw a circle (picking Add Circle off of a menu):
  1. Pick the center of the circle with the first button
  2. Move the mouse to see an outline of the circle
  3. Press the first mouse button to finalize the circle

  To draw a circle (typing the shortcut), same as above except that the center of the circle is picked for you at the last mouse position when you type the shortcut.

  To cancel a circle rubberband in progress press the last mouse button or the ESC key.

• Add Arc To draw an arc (picking Add Arc off of a menu):
  1. Pick the center of the arc with first mouse button
  2. Move the mouse and pick the next point. The rubberbanded line represents the radius
  3. A dialog box will appear: specify the start angle (in degrees) and specify the degrees of sweep.
  4. Press OK to finalize the values.
  The start angle can be positive or negative. The degrees are specified using the standard Cartesian coordinate system. The degrees of sweep can be positive or negative.

  To cancel an arc in progress (while rubberband the radius) press the last mouse button or the ESC key or press the Cancel button in the arc dialog box.

• Add Pin Draws a pin in the same fashion as drawing nets with the following exception:
  • You keep drawing pins as long as you are in pins drawing mode.
  To cancel a pin rubberband in progress press the last mouse button or the ESC key.