Homebrew PCBs

> I know what you mean.
> 
> I have been practicing with QCad for a few weeks now and have come 
to 
> the conclusiton that I just input all the components, spread them 
out 
> a lot, then autoroute.  I get a MESS !
> 
> Then I LOOK at the components and the board and figure out where I 
> want the connections and some of the major components.  move them 
> around then autoroute again.
> 
> then I go back and move all the related parts like caps and 
resistors 
> so they line up better.  
> 
> I do find that you can place an LED in one of 4 directions, 3 of 
> which will cause traces to go off into odd directions and 
not 'flow'  
> ditto for resisrs and caps.
> 
> I move those type around until the traces are shorter and the 
lines 
> more straight.
> 
> When it is done, I have forced the autoroute to put traces where I 
> want them to a large degree and the board looks better.
> 
> I have a board that looks like heck as all of one side of the PIC 
> pins were connected to things on the opposite side of the board 
and 
> all the pins on the other side had to weave themselves around.  
very 
> cluttered.
> 
> Dave

Yep, I no longer use the "representative" schematic parts. I make 
all my schematic parts identical to the chips themselves just so I 
don't end up with what you describe. The entire time I'm doing the 
schematic I'm also working out PCB placement. If I have to use lots 
on 90 degree corners in the schematic I know its time to rethink 
what I'm doing. Makes it a lot easier to decide which pins to use on 
MCUs and the like as well. 

For instance, I was using the default '4050 schematic part and 
didn't realize just what a mess the '4050 makes on a PCB. Once I saw 
this, I dumped the '4050 and went with a '245. Extra pins, but its 
very tidy - all inputs on one side and outputs on the other.