PCB express help

[dacflyer]

i am fairly familliar with PCBexpress program, but i need some help with making a template for a relay base, unless theres one in the database somewhere that i haven't seen yet.

i need to put 2 relays beside each other.. the relays are PT52B012B
bought from newark. if i have the template i think i can make it from there i am not familliar enough yet to make the template myself,
not really sure how to tell what spacing i have on the board when i place items. i do not see a ruler anywhere. the items seem larger than 1:1 scale
how do i tell what spacing i am using ? i think this is my biggest problem when designing.

[hsierra]

i assume you are trying to draw the pad for the relay on the pc board. start with a clean drawing and set the options to the units that the data sheet is drawn in. IE mm or inches. set the grid for a reasonable size and set the snap to a usable setting and draw the pad using the grid to set the distances. ie set grid to 1 mm and snap to 1 mm and you can set the holes exactly where they need to be. then use the group to make part command. you can then use the component manager to bring the part into the drawing.

[dacflyer]

so in other words i have to fabricate the component that i need ?
i wish they had a more extencive library..nothing at all as far as relays are concerned.
i hope i get the pitch right..

is PCB express limited to what size board you can make ? or do you know what their size limit is ?

[philba]

I played a bit with PCBExpress and found it just short of useless. Additionally, I would never consider a tool that is captive of a single PCB company. I suppose that will anger some but it's my opinion and I'm not the only one that thinks that way.

While harder to use, Eagle gives you a lot more power. The library editor works pretty well, there is a HUGE set of libraries and you can use almost any PCB house (execpt PCBExpress...).