diff --git a/docs/intro/user-facing-tools.md b/docs/intro/user-facing-tools.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..bade8fc9 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/intro/user-facing-tools.md @@ -0,0 +1,52 @@ +--- +title: User-Facing Tools +description: A quick map of the main tscircuit tools you can use to design, preview, convert, route, and ship circuit boards. +sidebar_position: 6 +--- + +# User-Facing Tools + +tscircuit is a set of tools around the same circuit-as-code workflow. You can +start in the online editor, move to local development with the CLI, and use +previewers, converters, and web APIs when you need to integrate tscircuit into a +larger toolchain. + +## Design and Editing + +| Tool | Use it for | Where to start | +| --- | --- | --- | +| [tscircuit.com editor](https://tscircuit.com/editor) | Writing and previewing tscircuit projects in the browser | [Quickstart: web editor](/intro/quickstart-web) | +| [tsci CLI](/command-line/tsci-init) | Creating, developing, building, and exporting projects locally | [Quickstart: CLI](/intro/quickstart-cli) | +| [RunFrame](/guides/running-tscircuit/running-tscircuit-inside-an-iframe) | Embedding a live tscircuit runner inside another web page | [Run tscircuit in an iframe](/guides/running-tscircuit/running-tscircuit-inside-an-iframe) | + +## Preview and Inspection + +| Tool | Use it for | Where to start | +| --- | --- | --- | +| [PCB viewer](https://github.com/tscircuit/pcb-viewer) | Rendering and inspecting PCB layouts from Circuit JSON | [Display Circuit JSON on a webpage](/guides/running-tscircuit/displaying-circuit-json-on-a-webpage) | +| [3D viewer](https://github.com/tscircuit/3d-viewer) | Showing board assemblies with 3D component models | [Cad model element](/elements/cadmodel) | +| [Circuit preview component](/guides/running-tscircuit/displaying-circuit-json-on-a-webpage) | Showing schematic, PCB, pinout, and 3D previews in docs or apps | [Programmatically building circuits](/guides/running-tscircuit/programmatically-building-circuits) | + +## Conversion and Importing + +| Tool | Use it for | Where to start | +| --- | --- | --- | +| [JLCPCB import](/guides/importing-modules-and-chips/importing-from-jlcpcb) | Turning JLCPCB parts into tscircuit components | [Importing from JLCPCB](/guides/importing-modules-and-chips/importing-from-jlcpcb) | +| [KiCad import](/guides/importing-modules-and-chips/importing-from-kicad) | Reusing KiCad libraries and symbols in tscircuit projects | [Importing from KiCad](/guides/importing-modules-and-chips/importing-from-kicad) | +| [Circuit JSON import](/guides/importing-modules-and-chips/importing-from-circuit-json) | Converting existing Circuit JSON into reusable tscircuit code | [Importing from Circuit JSON](/guides/importing-modules-and-chips/importing-from-circuit-json) | + +## Routing, Exporting, and Ordering + +| Tool | Use it for | Where to start | +| --- | --- | --- | +| [Autorouting API](/web-apis/autorouting-api) | Routing PCB traces from Circuit JSON in automated workflows | [Autorouting API](/web-apis/autorouting-api) | +| [Export commands](/command-line/tsci-export) | Exporting fabrication files, images, and project outputs locally | [tsci export](/command-line/tsci-export) | +| [Ordering API](/web-apis/ordering-api) | Connecting generated board files to manufacturing and ordering flows | [Ordering API](/web-apis/ordering-api) | + +## Core Libraries + +| Tool | Use it for | Where to start | +| --- | --- | --- | +| [tscircuit/core](https://github.com/tscircuit/core) | The React-to-Circuit-JSON engine used by the editor, CLI, and previews | [Programmatically building circuits](/guides/running-tscircuit/programmatically-building-circuits) | +| [Circuit JSON](https://github.com/tscircuit/circuit-json) | The intermediate format shared by viewers, exporters, and APIs | [Display Circuit JSON on a webpage](/guides/running-tscircuit/displaying-circuit-json-on-a-webpage) | +| [Footprinter](/footprints/footprinter-strings) | Creating reusable PCB footprints from compact footprint strings | [Footprinter strings](/footprints/footprinter-strings) |