I really am not qualified to do this, I have used other PCB packages but am very new to DipTrace, so keeping in mind I am just a baby beginner, so here are my suggestions to get started: I have mentioned DipTrace to some of my friends and they asked me for brief instructions on how to start and I am hoping some of you will add some suggestions to my humble beginning.

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Download latest version (Presently V3)
Print out tutorial (Staples, $30.)
Do the tutorial – make some notes, use your highlighter, put tabs in the tutorial book marking different areas as this will be your user manual.
Print out the DipTrace HotKeys (Search in Help)
Get set up on the two DipTrace On-Line Forums (diptr in Yahoo and http://www.diptrace.com/forum/) (I’m not sure which one is the best so I just have both).
I picked up a few User libraries from the DipTrace forum – SIP, Switches, Vregs, DISCR, Conn for a start because they had some useful additional parts.
Make your own User DipTrace area (I have partitioned drive D: as my own Data drive – makes backups easier)
D:/Diptrace /My Projects
D:/Diptrace /Tutorial
D:/Diptrace /Libraries/V3 Libraries
/My Libraries
/User Libraries
I COPY whatever Libraries I want to be using into DipTrace /libraries from the three Library subgroups (all of V3, all of My Libraries and some of User Libraries)
Figure out how to get DipTrace/Libraries setup as your active libraries (Page 108-9 Tutorial).

….and jump in (hopefully with a fairly simple board to start).

Questions? (and you will have lots of them as you get started)
Check the Tutorial, Search the HELP, Search the Forums,
After you have done all three, ask the Forums and then email support.

(and if you got this far, a question:)
I am successfully making parts and linking patterns, often right from the schematic using Library Edit.
After I save my Library back to my DipTrace/Libraries folder (and My Libraries, as I use DipTrace/Libraries (root) as my working Library folder).
How do I get my schematic to use the updated version of "My Library" I just updated and saved.
The only thing I have found to work, is to save my schematic, exit from Schematic Capture and bring it up again with my schematic and of course,
by doing this, the libraries get reloaded and my new "My Library" is there for me to use.
Tks in advance: Stell

Hi Stell,
To update a library, click on any other library on library bar, then return to previous library you wanted to update.

Thank you Alex.......

Too simple!