Re: gEDA-user: Random thoughts on the future interface of PCB

[Peter Clifton <pcjc2@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 2010-12-02 at 16:13 -0500, Bob Paddock wrote:

> > Scrap straight line rats in favour of using the topological auto-router?
> 
> Do different rat lines help ship products?  Not that I see.

I imagined (although I've not coded to verify), that more intelligent
AUTO-routing of rats against existing board geometry / routed nets would
be a huge time-saver (especially if combined with more powerful features
to rubber-band existing nets).

I forget the name used elsewhere, but the idea is akin to user-guided
auto-routing, net by net. The rat-lines would show the routes each net
would take (if chosen to be routed next).

I was just throwing some ideas out there as food for thought (and so I
don't forget them). I've got too many little .txt files lying around
with one or two little ideas / design fragments, and I rarely come back
to them!

As I see it, PCB priorities (for me at least) are approximately:

Release?
Merge 2D parts of PCB+GL drawing
Release?
Merge 3D parts of PCB+GL drawing
GUI to control PCB+GL rendering styles
Release?

Gather design details of file-format changes required for:
	3D model support
		Package instantiation as offset + rotation,
		NOT duplication and in place modification
		(Also buys better rotation support)
	Arbitrary layer types
	Pad stacks
	Polygon pours
		Negative objects?
		Better polygon data-structures?
	Storage of layer colours / stack definitions

Implement file-format changes (possible totally new file format?)
Arbitrary layer types / stacks
Arbitrary pad types / stacks
Release?

Pours support
Release?

3D model support
Release?

<OTHER STUFF I TALKED ABOUT>


-- 
Peter Clifton

Electrical Engineering Division,
Engineering Department,
University of Cambridge,
9, JJ Thomson Avenue,
Cambridge
CB3 0FA

Tel: +44 (0)7729 980173 - (No signal in the lab!)
Tel: +44 (0)1223 748328 - (Shared lab phone, ask for me)



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