[Author Prev][Author Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Author Index][Thread Index]

Re: gEDA-user: pcb: active layer helpers

I'm not sure I would implement either of these as the default...


DJ Delorie wrote:

Ok, two features I just checked in that I'd like some feedback on.

1. If you're looking at the component side of the board, and the
  component layer is the active layer, and the solder layer is
  hidden, and you flip the board over... the solder layer is shown
  and made active and the component layer is hidden.  Same when you
  flip back.

I.e. if you set it up so that it's like a real board, pcb will
attempt to preserve the illusion.


Be careful not to mix the need for viewing the other side with the need to modify the other side. What the user wants to observe is often different than what the user wants to control.

I've used PCB for some pretty dense 6-layer boards. Quite often, my reason for flipping the view to the other side is to gain some visibility for a trace I'm in the middle of routing. If the active layer is changed I'm just going to have to change it back. It is generally not a good idea to change the effect of a users actions (swapping the active layer) as a side-effect of flipping the view.

2. When multiple layers are visible, the non-active layer groups are
  drawn in a slightly faded color.




Different systems might implement "slightly faded" differently. You might find that slightly faded makes them indiscernible from the active groups, or they may be so different that you won't associate them to the same layer.

Some CAD tools use the same color but change the pattern ("stippling" in some cases) or outline of features on layers that are not currently active or selectable. Whatever you do, you may want to keep in mind that in the future PCB is likely to need more colors to differentiate between items on the screen, especially if it ever supports more than 8 layers.

Joe T