Re: gEDA-user: routing questions

[DJ Delorie <dj@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> 1) Is there an alternative to the default routing style with 45Â
> segments at the start of the current line? It would be nice to switch to
> 45Â segments at the other end. What I mean is:

Use the / key to change the defaul, or shift to change it temporarily.

> style D:
> Direct connection of two points, allowing for any angle, not just
> integers of 45ÂÂ

Control key.

> 2) What is the most convent way to change sides during routing? Is there
> a shortcut that sets a via and toggles the active layer from top to
> bottom? (Protel: [numpad-*])

Tab will flip the board.  To follow a trace to a different layer via a
via, click to end the current trace where you want the via, then
switch layers (the number keys 1-8 are shortcuts for switching layers)

> 2b) Is there a keyboard shortcut that toggles the active layer between
> component and solder?

Number keys work fine for this.  In the lesstif HID, if you happen to
have one side visible and current, and the other side hidden and not,
tab will swap them, both currentness and visibility.


> 3) Is there a way to tune the auto router in addition to the sizes
> that are given by the "routing style"? e.g. priority directions for
> specific layers, penalty if the direction of a track is "wrong",
> penalty for vias, maximum number of undo if the routing gets stuck,
> etc.

No.  The autorouter is a gridless router.

> 4) The autorouter seems to do Manhatten style routing only. Can it be
> configured to do 45ÂÂ style?

No, the autorouter is gridless, using geometric rectangles.  If anyone
wants to implement a topological autorouter, that would be wonderful.

> 
> 5) I noticed, that I get different layers if I start pcb with a *.pcb
> file, that was generated by gsch2pcb. Without any pcb file it is

gschem uses a template pcb, so you get whatever the template had.
It's based on older pcb defaults.  You can change them if you want.

> What is the significance of this difference? The colors seem to depend
> on the numbers rather than the names.

Yes, colors depend on layer numbers.

> 6) Is there a way to "go backwards" while routing? Sometimes I discover
> right after the click, that I'd better go a different way.

The "U" key, to undo, can undo individual segments when drawing lines.

> And finally a meta question: Would you prefer if I wrote a separate
> email to the list for every topic? --> "Karel style" :-)

No, but reading the manual first would be nice :-)