Re: gEDA-user: General Layers questions

[Stephan Boettcher <boettcher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Kai-Martin Knaak <knaak@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

> DJ Delorie wrote:
>
>> However, I don't think we should start off with "lines have paste".
>> They don't.
>
> My current project happens to be a use case for lines with paste:
> I need to transport lots of current on limited space. And it needs 
> to be very resistant to vibration (this is supposed to survive a 
> rocket launch) So ordinary green wires soldered are considered
> a risk of failure. What we intend to do, is solder copper wires 
> full length on the board. This calls for tracks with exposed 
> copper and corresponding apertures in paste layer. Paste will 
> allow for better control of the amount of solder than with a 
> simple syringe dispenser. 
>
> Currently tracks cannot be uncovered, let alone induce paste apertures. 
> As a work-around I plan to convert the current path into pads just before 
> the layout is exported to gerber. (Maybe, I should write a script...)
> This is of course a kludge. 
>
> Upshot: Please try not to constrain possible attributes and properties 
> of objects. There may be use cases even for seemingly weird combinations
> just around the corner. 

I don't think that paste shall be attributes of lines. Lines and paste
live at the same level.  If you need to connect them, you'd need to go
one level up, like elements are one or two levels up from lines and
paste, or vias are one level up.

To implement this level (lines+paste) you will not need support from the
file format, it's in the GUI.  You may add attributes to lines and paste
objects that effect the GUI to edit them together.

IMHO, the file format shall loose all special support for levels
(elemets, vias), just an arbitray hierachy of grouping, with attributes
that tell the GUI how to present those to the user for editing.

> (Do I sound like John Doty now? :-) 

All will be well :-)

>> Allowing a GUI way to enable/disable layers anywhere in the heirarchy
>> would be cool; you could disable just the assembly objects in your
>> generic silk layer.
>
> +1
>
> ---<)kaimartin(>---

-- 
Stephan BÃttcher                     FAX: +49-431-85660
Extraterrestrische Physik            Tel: +49-431-880-2508
I.f.Exp.u.Angew.Physik               mailto:boettcher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Leibnizstr. 11, 24118 Kiel, Germany


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