Re: gEDA-user: Two things ... or actually, three

[DJ Delorie <dj@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I'd really like to contribute something back -- but as I'm not really a
> proficient coder

Contributions come in other forms, Certainly, library work and
documentation are sorely in need of contributors and even owners.  If
you read the light/heavy thread, you'll see I just put out a call for
folks to put together sample self-contained heavy libraries, those can
be as small as one component (although something big enough to be a
'starter library' would be better).

As a new user with experience (huh?) documentation might be a good
place to contribute too, pick a chunk of one of the manuals and
replace it with something modern, for example.  Or find an old
tutorial and update it to match the current tools.

In any event, don't feel that you have to be a code guru to help out,
and don't wait for an invitation - pick something you can do and do
it.

> - Zero length lines in PCB: I found that when drawing lines in PCB,

I think you're tripping over the metric-rouding bug, where what you're
seeing is lines that are 0.01 mil long.  We're working on that with
the metrification of PCB.

> Now I was used to the work flow of gschem -> [update pcb in] xgsch2pcb
> -> PCB, but this appears to have changed.

It's still available, there are now alternate ways that are more
integrated, that's all.

> I wondered if someone could explain this in a few words.

gsch2pcb, xgsch2pcb, and pcb's File->Import all do the same thing -
they run gnetlist.  In all three cases, *someone* needs to know which
schematics are read, and which layout is updated.

The File->Import case is different in that the list of schematics you
need, is stored in the layout that needs them, and PCB is running the
process so it knows that it also needs to read the new info and update
the board.

Look at the documentation for the Import() action in the PCB
reference, it tells you what needs to be added to the layout to store
this information.  There are menu options for editing "layout
attributes", which is where they go.

> Do I also need a newer gschem version?

No.  The gnetlist backend is part of pcb, just make sure it gets
installed with the other netlisters.

> And has anything changed with regard to custom created symbols and
> footprints (as in: how do I make the new gschem and PCB versions
> aware of their existence?).

You need to make *PCB* aware of your footprint paths.  Use the
Preferences dialog to set these paths, and check them with the Library
window (if they show up in the Library window, the import will work)

> Anyway, thanks once again, and please tell me if e.g. footprints or
> symbols I created are welcome (and where I can send these).

Email me privately and I'll set you up with a gedasymbols.org account.


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